The Washington herald., 1921-09-24
LIMITS POWER
OF PRESIDENT
In new TREATY
Reservation Gives Con-
gress Authority Over
Appointments.
DEMOCRATS SIDE
WITH JOHNSON
Amendment by Pomerene
Clarifies Rights to
War Damages.


There will be no official partici-
patton by the United States, except
by the express authorization of Con-
gress, in the administration OF Ger
nan reparations and in any other
world war readjustmen:% II the
Senate ratifies the German, Austrian
and Hungarian peace treaties with
the reservations recommended by
the Foreign Relations Committee
yesterday.
The committee reported tie
treaties favorably to the Senate
with a resolution embodying two
reservations. One limits the power
of the President TO appoint mem
bers of the commi ssions Under tire
treaties. The other clarifies the
rights of Americans to recover war
damages
President Harding and Secretary
Hughes would have preferred no
reservation limiting participation in
he commissions in the German
American treaty. They deem ii es-
sential to American interests to par
ticipate officially, particularly in the
reparations commission. However
both the President and the Secre-
tary signified that they had no OBJ
iections to raise to the limitation
Borah sun Fights.
Senator Borah continued to be
-irreconcilable." He cast the only
negative ballot Senator johnson
took the view that the reservations
adopted removed the Objectionable
features of the pacts. He announced
he would support the treaties
Under the reservation Congress
will retain power of final decision
as to whether the United States shall
take part in the economic readjust-
ment in Europe. Before President
Harding can appoint an American
member of any commission under
the Versailles treaty. he will have
to obtain an enabling act from
Congress.
Prediction was made that a re-
quest on the part of the admins
tration for legislative authority to
make such an appointment in con-
formity with the reservation adop-
ted yesterday would be stubbornly
resisted by the 'irreconcilables."
offered by Johnson
The reservation was offered by
Senator Johnson, of California, as
a part of a resolution of ratification
which he proposed as a substitute
for a resolution by Senator Lodge.
chairman of the committee. 1t led
10 long debate. Senator Johnson
nointed out that the language was
almost identical with that OF
reservation adopted by the Senate
in connection with the Versailles
treaty., and supported by all Repub-
1ican members os the committee at
that time. including President Hard
ing himself.
Senator Kellogg, of Minnesota.
and senator New. of Indiana, who
enioy close relations with the ad-
rninistration. vigorously opposed
the johnson reservation. They
contended that it would be wrong
for the Senate to tie the hands of
the administration Senator hei-
Ioyg insisted that the United states
needs an official representative on
the reparations commission as coon
a, possible Senator Johnson, ex-
plafning his resolution, frankly de-
clared that its purpose was to pre-
vent the appointment of American
representatives on any commission
sat nm by the Versailles treaty, un-
less Congress, by specific act, might
authorize such action. His idea, he
said, was to keep control over the
ouestion in the hands of Congress.
Effect on Observers.
The effect of the reservation on
81. status of the unofficial observ-
ers now representing the United
states in the reparations and other
commissions under the Versailles
treaty was discussed. The prevail
ing opinion in the committee was
that these were purely informal
representatives of the President and
mat no act of Congress could pre-
vent him from having personal
representatives anywhere he chose.
some members took the view that
adoption of'the reservation would
he in effect notice to the allies
that the Senate did not recognize
the unofficial observers and that
thew have no authority.
The vote on the adoption of the
Johnson reservation was s to q
Senator Lodge decided to support
the reservation. instead of his own.
Others who voted for 1t were Borah.
Brandegee. Johnson and McCumber.
Republicans, and Swanson, Shields
and Pomerene, Democrats.
The unexpected acquisition of the
three Democratic votes made pos
sfbie the adoption of the reserva-
tion. Senators New and Kellogg
voted against it.
The committee also adopted a
reservation offered by Senator
Pomerene to protect the United
states against what he regarded
as a Joker" Under this, 1t was
pointed out. Germany might escape
the payment of damage claims for
sinking the Lusitania and other
ships carrying American passen-
gers. Senator Pomerene contend
ed that the language of the treaty
should include American nationals
as well as the United States gov
ernment. as the Knox peace resolu-
tion provided. Some Senators OBJ
tccted that the reservation was un-
necessary. When put to q vote,
however. the reservation was
adopted through the alliance of
'frreconcilables" and Democrats
The vote was 6 to 4.