The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-25
SECRET SESSION
AT WASHINGTON
President Tells Senate He Can
No Furnish Records Of
Four Power Pacific Treaty
Because There Are
None

Wa:lliuston, Feb. 20.-rrosi-
dent Harding informed the senate
TO-DAY he could not comply With its
request for records Of the four
power Pacific treaty because no
such records ever existed and be-
cause hc considered il Incompatible
With public interest to reveal in
formal and confidential converaa-
tons.
The pIesi1crt:. (. five sentence re-
ply to tho rcsolu ion Of inquiry sent
to the White House last week vas
accented by those in charge Of the
tt atty at the capitol as closing the
incident, olthol,g'l At tho same time
il. aroused increased dissatisfa ction
among senators who instigatcd tue
move for complete informa;ion- y
proposal to call Secretary Hughes
before the foreign relations COM
uittee was revived momcntarily,
but without any immediate prospect
Of success.
Meantime tho comJnit.ce took its
first formal action on an3 Of the in
tcrnational agreements negotiated
during the arms conference by re-
porting favorably the Japanese
American treaty by which The Unit
ed States is accorded cable and
wireless rights on the Pacific island
Of Zap. The committee leaders
later made known their purpose to
press The treaty. toward vnt" o.
the senate floor. indicating that de-
tatc on>lt might begin tomorrow.
On the zap treaty thc commit
Tee divided ten to one. Senator Pitt
man. DemocraD of Nevada alone
voting in the. negative because he
felt that Insufficient committee con-
Sidera ton had been given TO the
treaty. Several other senator's.
both Democrats and Republican,.
declared during The two hour COM
mittee session. that they also rcscrv-
cd tho right to- debate further
soruc features Of The pact Oh the
senate, floor.
MI Hardins's reply to the four
power treaty resolution, which had
been introduced hy Senator Hi'rh-
cock Of Nebraska. senior demo-
cratic member Of the committee,
was as follows:
"!;esponSive to senate resolution
40. 237. asking for records. min
utcs. arguments. debates. convcrsa-
. tions. etc. relating to the so-called
four powe rtreaty. | have to advise
that it is impossible TO comply
f; with the scnates request. ManH
Of the things asked for in thc>rcso :
luton ii is literally impossible to
furnish. because there were nlanE
conversations and discussions quite
outside the conference. Yet vital to
it's. success. Naturally these arc
without record.
Il do not believe il TO be COM
patible with public interest OF, con-
sistent With the amenities of inter-
national negotiations to attempt. to
reveal ipforJnal and confidential
conversations or discussions OF
{, which no record was kept. or to
submit tentative suggestions or in
/; formal proposals without which
the arrival at desirable internat-
; ional understandings would DC rem
icrcd unlikely if not Impossible.
While | am unable to transmit
the information requested. \ do,
however. take this opportunity TO
say most emphatically that there
were no concealed undertakings
and no secret exchanges of notes
and there arc no commitments
whatever. except as appear in th"
four power treaty itself and the
supplementary aSrcencnt. which
arc nos in the baud; of the sem
ate
When it vas read to tho senate
3tIc presidents letter provoked no
debate. hut later Senator Hitch :
cock declared i: made absolutely
necessary the appearance Of Mr..
Hughes 10 tell what be knew OF the
conversations which took place at
unrccorded meetings Of the big
/, four Late in the day Mr.. Hitch
cock left for western trip. how
ever. and there was no indication
!that any Of his Democratic or tc-
! publican colleagues on the commit
tc" Will press a demand that Mr.
Hughes be summoned.
Senator's Borah Republican, Of
Idaho and Johnson (Eepublican)
of California both predicted that
F; The snanner in which the treaty
was negotiated would DC debated
al lens1l, when the committee dis
cusSion$ were transferred into the
scua;e Mr.. Johnson issued q tor
NAL statement in which he dcclar-
cd tina. although minute details OF
less Importance were contained III
the conference minutes: laid be-
fore tho senate. there was no
word about the four power ncgo-
tia tons except the general state
ment in the American delegation
report and the brilliant prose
pocm OF Senator Lodge present
iue the treaty 10 tho plepary 5es-
sion Of Dcccmbcr 10.
At session tomorrow the for
ign rclat;ons committee is expect
ell to proceed with it's discussion
OF the four power pact interrupted
last week 20 3wait the nuc:t3S" Of
President Harding.
-S--3-0-
Wa"hin:ton. Web. ""1--An inv
tiyaiiun of tho George Washington