Arizona republican., 1922-02-21
HARDING TELLS SENATE
No RECORDS AVAILABLE.
ON PACT NEGOTIATIONS.
President Declares No Minutes Exist on Four
J PoIUer Pacific Treaty PreIiminaries; Incon,-
p0tibLe With Public Interest to Reveal On
formal and Confidential Negotiations.
TRepubIlcan a. =. leased Mlrel

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20-Presi-
dent Harding Informed the senate
today he could not comply with its
request for records of the four
power Pacific treaty negotiations
because no such records ever ex-
listed, and because he considered 1t
incompatible with the public inter
est to reveal "informal and conf :
dcntiar conversations.
The presidents five sentence reply
to the resolution of inquiry sent TO
the White House last week was
accepted by those in charge Of the
treaty at the capitol as closing the
incident, although at the same time
it aroused increased dissatisfaction
among senators who instigated the
move for more complete infOrnla :
ton. a proposal to call Secretary
hughes before the foreign relations
committee was revived momentarily
but without any immediate prospect
of success. Meantime the commit
tee took its first formal action on
any Of the international agreements
negotiated during the arms confer
ence by reporting favorably the
Japanese american treaty by which
the United States is accorded cable
and wireless rights on the Pacific
island of zap. The committee lead
ers later made known their purpose
TO press the treaty toward a vote
on the senate floor, indicating that
debate on it might begin at to-
morrow's session.
One Opponent to Yap
On the Yap treaty the committee
divided 10 to l. Senator Pittman
Democrat of Nevada, alone voting
in the negative because he felt that
insufficient committee consideration
had been given to the treaty.
Mr. Hardings reply to the four
power treaty resolution, which had
been proposed by Senator Hitchcock
!. of Nebraska, senior Democratic
member of the committee, was as
follows:
Irresponsible to senate resolution
No. 237, asking for records, minutes,
arguments, debates, conversations,
etc. relating to the so-called -four
power treaty, | have to advise that
senates request. Many Of the things
asked for in the resolution it is liter
ally impossible to furnish, because
there are many conversations and
discussions quite outside the confer
ence, vet vital to its success. Natur-
ally these are without record.
Il do not believe it to be compatl-
N1hAeA1
tent with the amenities of interna-
tional negotiations to attempt to re-
veal informal and confidential con-
: sversat tions or discussions Of which no
record was kept, or to submit tenta-
tive suggestions or informal pro-
posals without which the arrival at
desirable international understand
ings would be rendered unlikely, if
not impossible.
while / am unable to transmit
the information requested, ! do,
however, take this opportunity to say
most emphaticanv that there were
no concealed understanding and no
secret exchange of notes, and there
are no commitments whatever except
rs appear in the four power treaty
itself, and the supplementary agree
ment, which are now in the hands Of
The senate
May Query Hughes
When it was read to the senate, the
presidents letter provoked no debate.
but later Senator Hitchcock declared
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