The Holly chieftain., 1922-03-23
Four-Power Pacific Treaty to Be
Ratified by Senate Unless
All Signs Fail.
MARGIN AT LEAST FIVE VOTES
Allied Reparatlons Commission De.
eilnss to Pay Bill for American Ex.
psnsss on Rhlns-Flshtinu In
South Afriea-lndia In
Fsrmsnt.
By JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN
THE four-power Pacific treaty, 1t
! was asserted last week, would be
ratified by the senate, unless all signs
should fall. A margin Of at least five
votes was predicted. 1t follows that
the other six pacts Of the armament
conference will be approved as a mat
ter Of course, II the treaty Is ratified.
An agreement to vote was reached
Wednesday. 1t was farther agreed to
take no more votes on amendments or
reservations before the final vote, and
to limit debate. 1t looked last week
as II Senator Underwood, minority
leader, would come across with at
least eleven votes, instead Of the eight
he was expected to deliver.
Early In the assault on the treaty
came the charges that the treaty had
been framed by the British and Japa-
nese; that secret negotiations had been
concealed, and that the American dele
gates had been imposed upon. Secre-
tary of State Hughes thereupon stated
that he wrote the treaty, that there
was NO mystery about the treaty and
that 1t was good treaty. He was
modest about 1t and he was plain
spoken. His statement was made In
the form Of letter to Senator Under
wood of Alabama, one of the four
American delegates, who as minority
senate leader is charged with the
onerous job of delivering enough
Democratic votes to assure the ratifica-
tion Of the treaty. Secretary Hughes
said, among other things:
THE treaty itself Is very short and
simple. and is perfectly clear. It re-
quires no commentary. Its engage
ments are easily understood, and no
ingenuity in argument or hostile criti-
cism can add to them or make them
other or greater than its uneQuivocal
language sets forth. There are no
secret notes or understandings.
''In view Of this, the question of
authorship is unimportant. It was
signed by four powers, whose dele
gates, respectively. adopted it, all hav-
ing made various suggestions. may
say, however, with respect to the gen.
eral course Of negotiations that after
assent had been given by Great Britain
and Japan that France should be a
party to the agreement, prepared a
draft Of the treaty based upon the
various suggestions which had been
exchanged between the delegates. I
should add that, In order to avoid any
misunderstanding prepared a memo
randum to accompany the treaty with
respect to Its effect in relation to the
inundated islands and reserving
domestic questions.
"At this stage, while 1t was not
strictly conference matter, In order
TO insure publicity at the earliest pos
sible moment, the treaty, as thus
agreed upon, and before 1t had been
signed. was presented by Senator
Lodge to the conference in plenary
session and its import and limitations
stated. His statement met with the
acQuiescence of all.
There Is not the slightest mystery
about the treaty or basis for suspicion
regarding 1t. 1t is straightforward
document which attains one of the
most important objects the American
government has had in view, and is
Of the highest Importance to the main
tenance Of friendly relations in the
Far East upon sound basis. As the
President recently said, in his COM
munication to the senate, 1t Is an es-
sential part Of the plan to create con-
ditions In the Far East at once favor
able to the maintenance Of the policies
We have long advocated and to an en-