The Washington herald., 1922-02-11

ers relating to Chinese customs
tariff
Prompt Approval Asked.
I invite your prompt approval of
all Of them. 1t Is quite impossible
to readjust our naval program un-
til the naval treaty has your sane
tion. even though you urged its
negotiation. 1t Is not possible to
make the readjustment in full con-
fidence until the whole program
has commended itself to your ap-
proval.
am not unmindful, nor was the
conferences, of the sentiment in this
chamber against Old World entan-
clements. Those who made the
treaties have left no doubt about
their true import. Every express
sion in the conference has empha-
sized the purpose to be served and
the obligations assumed. There
fore, can bring you every assur-
ance that nothing in any of these
treaties commits the United States,
or any other power, to any kind
of an alliance, ENHANCEMENT, or in
Volvement 1t does not require us
or any power to surrender a worth
while tradition. 1t has been said.
IL this be true, these are mere
meaningless treaties and. therefore,
valueless.
Let us accept no such doctrine
OF despair as that. II nations NAV
not establish by mutual understand
ing the rules and principles which
are TO govern their relationships IL
sovereign and solemn plight of
faith by leading nations OF the
earth Is valueless: IL nations NAV
not trust one another, then, indeed.
there Is little on which to hang our
faith in advancing civilization or
the furtherance of peace. Either
we must live and aspire and achieve
under free and common under
standing among peoples, with mu-
tual trust, respect, and forbear-
ance. and exercising full sovereign
ty. Or else brutal, armed force will
dominate, and the sorrows and bur-
dens OF war in this decade will be
turned to the chaos and hopeless
ness of the next. We can no more
do without international negotia-
tions and agreements in these mod
ern days than we could maintain
orderly neighborliness at home
without the prescribed rules of con-
duct which are more the guaran-
ties of freedom than the restraint
thereof.
The world has been hungerinE
for better relationship for CEN
turtles since it has attained its
In
tion of the league of nations was
response to a manifest world
hunger. Whatever its fate, wheth-
er II achieves the great things
hoped for, or comes to supersedure;
or to failure, the American unwill-
fngness to be a part of it has been
expressed. That unwillinzness has
been kept in mind. and the treaties
submitted today have no semblance
or relationship save as the wish to
promote peace has been the oom-
mon inspiration.
No War Commitment.
The four-power treaty contains
no war commitment 1t covenants
the respect of each nations rights
in relation to it's insular posses
sions- In case of controversy be-
tween the covenanting powers it is
agreed to confer and seek adjust
ment, and il said rights are threat
ened by the aggressive action of
any outside power. these friendly
powers. respecting one another, are
to communicate. perhaps confer, in
order to understand what action
may be taken, jointly or separately,
to meet a menacing situation. There
n 1r1nif ifV1na anf -
no alliance. no written or moral
obligation to join in defense, no
expressed or implied commitment
to arrive at any agreement except
in accordance with our sonstitu-
tional methods. 1t is easy to be-
lieve, however. that such a confer
ence of the four powers is a moral
warning that an aggressive nation,
giving affront to the four great
| powers ready to focus world opin-
ion on given controversy, would
be embarking on a hazardous enter
prise.
Frankly. Senators. il nations may
not agree to respect each others
rights. and may not agree to con-
fer IL one to the compact threatens
trespass, or may not agree to ad-
wise il one party to the pact is
threatened by an outside power,
| then all concerted efforts to tran
quallize the world and stabilize
peace must be flung to the winds.
Either these treaties must have
our cordial sanction, or every pro-
claimed desire to promote peace
and prevent war becomes a hollow
mockery.
We have seen the eyes of the
world turned to the Pacific. with
Europe prostrate and penitent, none
feared the likelihood of early con-
| flict there. But the Pacific had its
menaces, and they deeply concerned
us. Our territorial interests are
larger there. It's waters are not
strange seas to US. its farther
shores not unknown to our citizens.
Our earlier triumphs of commerce
were there. We began treaty re-
lationships with China full eighty
years ago, in the youthful vigor of
our republic, and the sailings of
our clipper ships were the romance
of our merchant marine, when 1t
successfully challenged the compe-
tition of the world. Seventy years
ago Commodore Perry revealed ia
pan to commerce, and there fol-
lowed that surprising development
of the island empire. with whom
our unbroken peace found a most
| gratifying reflex in the conference
| Just closed.
A century ago we began planting
the seeds of American friendship in
Hawaii. and seventy years ago Web
ster told the Senate that the United
States could never consent to see
these islands taken possession of by