Great Falls tribune., 1921-06-13
A GOOD BILL TOPASS.
CENATOR KELLOGG of Min.

| -
- nesota has introduced in the
senate bill designed to give con-
troll of cases affecting the rights
Of aliens under our treaty engage
ments into the exclusive jurisdic-
ton Of the federal authorities. The
principle Of the bill is logical
enough. The federal authorities,
through the executive and with the
consent of congress negotiate a
treaty with some foreign power in
which we stipulate that their ma
tionals will receive certain rights
and privileges if they come to this
country to live, and that in return
our nationals will enjoy like privi-
leges and rights if they go to re-
side in the foreign land. IF the
American citizen is denied the
rights mentioned in the treaty with
the foreign power we hold that
power strictly responsible for the
breach of agreement and demand
an apology, damages and assur-
ances that such breach of the treaty
| agreement will not occur again.
| On the other hand, if a foreigner
is deprived of his treaty rights in
the United States we explain that
it is the fault of the sovereign
state where the breach Of treaty
rights was committed and that un-
der our system of government we
have no right to coerce a sovereign
state and force it to change its
laws or its conduct, even if these
constitute breach of treaty rights
guaranteed to foreigners by the
United States.
Several times this question has
come up in practical way in our
relations with foreign nations and
threatened good will and peace be-
tween ourselves and some foreign
nation, Notably this was the case
about score of years ago or more
with Italy, when certain subjects
of that power were lynched by
mob violence. 1t is liable to come
up any time with the Japanese,
proud and sensitive people. We
do not know how much states
rights may stand in the way of
the federal government acquiring
jurisdiction in such cases, but we
are sure that such an arrangement
would not only be logical and
proper, but it would also tend to
preserve international good will
and prevent wars. The Boston
Transcript, commenting on the
Kellogg bill, calls on the women
voters to rally in its support. It
says:
Men and women who have the
intelligence to see the only safe
and sane way to mitigate the bur-
den of military and naval arma-
ments in the world today is to re-
duce the causes whence come the
worlds wars. will quickly take an
interest in the bill that Senator
Kellogg of Minnesota introduced
in the senate earlier in the week.
1t was drawn by the judiciary COM
mittee of the American Bar asso-
citation. It's purpose is to give
power to the United States to pro-
tect the nationals of other nations
residing or travelling in America
where state fails to provide that
protection.
IF citizen Of Massachusetts,.
for example, is wronged in Italy,
it is the government of the United
States that calls upon the Italian
government to right that wrong.
And yet an Italian subject wronged
in Massachusetts, may find him
self dependent upon the govern
ment of Massachusetts, for redress,
although his own government can
have no dealings with the govern
ment of Massachusetts,, but must
look to Washington for the protec-
ton Of the Italian that Washing
ton is not able to insure. Many
instances could be cited of the
embarrassment brought upon the
United States by its inability di-
rectly to protect the subjects of
other nations within its borders.
This inability does not make cas-
ier the protection Of Americans in
other lands. It is reasonable to
expect that with the increase of our
immigration and the multiplication
OF our contacts with other nations
these instances will also multiplv
in number. The day may come
when the neglect of a state to SUD-
IL, A.