Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-03-23
Night Sessions of Senate
Being Held to Clear
Way
MANY SPEECHES MADE
Senator La Toilette Denounees Treaty
While Senator Pomerene Warmly
Defends Far-East Agreement

ate, by holding a night session, en-
tered the homestretch of the debate on
the Four-Power treaty yesterday.
That this treaty will be ratified to-
morrow is now privately admitted by
its opponents, and Senator Lodge said
today it was his intention to bring
the naval limitation of armament
agreement before the Senate on Sat
urday
Certain senators were under the
impression that the Senate might adj
journ over until Monday following It's
vote on the Four-Power pact, but Sen
ator Lodge told inquirers that ne de.
sired to press ratification OF al!
treaties as speedily as possible, and
would call up the naval pact Satur'
day.
With the exception of brief time de-
voted to the discussion of the post
Office appropriation bill, the Senate
devoted the entire day to oratory over
the Pacific treaty.
Senator La Toilette made long and
caustic attack on the treaty, which he
denounced as simply an alliance
fraught with danger and war for
America. He was followed by Sena-
tor Pomerene, of Ohio, one Of the
few Democrats who will support the
treaty. Senator Shortridge, of Cali
fornia, also spoke in advocacy OF the
pact.
1t was understood at the Capitol to-
day that the successor to Senator
Grow, Of Pennsylvania, may reach
Washington in time to vote for the
treaty Friday. Go 'ernor Sproul to-
day suggested to Senator Grow, who
is i'll in Pittsburg,. that he resign so
that successor may be appointed
Senator Grow, who was appointed to
succeed the late Senator Knox, is Sc
riously sick, and it is said his recovery
probably will require months.
Should Senator Crow resign it
would assist the Administration
forces in the Senate, who have been
trying to arrange pair for the
Pennsylvania. 1t is assumed that
the new senator named by Governor
Sproul would vote along with the ma
jority of the Republicans for ratifi-
cation Of the treaty, making its ap;
prevail more certain. However, even
without this vote, tic Republican
leaders say they have a narrow but
sure margin for the Four-Power
treaty.
Backing up his Democratic col
league, Mr.. Underwood, the speech Of
Senator Pomerene today was devoted
to legal analysis of the urPower
treaty and denials that it constituted
an alliance for the use of armed force
in the event Of controversy in the
Pacific. No lawyer, said Senator
Pomerene, was justified in reading
into the language of the treaty any
promise of the use of force.
Permit me to say" explained Sem
ator Pomerene, with all due respect,
that they who see war or the use of
force under this pact are not giving
to this language the usual meaning
which is required by every canon of
construction that is known to the law.
1t is trained construction they are
giving it."
There was an implied obligation
that the powers respect each others
rights, said Senator Pomerene, but
this merely emphasized the under
taking to abide by the terms of inter-
national law which are as yet un-
written. Referring to the possibility
of the intrusion Of outside powers into
the situation created by the Four
Power pact, Senator Pomerene said:
an controversies between outside
parties and parties TO this treaty l see
no agreement to use force or to 60 to
war, or even to furnish the sinews of
war. I see in the pact only what its
language clearly imparts-the sigma
tory powers agree to communicate
fully and frankly in order to arrive
at an understanding as to the most
efficient measure to be taken to meet
the eXigencies.
"There is nothing in the language
of this pact which justifies the con-
clusion that any understanding which
might be reached by the representa-
tives of the four powers would neces-
sarily bind any of them, and partlcu-
larly the United States, without the
sanction Of the constitutional author
tiles