Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-14
REFUSAL MAY SET PRECEDENT.


Refusal of Haiti to permit Senator
King of Utah to enter that country
on the ground that his presence would
lend encouragement to agitators
against the existing government is in
itself an incident of no great i'm
portance, but its use as a precedent
by other countries is quite another
matter.
Members of the American Senate
have lately developed the idea that
they are as much empowered to CON
duct inquiries abroad and even to dis
cuss with foreign governments pend
ing questions as are officials of the
Department of State. The theory has
been built up, because the Senate i'm
pressed the world with its treaty.
making power by rejecting the Yer
sailles treaty. Ever since that time
foreign governments have been look
ing to the Senate almost as much as
to the Department of State for hint
Of American foreign policy, though, to
be sure, under the Constitution the
Senate was merely to be asked its ad-
vice and consent when treaties had
actually been negotiated and signed.
Presidents Recognize Power.
Inasmuch as the Senate. by It's
round robin circulated by the late
Senator Lodge, indicated that it had
a right to express itself in advance
of the formal request for consent, two
Presidents-Mr. Harding and Mr..
Coolidge-have felt il advisable on i'm
portant questions to sound out the
foreign relations committee. Senator
Borah recently took the position that
he could seek information anywhere
in the world without going through
the Department Of State. Members of
the Senate who between sessions or
Congress make trips to foreign lands
have told their constituents that they
are studying conditions so as to be
better informed.
While it might not be polite or dis
Greet for a nation like France to bar
senators who have attacked her poll
cies. nevertheless FRANCE would be
lust as much. within her right in bar
ring American senators from landing
at her ports as Is Haiti. The right
to exclude is an inherent attribute of
sovereignty. The only people who
cannot be excluded are officials who
are clothed with diplomatic immunity.
May Seek Immunity.
In view of the fact that some mem
bers of the Senate insist that the up
per house OF Congress Is cO-OTulHdte
with the executive branch of the gov
eminent in handling foreign relations,
the next step may be request to
foreign powers to clothe American
senators with all the privileges and
immunjties which attach to ambassa-
doris and ministers and members of
their staffs.
The argument might he advanced
that since third or fourth Secre
tary holds all the. diplomatic priv
ileges, surely members of the Senate
foreign relations committee might
have the same right This would per-
NIT Senator King. for example, to in
vestigate conditions at Haiti and
would enable Senators 10 visit Mica
ragua and the other trouble spots
of the Western Hemisphere.
Mr.. King visited the Near Fast last
year In order to inform himself on
the pending treaty of Lausanne, which
the Department of State had nego-
tiated with Turkey and which failed
of adoption at the last session of Con
eress. American Senators are taking
more and more interest In foreign
question and their desire to get first
hand the facts is one that the Depart
ment Of State is not trying TO dis
courage. Indeed, the department
asked Haiti to let Senator King make
fConyrirht 1877