Middletown transcript., 1922-02-18
TREAI|ESL LAID
BEFORE SENATE.
Seven PaCts Presented BY
President Harding
SAYS THEY SERVE PEACE
Asks Their Ratification-New Agree
ments Will End Misunderstand-
ings And Antiquities, The
President Says.

washington. - The treaties negO.
tiated during the Washington Confer.
ence were laid before the Senate by
President Harding with a request that
they be ratified as guarantees of
peace. Appearing in person before the
Senate, the President declared that
the new agreements would serve to
put an end to contradictions, to re-
move antiquities and establish clear
understandings. Seven treaties were
submitted by the President. The first
was the five.power naval armament
treaty, the second the submarine and
poison gas treaty, the third the four
power Pacific treaty, the fourth and
fifth were supplemental treaties to the
four-power pact, and the other related,
respectively, to the general Far East.
ern situation and to the Chinese
tariff.
These engagements, the President
said, were interviewer in a general
scheme of peace, and contained moth.
ing which commits the United States
or any other power to any kind of an
alliance ENHANCEMENT of involvment."
Referring to the unratified treaty of
Versailles, Mr.. Harding said it was
drawn in response to "a manifest
world hunger" for better relationships,
were drawn in response to the same
desire but without any provision ex-
cept ito promote peace"
THE four-power treaty contains no
war commitment" said the President,
There is no commitment to armed
force, no alliance, no written or moral
obligation to join in defense. no ex.
pressed or implied commitment to ar
rive at any agreement except in ac-
cordance with our constitutional
methods"
Reviewing briefly the situation in
the Far East, the President declared
that the Conference by it's Far East
ern agreement had dissipated" all
apprehension of territory greed in
that quarter, and that Senate ratifi-
cation of the Far Eastern treaties
will stabilize peace for the breaking
of which there is not shadow of
reason or real excuse"
The five-power naval treaty, he
continued, was in accordance with the
expressed wish of Congress as con.
tained in recent legislation and would
afford 1.-The first actual relief from
naval burdens which peoples have
been able to acclaim since steam and
steel combined to add to naval
strength in warfare"
Either these treaties must have
your cordial sanction" he said, "or
every proclaimed desire to promote
peace and prevent war becomes a
hollow mockery."
Abiding to the Senates traditional
aversion against entangling foreign
| commitments, Mr.. Harding declared
he had that in mind when he arranged
that both Democrats and Republicans
should be members of the American
delegation.
"The Senate's concern for freedom
from entanglements," he continued,
''for preserved traditions for main
tanned independence was never once
forgotten by the American delegates.
If l did not believe these treaties
brought us not only new guarantees,
but greater assurances of freedom
from conflict, would not submit them
TO your consideration.
Much depends on your decision"
he continued. I'VE have Joined in
giving to the world the spectacle Of
nations gathered about the Confer.
ence table, amid the convictions of
peace, free from all passion, to face
each other in the contacts of reason,
to solve menacing problems, and end
disputes, and clear up msunder-
standings. If to these understand
ings for peace, If to these advanced
expressions of the conscience of lead.
ing Powers, if to these concords to
guard against conflict and lift the bur-
den Of armament, if to all of these the
Senate will not advise and consent
then it will be futile to try again"
The first applause given the Presi-
dents remarks was when he ex.
pressed hope that Conference work
would be appraised by the Senate as
highly as he appraised it.
There was considerable applause
when the President expressed belief