The New York herald., 1922-02-20
Believed Harding Will EX-
plain Negotiations Were
Conducted OIL Side.
NOT A PART OF AGENDA
Executive May Suggest Taking
Up of Other Treaties Until
Hughes Returns.
Special Dispatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Feb. 10.

Special Dispatch 10 THE NEW YORK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. G.. Feb. 10.
President Harding probably will
send TO the Senate tomorrow a reply
to the Hitchcock resolution asking for
the records and minutes of the CON
versations' which resulted in the
signing of the four Power Pacific
treaty, together with copies of the
various drafts and forms considered
by the armament conference delegates
of the Uni ed States, Great Britain,
France and Japan in those negotia-
tons.
His answer is not expected to sat-
isfy all the irreconcilable Senators, in
which case it may be decided to post
pone consideration of the Pacific
treaty in the Foreign Relations Com
mittee until the return of Secretary
Hughes in about ten days from his
vacation in Bermuda.
Secretary Hughes will not be asked
10 cut short his vacation. If the ire
concilables insist upon having a written
report from him on the negotiations
leading up to the signing Of that COM
pact. or his personal appearance before
the Foreign Relations Committee to an
swer questions about it. President Har-
ding probably will suggest that tho
other treaties be taken up in advance
Of the Pacific treaty. which will then
wait Mr.. Hughes's return.
VI Senator Lodges Belief.
Senator Lodge (Mass.). chairman Of
the committee, who was member OF
the American delegation that signed the
armament conference treaties, believes
II TO be important that the Pacific
treaty--the only stumbling block in the
whole programme taken up and dis
posed of before the others. He believes
in tackling the hardest job first. But
he may be induced to yield that point.
President Hardings reply to the
Hitchcock resolution is expected to be
an explanation of the fact that the
negotiations which led up to the sign
ing of the four power Pacific treaty
were carried on by the Big Four dele
gates outside the armament conference
and had to be so conducted because the
Angio-Japanese alliance. whose abroga-
tion was the chief purpose OF the United
States in entering the discussions, was
not on the conference agenda. and could
not properly be on IL. since the Anglo
Japanese alliance was compact be-
tween Great Britain and Japan alone.
For that reason, the President will ex-
plain, no records or minutes of the con-
fnnc
the Presidents reply will enter into
discussion Of the objects sought in the
Pacific compact is not known tonight.
Obviously Secretary Hughes, who was
the American member of the Big -Four,
is the only man completely cognizant Of
these negotiations.
No Danger i'm situation.
Although some opposition has de-
veloped to the naval Limitation treaty
and in a less degree TO the general Far
Eastern treaty, no difficulty is likely TO
be placed in the way. OF early favorable
reports on these and also on the Chinese
customs and the submarine and poison
gas agreements
The situation with respecf to all the
armament conference treaties is no diff
ferent to-day from what it was the day
they were submitted to the Senate by
President Harding At that time it was
stated in a dispatch to THE NEW York
HERALD that there would be opposition
"a some Of the treaties. particularly the
Pacific compact. and some votes would
be cast against them, but that they
would undoubtedly be ratified by sub
stantial margins above the necessary
two-thirds. with the affirmative votes
being cast by Senators on both the Dem
ocratic and Republican sides
That prediction holds good still. Sem
ator Pomerene (Ohio), one Of the promi-
nent Democratic members OF the Foreign
Relations Committee, has just come out
squarely in favor OF all the treaties. TAX
ing the same view OF them ss President
Harding. That Is regarded as particu-
larly significant, because Senator POM
creme Is campaigning for reelection in
the Presidents own state and has been
very busy recently sounding out senti-