Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-07
tContinued from Third Page)

Two years later 23o members of
the British House of Commons signed
q memorial suggesting a general ar
bitration agreement. In the same
wear members of the French House
of Deputies circulated similar me
mortal. both of them finding their
way TO the President of the United
States and to Congress. In 1890
Joint resolution of Congress requested
the President to conclude general ar
bitration treaties with all powers
friendly to the United States. Both
the French and British Parliaments
io;ned with expressions OF hope that
the movement might be successful
and the drafting OF a treaty was be.
gun. After seven years of prolonged
egotiation-1S97-the draft of a
treaty between the United States ana
Great Britain was concluded, provld'
ing, in general terms, for arbitration
of pecuniarv claims by a board com
posed of two arbitrators. one selected
by each country. and an umpire Sc
lected by the two arhitrators. Con
troversies involving territorial claims
were to be submitted to a tribunal OF
six jurists. three from each country.
sion, amended the treaty beyond rec
osnition and finally failed to ratify it.
The Senate's consideration was com
plicated because of the pending
change in administrations at the
time, but it's amendments to the
treaty are Indicative of the objections
which since have blocked similar at
tempts. In brief. the Senate's
amendments stipulated that no differ
ence would be submitted under the
treaty which, in the opinion of either
power. involved a question of ma
tional honor" the integrity of its ter
ritory or it's foreign or domestic pol
ICY Nor would the treaty embrace
any question affecting n claim or al
legged claim of the government of
Great Britain against any State, for
the Senate recognized the question.
which still crops up now and then,
concerning the debts contracted by
the Confederate States with the Brit
lsh government. But the most inn
portant amendment was that the
agreement to submit any question to
arbitration under the treaty would
first have to receive the approval of
the Senate. In other words. the SEN
ate held out for deciding itself. re-
CARELESS of the treaty. whether a
ton.
The same point arose again five
years later. France and Great Brit
ain concluded treaty between them
selves providing for compulsory ar
bitration of legal disputes or those
relating TO the Interpretation of
treaties. 1t did not cover questions
relating to national honor but it was
regarded as step in that direction.
y * y x
Roosevelt. keenIy interested, nego-
tiated similar treaties with Great
Britain, France, Germany, Switzer-
land. Portugal, Austria Hungary,
Sweden. Norway, Mexico and Japan.
The first of the treaties. that with
France, was submitted to the Senate
in February. 1905. and ratified after a
short amendment had been added.
The amendment consisted in substitute
ing the word treaty" for agree
ment," thus requiring that each case.
before going to arbitration. should be
sent to the Senate for approval.
Roosevelt vigorously opposed the
heart out Of the treaty" He said the
amendment made of the treaties
"shams" and was, in effect, Ito make
any one Of the so-called arbitration
treaties Soaomnly enact that there
shall be another arbitration treaty
whenever the two governments decide
that there shall be one."
The Senate, at the same time,
adopted the view of the minority re.
port of the, foreign relations commit
tee, which had recommended against
ratification. This report declared:
THE firm grasp upon our relations
with foreign governments placed in
the hands of minority of one-third
of the Senate by the Constitution,
whereby entangling alliances and
wars have often been prevented, is
being relaxed and the people ale
losing the power of self protection
1t is silently passing from the hands
of their representativeS-into the sole
and exclusive power of the President.
such is the effect which must re.
suit from the conventions now before
the Senate and, sosfar as can be seen,
that is one of the real intents and
purposes intended to be accomplished
by their ratification.
This fatal door in these conven-
tions, through which the rightful
powers of the Senate will pass into
the hands of the Executive, shall be
closed, so that a mere diplomatic
agreement concluded by the President
cannot bind the Government of the
United States and all the States and