Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-11
ASKED
TOPROMPTLY
PASSTREATIES
President Lays Seven Pacts
Before Body For
Ratification
START WORK TODAY
Harding States Treaties do not En-
: tangle Nation and Says Rejection
Would be Disastrous.

Washington, Feb. 11-President
Harding laid before the Senate yes
terday afternoon the seven treaties
and agreements framed by the Con-
ference on the Limitation of Arma-
ment. In an earnest speech he declared
the treaties serve peace, do not en-
tangle the nation and must be ratl-
fled, else it will be futile for the
United States to attempt again to
reach understanding with other ma
tions because its influence will be dis
credited. He closely linked the naval
and four-power pacts.
Senator Lodge, chairman of the For
eign Relations Committee called
meeting for this morning to consider
the treaties provided quorum can
be obtained. The committee will hard
~ get further than preliminaries. 1t
will have before it in its work COM
plete records of all the committee
meetings and plenary sessions of the
Conference and cony of the report
of the American delegation to the
President.
Definite information that the Presi-
dent would address the Senate did not
reach the Capitol until shortly before
he appeared. When he spoke, how
ever, it was clear that he had given
much thought to what he would say.
He made a deliberate argument
against the objections already offered
to the four-power pact, used all his
persuasive powers in dealing with
the other treaties, and fervently plead
ed for support.
Frankly, Senator's Mr.. Harding
said solemnly in his defense of the
four-power treaty, "if nations may not
safely agree to respect each others
rights. and may not agree to confer
if one party to the pact is threatened
by an outside power, then all concerted
efforts to tranouiliZe the world and
stabilize peace must be flung to the
winds. Either these treaties must have
your cordial sanction or even pro-
claimed desire to promote peace and
prevent war becomes hollow mock
cry"
In concluding his appeal for ratifca
ton the President said:
81 submit to the Senate that if we
cannot join in making effective these
covenants for peace and stamp this
Conference with Americas approval
we shall discredit the influence of the
republic, render future efforts futile
or unlikely, and write discourage
ment where today the world is ready
to acclaim new hope"
Mr.. Harding assumed general sup
port of the naval treaty and reminded
the Senate that the naval pact ne
gotiated and signed is in accordance
with your expressed wish" He refer
red to the Borah disarmament resolu
tion passed by Congress last year and
many of his auditors felt that he was
making an effort to soften Senator
Borah, who is opposed to the four
power pact. But, the President added,
the particular justification of the
naval treaty was the settlement Of
international problems found in the
Pacific
Much as naval reduction and conse-
quent reduction of expenditure were
desired, the Prcs.den continued, he
was unwilling to reduce armament
until there were new guarantees of
peace and until probable causes of
conflict were removed. And for that
reason, he held that while the treat
les are not interdependent. they have
such important relationship that they
are the covenants of harmony, of as
surance, of conviction, of conference
and of unanimitv,"