Pueblo chieftain., 1921-12-11
FOREIGN ARMS DELEGATES WATCH
US. SENATE WITH awe and FEAR
Question 'sWhat viii Senators Do With Treaty?''
Worries Men at Conference; Bitter Expert
ence Taught Them Body Is Unruy
(By MARK SULLIVAN

proceedings in the newly assembled
senate this week have been watched
by no one with more interest than by
the foreingers who are here for the
conference. They have watched the
senate not with mere curiosity over an
allen and unfamiliar form of national
legislature; they have watched it
with an eye to getting an answer to
the question: What will the senate
do about it?" BY "it" is meant the
form in which will be cast whatever
is to be the outcome of the delibera-
tions of the conference.
1t just happened that the re-assemb-
ling of the senate came on Monday of
this week and coincided with the first
high tide of rumor to the effect that
the form which the outcome of the con-
ference would take would be a four
power alliance-or, including China, a
five power alliance. 1t was on that
day that the British newspaper men
began to cable the most confident and
unqualified dispatches to their home
newspapers. Naturally, II and when
they and the other foreigners thought
they had grounds to expect that the
outcome of the conference would be
an alliance, or a treaty of a fairly rigid
kind, they instantly began to wonder
what the senate would do about such
treaty, II the outcome of the confer
epce snould take that form.
The foreigners at all times havo a
deep concern about tho senate. 1t
would not be too much to say they fear
the senate. For this they have good
reasons based on painful experience.
They have seen Wilson, when he was
president. negotiate a league of ma
tions. To express it from their point
of view, they have seen Wilson use
his power as president OF the United
States to more or less force a league
of nations on them against their own
desires and better judgment. They
saw Wifon sign his name to the cove
nant. and they thought tho thing was
done. In their countries, when the
head Of the nation signs his name to
Il treaty, the thing is done. In the
majority of the foreign countries, the
signature of the head OF the nation is
final. Even in thoss nations which
have ratification by another body, that
ratification Is perfunctory. 1t comes
as a matter OF course. When the for
eigners saw Wilson sign the covenant
at Versailles they thought It was
final. They thought that America was
from that moment forward a member
of tho league OF nations. When their
attention was called to the fact that
all such covenants and treaties must
he ratified by the senate. they thought
this would be a mere formality. Yet
later, when they saw the debate in the
senate drag itself out month after
month, they still thought the senate
would ratify. They believed 1t to be
incredible that the senate should re-
pudiate the act OF the president, es-
pccially when that act was taken un-
der tho circumstances that are now
familiar to the world. When finally
the American senate did repudiate tho
presidents act-when tho senate pre-
sented our membership in the league
OF naaons-the foreigners were more
deeply shocked than courtesy permit
ted them to say. Since that time they
have feared tho senate as something
whose ways are mysterious and not to
be calculated.
At a dinner IN Washington last
spring. when viviani and his associ-
ates were hero to try to persuade us
to enter . tripartite alliance, several
members OF the foreign affairs COM
mittee Of the United States senate ex-
planned to NJ. Viviani. with forceful
vigor at great length and with much
detail about American constitutional
procedure, Just how large a part this
COMMITTEES and the senate as q whole
have In the management OF our for.
Agn relations. After the dinner I
heard one OF the Frenchmen say, with
humorous but nevertheless panied res
isnation. we understand now perfect
ly. We know that Franco has but two
things to fear. Ono Is God. tho other
is the United States senats-and God
Is far away"
1t Is this undcrsta nding of the power
and function of tho senate that ac-
counts for tho question that is on
every foreigners lips, what will the
senate do?" am certain that rs to
some Of tho foreign delegations, when
they came here they expected to de-
mand ratification by tho senate OF
whatever agreement should be arrived
Mt before they themselves would sign
II. At least they expected either ac-
actual ratification or satisfactory as
suranco that It would be ratified be-
fore they should commit themselves by
their own signatures. They had this
attitude not in any spirit OF trucu-
lence, but In tho sincere belief that the
question OF China could not be salts
factorily settled. except by an agree
mcnt so formal and so binding and so
necessary to be lived UP to for long
or period OF years that II would be
necessary to have ratification OF II by
the senate.
Tho foreigners. and especially the
British. held this conviction not In any
spirit OF turbulence, and not in any
wish for selfish advantage. but ou
Of real regard for success in what they
were undertaking. They believed that
II tho thing that happened about u
league of nations was unfortunate. tho
same thing happening about China
and the Far East would be fatal. They
believed that to tear TO pieces the ex-
isting status quo in the Far East, and
then have failure in the effort TO
achieve something else. would end in
chaos.
I say that this ia the feeling with
which the British and tho Japanese
approached the conference. And let mo
interject right here that in this feel
ing they were Justified and 1t is not
open to any American to criticize
them. 1t is fact that tho status quo
To-, ha O.,