Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-03-01
HARDING CAN'T
GIVE PACT DATA
Tells Senate He Has No Record
of Proceedings.
SAYS NO SECRET PLEDGES
President Declares u Is Not ~coTpas-
Ible With Public Interest" 20 Bare
work e. Sessions--irreeon-
ellables" DISSATISFIED

Washington. Feb. 21.-President
Harding. replying 20 the senate On the
Hitchcock resolution asking f. intor-
matIun relative 90 the negotiation ot
the rour-power Pacific treaty. stated u
was impossible Co furnish the request
"a Information because most 81 the ne
EorlatlDus were conducted without the
maintaining - "a record
The President said Il would not De
compatible with public Interests 70
disclose the confidential negotiations
o. the treaty ne-osators but he de-
clared -thnt there were no concealed
understandings auC no secret eA-
changes 90 notes
Approves Ysp Treaty.
Almost cuincIdeut with the arrival
a. the Presidents letter az the -enate'
tire foreign relations committee. by
vote II ten O. one. ordered the treaty
between the United States and Japan
regnrlIn= the island ~ Zap reported
favuahiy.
The action followed n two-hour de-
bate In the committee and was taken
cratic senators had Indicated they
would favor reporting the treaty TO
the senate but reserved the right 20
further discuss u on the floor. The
single negative vote was cast by Sena-
tor Pittmnn tDeml.
Those who voted 90 report the
treaty were Senators Lodge. McCum-
her. Kellogg. Brnrsiegee. Borah. John
son. New and wadsworth. Republic
ans. and Williams md Pomerene. Dem
orratS. Among the nhsentees Senators
Hitchcock. Democrat. and Mccormick
and Moses. Republicans. were said 10
have Indicated previously that they
would vote for favorable committee
action.
Text q Presidents Reply.
The Presidents reply 90 the Hitch
cock resolution. which was adopted by
the senate last week. follows:
Responsive 90 senate resolution No.
-. asking for records. minutes. argu-
meuts. debates. conversations. etc, re-
iating O. the so-called four-power
treaty I have o. advise that II is inn
possible 60 comply with the senate's
request. Many ~ the things asked
Tor In the resolution IL Is literally Inn
possible On furnish. because there were
many conversations ana discussions
quite outside the conference. yet vital
O. SIS SUCCESS. Naturally these are
without record.
Il DO not believe Il % he compatible
with public Interests or consistent
with the amenities ~ international ne
rutlatl0ns 70 attempt 90 reveal inf0r-
mai and confidential conversations or
discussions of which no record was
kept. or % submit tentative sugges-
lions or Informal proposals. without
which the arrival at desirable interna-
tional Understandings would be rem
dered unlikely u not impossible.
while I am unable 20 transmit the
Information requested. I do. however.
take this opportunity 20 say most en-
phaticaIly that there were no con
ccaIsd understandings. and no secret
exchanges % notes. and there are no
commitments whatever except. as ap-
pear n the four-power treaty itself
EIM MlE eANlsANAAAtAAMAN A~AtNA1NAAAf
which are now In the hands q the sen
ate
without discussion the Presidents
letter was referred % the foreign re-
latIons committee. when II was read
IN the senate. the motion being made
bv Senator Hitchcock.
Necessary 70 Call Hughes"
After studying the Presidents reply
20 his resolution and comforting with
Republicans who have criticized the
four-party treaty. senator Hitchcock
declared he believed Mr.. Harding's
letter had made Il absolutely neces-
sarv- for Secretary Hughes 20 appear
before the committee II Il Is 20 act IN
telIisentiy. senator Bornh (Rep) OF
Idaho and other committee members
took a similar attitude. although Il dld
ne appear whether a motion 20 sum
mon the secretary home from his va
cation trip 70 Bermuda would have a