Omaha daily bee., 1921-12-22
Opposition
To Pacific
Pact Grows
Various Reservations Already
Offered in Senate-Move
On Foot to Exclude Japan
From Guarantees.
Borah Would Bar Force
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNING,
Chicago Tribune Omaha R~o Leased Wre.

l
Chicago Tribune-omaha H-c L~ased Wire.
Washington. Dee. 2l.-Unioreseep
obstacles TO prompt ratification oi
the four.power Pacific treaty ma
terialzed in the senate today as
result of President Harding's mis-
apprehension of the intent of the ne
gotiators of the pact.
Although the administration mini
mizes the importance OF the incident,
which il regards as closed by the
presidents acceptance OF the Hughes
construction making the treaty guar
antces applicable TO Japan proper.
and does not contemplate formally
recording this Interpretation, "a
movement developed in the senate
for clarihcation of the pact, which on
its face, appeared to Mr.. Harding TO
exclude the principal islands Of
Japan from its purview.
Various reservations already are
being proposed, one excluding Japan
proper from the treaty guarantees
and another eliminating the use OF
force from the commitments.
Ground for Objection.
If Japan proper should be ex-
cluded from the scope of the treaty,
Toxic would be given ground to OBJ
icct to the inclusion of the Hawaiian
islands which Washington insists
upon exempting from the agreement
to maintain the status quo OF Pa
ciiic Notifications on the ground
that they constitute part OF the
United States proper.
Senator Borah proposes a reserva-
ton which provides: .'..
"No action of the high contracting
parties, acting under article two
shall commit any nation, either Legal
ly or morally, to use force i'll meet
ing an exigency."
Senator McNary Of Oregon, re-
publican, proposes reservation
which provides "that nothing con-
tanned in the pact shall be construed
as applying to the Japanese main
land" and will attempt clearly to
confine the scope of the treaty t.
islands outside of the japanese
homeland"
Says Treaty One-Sided.
II never dreamed" said Senator
| McNary, "that the treaty included
the homeland of Japan. l did not
think that it could be so one-sided
1t constitutes a contract without !;
consideration. If we protect Japan
we must protect Great Britain:
France and the United States. | dc
not say that l will oppose the treaty
but ! will look with sympathy upor
any Clarifying reservations. In my
opinion the pathway of the treaty
/ has been made much harder and
stonier. l do not want our soldiers
and sailors to be sent away to fight
/ for Japan or any other nation. That
was the chief objection to article ~
If the construction indicated is put
UP on this treaty, it places it upon
the same footing as article 10
Hitchcock Surprised.
Senator Hitchcock of Nebrasl,.,.
who led the fight in the senate in
behalf of the league of nations, also
expressed surprise at the conflicting
interpretations.
He had previously declared him
self in favor of the four-power pact
Today he was not so certain OF his
position.
~ am in favor Of applying article
/ 10 to the whole world, but I doubt
the wisdom of confining its applica
ton to one nation and the islands OF
the Pacific"
Senator Reed of Missouri, demo-
cratic "irreconcilable," made a sar-
castle attack upon the divergence OF
opinion between President Harding
and the American delegates as 10
the meaning of the pact. He adve-
Gated open sessions of the confer
cnce throughout, i'll order, he said.
that President Harding might lear'
what was going on" He told of
President Harding's first interpreta-
ton that the treaty did not apply to
the japanese homeland, and ther
read the subsequent statement issued
/ from the White House