Evening star., 1921-12-09
PRESIDENT. T0PUT
j. .S.PARLEYP PACTS
BEFORE SENATORS
Opportunity Will Be Given to
Pass on Agreements En-
tered Into.
APPROVAL OF ANY ACTION
BY THIS COUNTRY SEEN
Four-Power Plan Declared Free of
Entangling Alliances and Sup
port Is Expected.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE..

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The Harding administration has
passed the word to the Senate that it
Will be given an opportunity to ex-
press itself on the agreements which
are signed by the American delega-
ton at the armament conference.
This decision to consult the Senate
on all agreements. irrespective of
whether they technically are called
understandings" Conventions" or
treaties" is due to a desire to leave
no doubt either in the minds of for
eign governments or anybody else Of
| the resolute purpose of the American
people in the new undertakings.
Situation Changes.
Originally the President himself in
dicated that the agreements reached
would be in the nature of executive
understandings" and would not in
volve specific obligations. That situ-
| alton, however. has developed
change within the past forty-eight
| the informal discussions which have
been going on among the heads of the
| delegations. The opportunity to
| bring about an immediate abrogation
Of the Anglo-Japanese alliance by
providing substitute treaty that
would do away with the obnoxious
| past was too good a chance to lose,
| and when Great Britain secured the
approval or Japan II seemed to the
| United States delegation to offer a
! graceful solution Of the whole busi-
| ness.
As an evidence of the seriousness
| with which the American government
would view such new treaty, indica-
tions were given that the approval of
| the Senate would be asked. This
| means, too. that foreign parliaments
will have to ratify the agreements.
Just how far the naval ratio pro-
posals and the agreement not to build
| fortifications and the principles that
will govern the Chinese problem are
! to be dependent upon the principal
pact. which is to bind the powers not
! to make war on each other in the
Pacific. has not yet been officially
disclosed. though il is recognized that
, all are interviewed in one and prob
ably all will be merged in a single
| agreement
Senate Approval Expected.
AS for Senate approval. the attitude
| of the rank and file Of both republican
! pathy with the United States delega-
tion. except. Of course. for a few
| members here and there, who, how
i ever. are not strong enough at this
, writing to endanger ratification of
ANYTHING that might be submitted.
With Senator Underwood, the
democratic leader. able to command
the support of at least the majoriy
OF the democrats, and with Sena ,or
| n L. L..
men able to muster majority of the
republicans. the bipartisan coalition
Is powerful enough to put through
such agreements as have already been
| outlined in the press.
No EntanElinE Alliances.
! The word has been given to menu
would not include commitments or
j entanglements or guarantees. 1t
would. of course. merely forbid the
United States to go to war in the
Pacific until nine months or a year
had elapsed for investigation. This
is Limitation of the right of Con-
gress to declare war and some ad-
ministration officials believe it would
| even be wise to submit the treaty to
may never be any doubt about the
validity of the pact. The Senate has
indorsed the principle of investiga-
tion in thirty treaties now in effect
between the United States and all the
important countries of the world ex-
cept Japan, Mexico, Austria, Germany
and Turkey. so it will not be a novel
fad
The timidity of the administration
about consulting the Senate is one OF
the most interesting under-the-surface
developments of the conference. 1t is
due largely to fears of division in the
Senate which were partly expressed in
Mr.. Harding's address to Congress about
the agricultural bloc" and partly by
Secretary of War Weeks in his New
York speech about the danger Of the
, present congressional system Of fac
| tions and groups instead Of definite party
lines. There is also vivid recollec-
! ton of how the Senate picked flaws in
the Versailles treaty and little by little
forced its defeat after an American
executive had negotiated for months
| and secured what he thought was good
compromise of national viewpoints.
Backed by Public Opinion.
Mr.. Harding's disinclination to bring
the Senate into the situation at the out
set, however. has been brushed aside
by the words Of his advisors. who be-
Iieve the public opinion OF the United
States is SO strongly behind what is
being done by the American delegation
| at the arms conference that nothing will
be risked by submitting 1t to the Senate
On the other hand, several of the
spokesmen Of foreign delegations
roint out that all legislative bodies
are alike and that II they are permit
ted to haggle and debate a thing in
definitely they with talk it to death.
| They declare that the rules of the
American Senate make IL possible for
a discussion to be prolonged while
public enthusiasm for any project
slowly wanes. On the other han1.
the Harding administration will have
an advantage in this respect which its
predecessor did not have. The repub-
iican majority will be assisted by the
Democratic minority, for the latter in
stead OF pursuing partisan purposes
are giving indication through Senator
Underwood Of q desire not to be petty
or partisari, but to work with their
political opponents on international
questions, a fact that was revealed
when only by democratic help was a
two thirds vote secured for the treaty