Arizona republican., 1922-03-26
PACIFIC PACT
RATIFICATION
IS DISPUTED
BY SENATORS
Administration Leaders Go
Into Conference When
Opposition Suggests Re-
consideration of Vote
T7epubIlcan A. p. Leased WIre1


WASHINGTON, March 25- The
four power Pacific treaty and Its two
supplements got into such a mixup
in the senate today that the admin
istration ratification program tempo
rarily was tied in knot and the lead
ers hurried into conference to draw
up a new plan OF campaign.
Challenging the validity OF yes
terday's action by which the four
power pact itself was ratified, oppon-
ents of the treaty suggested that the
vote be reconsidered so that the rat
ification could include the supple
mentary interpretative agreement
signed by the plenipotentiaries at the
same time.
At first the administration leaders
refused to recognize any merit in the
suggestion, but after several confer
ences they decided that some further
action was advisable. Most of them
opposed the reconsideration plan,
proposing instead a separate ratifica-
ton vote on the supplement Such
separate resolution on ratification
was in process of drafting when the
senate adjourned over Sunday.
Throughout the days debate the
treaty opponents sought to give. point
to their arguments by emphasizing
that the supplement deals with issues
which long have been sources OF fric-
ton between the United States and
Japan. It declares it to be the un-
derstanding of the signatories that
the treaty shall apply to inundated
islands in the Pacific and that purely
domestic questions shall not be
brought before the four power con-
ference for consideration and ad-
Justment."
Many times in the debate the ques-
tion of Japanese immigration into the
United States was mentioned as a
'sdomestic" American question which
might be fruitful source of trouble.
senators on both sides agreeing that
no doubt ought to be left that the
American government eretains fun
power to deal with the subject as It.
sees fit. Those who asked for a
reconsideration contended that unless
the validity OF the supplement were
established clearly, Japan might
claim the privilege OF referring the
whole immigration problem of the
Pacific coast 10 a meeting Of the
Signed 2 Months Later
Meantime the business actually be-
fore the senate was a second supple
ment to the four power pact, signed
two months later than the first. and
so defining the geographical scope OF
the pact as not to include the home
land OF Japan. AS soon as 1t was
called up at the outset of the ses-
sion Senator Robinson, Democrat,
Arkansas, offered an amendment to
exclude also the island of Sakhalin,
but neither the geographical supple
ment nor the proposed amendment TO
it was mentioned thereafter in the
day's debate. Late in the day when
debate on the domestic issues sup
plement had died down Senator Rams
dell, Democrat, Louisiana, took the
floor and occupied the remainder OF
the session with a speech supporting
the naval treaty and advocating an
efficient merchant marine.
Senator Hitchcock, ranking DEM
ocrat member of the foreign relations
committee, took the lead in demand
ing senate action on the domestic is
sues supplement and in challenging
the validity of the vote by which the
senate yesterday ratified the four
power treaty. The supplement, Sem
ator Hitchcock contended was either
a proper part of the treaty and re-
quired senate approval or else 1t was
not binding and left the problem OF
domestic issues in a dangerous" sit
uatiom He recalled that before yes
terday's vote he tried without sue
cess to get the supplement included
in the ratification resolution.
These arguments were supported
by Senators Pittman, Democrat. OF
Nevada: Swanson, Democrat. of Nir-
ginia; Robinson, Democrat, of Ar
kansas, and others. Mr.. Swanson de-
claring that to reconsider the treaty
vote and include action on the sup
plement sis the only way this gov
ernment can get a guarantee that
the immigration question is not to
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