The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1922-03-03
UNABLE TO Give
TREATY FACTS
President Harding Insists Conf
DENTAL Talks of Negotiators
Cannot Be Disclosed.
SAYS NO RECORDS EXIST
Senate Committee to Ask Hughes for
Four-PoWer Pact Records-Pre-
dicted 1t Will Not Have Clear
Sailing When Debate Opens.

Washington.-Presi Harding in
formed the senate he could not COM
ply with its request of records of the
four-power Pacific treaties negotia-
tions because no such records ever eX-
listed and because he considered in
compatible with the public interest to
reveal informal and confidential con-
versations."
The Presidents five-sentence reply
to the resolution of inquiry sent to the
White House was accepted by those in
charge of the treaty at the Capitol as
closing the incident, although at the
same time 1t aroused increased dissat-
isfaction among senators who instigat-
ed the move for more complete infor-
nation. A proposal to call Secretary
Hughes before the Foreign Relations
Committee was revived momentarily,
but without any immediate prospect Of
success.
Meantime the committee took its
first formal action on any of the in
ternational agreements negotiated
during the Arms Conference by report
ing favorably the Japanese-American
treaty. by which the United States Is
accorded cable and wireless rights on
the Pacific island Of Yap. The COM
mittee leaders later made known their
purpose to press the treaty toward a
vote on the senate floor.
On the zap treaty the committee d.
vided 10 to 1, Senator Pittman, Demo-
crat, Nevada, alone voting in the mega
tive, because he felt that insufficient
committee consideration had been CIV
en- to the treaty. Several other sena-
tors, both Democratic and Republican,
declared during the two-hour commit
tee session that they also reserved the
right to debate further some features
of the pact on the senate floor.
Mr.. Harding's reply to the four
power treaty resolution, which had
been introduced by Senator Hitchcock
of Nebraska, senior Democratic mem-
ber of the committee was as follows ::
Responsive to Senate Resolution
No. 237, asking for records, minutes,
arguments, debates, conversations,
etc, relating to the so called four
power treaty, 1 have to advise that it
is impossible to comply with the SEN
ate's request Many of the things
asked for in the resolution it Is literal
ly impossible to furnish, because there
were many conversations and discus
sions quite outside the conference, yet
vital to it's success. Naturally, these
are without record:
81 do not believe it to be compatible
with public interest or consistent with
the amenities of international negotia-
tions to attempt to reveal Informal
and confidential conversations or dis
cussions Of which no record was kept,
or to submit tentative suggestions or
informal proposals, without which the
arrival at desirable international un-
derstandings would be rendered un-
likely if not impossible.
"While 1 am unable to transmit the
information requested, l do, however,
take this opportunity to say most en-
phatically that there was no concealed
understandings and no secret ex-
changes of notes, and there are no
commitments whatever, except as ap-
pear in the four-power treaty itself
and the supplementary agreement,
which are now in the hands of the
senate"
Without discussion the Presidents
letter was referred to the Foreign Re
lations Committee, when it was read
in the senate, the motion being made
by Senator Hitchcock.
Later Senator Hitchcock declared
the letter made absolutely necessary
the appearance of Mr.. Hughes to tell
what he knew of the conversations
which took place at unrecorded. meet
incs of the "Big Four" Later in the
day Mr.. Hitchcock left for western
trip. however, and there was no indi-
cation that any of his Democratic or
Republican colleagues on the commit
tee would press demand that Mr.
Hughes be summoned.
Senators Borah, Republican, Idaho,
and Johnson, Republican, California,
both predicted that the manner in
which the treaty was negotiated would
be debated at length when the COM
mittee discussions were transferred
into the senate. Mr.. Johnson issued a
formal statement in which he declared
that, although minute details of less
important questions were contained in
the conference minutes" laid before
the senate, there was mo word about
the four-power negotiations except the
general statement in the American
delegation report and the brilliant
press poem of Senator Lodge"