The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-04-14
COLOMBIAN ,
TREATY ENDS
OLD DISPUTE.
Believe Measure Will Pass in
Senate - Opposition Sur
prised President First
Step Toward Friendliness.
OIL RIGHTS INVOLV WE'D
BY MARK SULLIVAN

When President Harding picked the
Colombian treaty as the first item in
his foreign program. his principal mot
I've was the placating Of Colombia
should be the first step in a broad
policy of creating friendliness for and
confidence in the United States on the
part Of not only Colombia but also
Mexico and all Latin America
Secretary Fall is among the small
group of President Harding's advisers
whose counsel he takes on the subject
of Mexico, and Secretary Fall advised
the passage OF the Colombian treaty
Latin America that we intend to treat
those countries as equals and intend
to honor their just demands on us just
as much as we determined to make
them honor our just demands on them
Tor damages that have been done to
us and to our people In their various
revolutions.
This motive having caused Presi-
dent Harding to decide to push the
Colombian treaty, he approached var
ious Republican senators who had op-
posed the treaty in past years, and
asked them privately to withdraw
their opposition. The president prob
ably was surprised by the vehemence
with which some of these Republican
senators refused. One Of those Of
whom President Harding made this re-
quest was Senator Kellogg, who re
fused the request firmly, and will
make one OF the arguments against
the adoption OF the treaty.
Deserved Place.
The elevation of Senator Kellogg at
the beginning of the present session
to a position on the foreign relations
committee was Interpreted somewhat
humorously as a means of persuading
him to withdraw his opposition to the
Colombian treaty. BY the rule OF
seniority. Senator Kellogg has long
been entitled to place on the foreign
relations committee, but younger SEN
atoSs have been passed over his head.
Although Senator kellogg and some
others stand by their opposition sew
eral Republican senators who formerly
opposed the treaty have yielded to
President Harding's request and are
now going to vote for it, notably, Sen
ator Lodge, the chairman OF the
foreign relations committee. The rea-
son which will be given by these
Republican senators for their change
of front will be that an Objectionable
clause in the original treaty has been
eliminated.
The treaty originally was negotiated
when Mr.. Bryan was secretary of
state. When Bryan set out to carry
peace and good will to the nations Of
Ihe earth he went the whole distance,
and so there was inserted in this
treaty, meant to heal the difference
with Colombia over the Panama
Canal, rather remarkable clause
which said: THE government OF the
United States Of America expresses in
its own name and in the name Of the
people of the United States sincere
regret. over the events which caused
the trouble"
Eliminate Apology.
This was the clause in the treaty
which the friends of Roosevelt op-
rosed These words of apology have
been eliminated from the treaty IN its
y,resent form, but the friends OF Roose-
Welt continue to take the ground that
the mere payment of $25.000.000.
either with or without accompanying
words Of apology, would be in itself
an Acknowledgement having distaste-
full implications as to Roosevelt
memory.
During the years that the treaty has
been pending a petroleum angle has
become involved in it. A few years
ago Colombia passed a law which In
effect forfeits existing titles to oil
lands owned by foreigners. much like
the clause in the new Mexican consti-
tuition that has caused so much
trouble. A sunday committee Of the
senate foreign relations committee
headed by Senator Fall, ironed out
this difficulty with the Colombian gov
eminent and procured an amendment
to the treaty which put rights to oil
lands in Colombia on the same basis
as rights to oil lands in the United
States. Meantime the supreme court
Of Colombia also decided the objection
able law to be unconstitutional.
Oil Rights Involved.
4 good deal of the opposition to
the treaty will be used on the theory
That its present passage is. to degree,
in the interest Of American owners
pl OH IdHuS III II Is cur
rent gossip in Washington that there
is in Colombia an internal political
situation such If the treaty passes,
certain oil rights and benefits will
accrue to Americans. while if it is de-
feated they will go to British corpor-
ations. This is the sort of thing which
is inseparable from most foreign af-
fairs. The best Judgment is that the
senate has been carefully canvassed
by the administration forces. and that
there are enough votes to pass it. All
but about two of the Democrats will
vote for it. The Democrats became
committee to It when it was originally
introduced as a Wilson measure.
Some final disposition certainly
ought to be made Of this old contro-
versy. 1t is 1s years since Panama
seeded from Colombia. and since We
in the first administration of Roose-
velt. recognized the new republic and
built the canal.
Copyright 1921 by the New York
Evening Post, Inc.)