Evening star., 1922-02-11
TEXT OF PRESIDENTS SPEECH
PRESENTING PACTS TO SENATE

PRESENTING /
The text of President Harding's ad-
dress to the Senate yesterday present.
ing the treaties to the upper House fol-
lows:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen of the
Senate: 1 have come to make report
to you Of the conclusions of what has
been termed the Washington confer
ence on the limitation OF armament,
and to lay before you the series of
treaties which the United States and
tn other powers participating in the
signed, and have announced to the
world. Apart from the very great
satisfaction in reporting to the Sem
ate. 1t is a privilege as well as a
duty to ask that advice and consent
which the Constitution requires to
make these covenants effective.
Accompanying the treaties bring
to you the complete minutes of both
plenary sessions and committee
meetings. and copy Of the official
report made to me by the American
delegation to the conference Both
the complete minutes and the official
report of the American delegation
are new accomplishments to the ex-
ecutive report of a treaty or treaties.
but they ar fitting tstimonials toe
that open and simpler diplomacy for
which the world has asked. and the
practice Of which contributed largely
to the success of the conference so
recently adjourned. 1 trust they will
facilitate that ample and helpful un-
ltlerstanding which is desirable in the
Senate. and reflect that understand
ing which was the keynote Of the
conference itself.
Tranaction Out of Ordinary.
The whole transaction is quite out
of the ordinary. l am not thinking OF
the achievement. which I hope the
Senate will come to appraise highly as
do, and as the world seems to do. l
am not thinking OF the commendable
processes by which agreements were
wrought, though this was a confer
ence wholly of free nations. exercis-
ing every national right and author
ity, in which every agreement was
stamped with unanimity. Indeed. 1t
Was a conference of friends. proceed
ing in deliberatfon and sympathy. ap-
praising their friendly and peaceful
relations and resolved to maintain
them, and give to the world new as
surances Of peace and actual relief
from the burdens of excessive and
competitive armament. But the out
extraordinary phases which I have
In mind are that the Senate-indeed,
the Congress-has already advised in
of the treaties laid before you today.
and the naval pact negotiated and
signed is In accordance with your ex-
pressed wish. 1t calls halt in the
competitive construction of capital
ships in the great navies of the world,
and affords 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.
But, though the treaty recommend
ed by the Congress marks the be-
ginning Of naval holiday and that
Limitation Of naval armament which
accords with a world aspiration. the
particular justification of this pro-
gressive and highly gratifying step
was the settlement of the interna-
tional problems of the Pacific. attend
ed by new understandings in place of
menacing disagreements. and estab-
ties which easily might lead to con-
1ict. Much as it was desirable to lift
the burdens Of naval armament and
strike at the menace of competitive
construction and consequent expen-
diture, the executive branch of the
government, which must be watchful
for the nations safety, was unwilling
to covenant a reduction Of armament
until there could be plighted new
guarantees Of peace. until there could
be removed the probable menaces of
conflict. Therefore all the treaties
such important relationship. one to
another, that, though not fnterde-
pendent, they are the covenants of
harmony, Of assurance, of conviction,
Of conscience and of unanimity. These
we. have believed to be essential to
perfect the fulfillment which the Con-
gress has In mind.
End Of Contradictions.
As a simple matter of fact, all Of the
ly with the limitation of armament.
take the place Of various multi-power
treaties, arrangements or understand
ings. formal or informal, expressed or
| implied, relating to matters In the
Pacific ocean, in which all the powers
ly, concerned. The new agreements
serve to put an end to contradictions,
to remove antiquities and establish
clear understandings.
No matter what mental reservations
may have existed, or what doubts may
have prevailed, because here was an ex-
pertinent new IN many phases, all Of
the powers came. to the conference
knowing 1t was to deal with very prac-
tical situations affecting their inter-
national relations. iIneIe was mutual
interest, quite apart from the greater
achievement for world peace, and a way
to common understanding was found
to be practical and speedily arranged.
If 1t has developed a new-world school
Of diplomacy, let it be SO called. 1t re-
vealed the ends aimed at in the very
beginning, and pointed the way to their
attaifiment. The powers in conference
took the world Of the Pacific as they
found 1t in fact. They dealt with actu-
alities by voluntary and unanimous
agreement, and have added to mankind's q
assurances and hopefully advanced in
ternational peace.
It IL worth while saying that the
powers in this conference sought no
concert to dispossess any power Of its
rights or property. All the sigma
tories have given up certain rights
which they had, a. their contribu-
| tion to concord and peace. but at
no sacrifice. Of national pride. with
no regret or resentment to later
| flame In conflict. Some relinquished
certain rights or prerogatives which
I they had asserted, notably insthe set
| Element of the Shantung controversy,
dealt within q covenant quite apart
from the group herewith submitted.
But every concession was q willing
one. without pressure for constratnt.
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