The Washington times., 1922-02-24

SECRET DEALS,
DECLARES DAS
Indian Observer Believes v. s.
Underwriters AngIo-Japanese
Alliance In Pacific Pact.
BY PROF. IARAKNATH DAS,
International Secretary, Friends Of FREQ
dom for India

International Secretary, Friends Of Free
dom for India
The most remarkable development
regarding the four-power pact, dur.
ing the course Of discussion in the
Senate Committee on Foreign AZ
fairs. is the Acknowledgement by
Administration forces that II Is a
four power alliance and reservation
Is necessary.
To keep the alliance effective, to
make secret understandings, be-
tween Balfour, Hughes and Kato,
operative, and to deprive the Senate
of its constitutional right to know
the contents of the understandings
or agreements. Senator Lodge has
proposed a reservation as follows:
The United States understands
that neither the preamble nor the
terms Of the treaty contemplate any
commitment to the use of armed
force, any alliance, any written or
moral obligation to join the defense
or any expressed or implied commit
ment to arrive at any agreement ex-
cept ip accordance with our con-
stitutional methods
Deals un-American.
Part of the Lodge reservation
makes II clear that there were COM
mitments arrived at the secret
meetings, and that these commit
ments are so un-American that no
records Of the understandings were
kept for the Senate and the Amer
lean public.
The issue has been taised by the
President that Brandegee reserva-
ton in it's revised form usurps the
power of the executive. The fact
is that the Executive has usurped
the Senate's aty-making power.
The American Administration is
following British procedure more
closely than the American Consti-
tuition.
1t is certain that Secretary
Hughes secret negotiations may be
well compared with Earl Greys
giving guarantees to France, which
were kept secret and revealed to
the people on the eve Of Englands
entering the world war against
Germany.
The commitment of Earl Grey
made England bound to aid France.
There are commitments which may
force America to get into war, to
nxtend aid to imperialistic ventures
If parties of the four-power pact.
The United States Sena.e's power
is being usurped unconstitutionally
in slow and cautious process by the
executive, bent upon forming an
Anglo-American alliance.
California Involved.
The most serious thing about the
pact's contents is that 1t involves
all Pacific questions. The other
day Viscount Uchida, the Japanese
foreign minister, declared that after
the four-power pact comes into
operation some of the outstanding
questions between America and
the California anti-allen land act
and such things might be brought
before a council of four.
The Panama Canal toll question
has been a sore spot for England,
which, wishes to maintain her mari
time supremacy. The Panama Canal
has a Pacific entrance, and because
"all Pacific questions" can be dis
cussed for adjustment. II Is certain
that Britain will ask for arbitration
Of the Panama Canal question.
The Administration is not too
keen to have the Borah resolution
on the Panama Canal become oper-
alive and 80 it has cooked up
treaty by which the British desire
for arbitration in which Balfour
and Root or Geddes and Hughes or
some of their type would decide the
dispute to suit British interests.
The four-power pact is. in the
words Of the Hon. Norman Davis,
the late United States Undersecre-
tary of State, nothing but under
writing the Anglo-Japanese alliance
by the United States with an un-
limited scope.