The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-02-11
Europe and the Kellogg Pacts

Late dispatches from Europe still contain no word
of any old world rivers being set fire by Secre
tary of State Kelloggs moves in the direction of
international peace by means of his arbitration
treaties.
In fact, it would that in so far as the Tiber,
the Thames and the Seine are concerned, there are
indications that fairly large sized chunks of frozen
dampness continue to drift under the brides, despite
the draft pacts now being sent out of Washington
with their non-binding preambles denouncing war.
"The day when America feels the need of carry
ing dollar civilization into another Central American
republic by an advance detachment of maries' says
II Tevere of Rome, that day this condemnation Of
war will appear more than nspid. 1t will appear
hypocritical,"
Even the friendly Sir Austen Chamberlain, British
foreign minister and latest to be offered of the
treaties, does not precisely to bubble with
enthusiasm To the contrary, when he came to tell
the House of Commons about it, to judge by the
cabed reports of correspondents, he handled the
subject very much like an unenthusiastic angler re-
moves from his hook cold and clammy fish.
Sir Susten did not to much for the
new reservations, which, he said had been inserted
in the place of those in the old Root Bryce pact
They puzzled him and they puzzled the British gov
eminent.
They might broaden the scope of the present arbi-
l1dGIOIl treaty USGWSSL TWO COuIlCrleS, DuI OH
the other hand they might narrow the scope He
would have to study the hing and see it would do
The draft treaty sent to London-as it will go
to Toxic and, no doubt, to the capitals of all the
nations with which this country has expiring arbi-
tration treaes-was similar to that signed by France
and the United States in Washington this week.
and which already has been published.
One Of the British foreign secretarys worries
to be just what role the Senate will play if
and when Britain and the United States ever come
to the point of arbitratng a dispute. Like the pact
which it is framed to replace the new treaty calls
for two steps.
First, the two countries agree to arbitrate as per
the terms of the treaty Second, in each and every
instance the arises. The two governments
must reach a special agreement as to precisely what
the dispute is anc just what steps are to be taken
to arbitrate it, detail by detail.
This agreement is to be entered into by the Presi-
dent of the United Safes by and with the consent of
the Senate
Which, Sir Austen apparently thinks, and not
entirely without reason, makes the whole shebang
terribly vague. About all the present treaty does is
to agree to the principle of arbitration The real
the important decisions are left for the future and
the chance complexion of the then existing Senate
to decide
When our former brilliant Secretary of State
John Hay, started negotiating the treaties which
the Kellogg drafts to supplant President Roose-
welt was bitterly opposed to this very ambiguity He
Junked eleven such treaties even after they had
been signed because he said, the Senates reserva-
tons merely made treaty swearing to make another
treaty, if and when.
Three years later, however, after Elhu Root had
succeeded Hay, the treaties we're renegotated with
the word agreement" where treaty" had BEEN
So today the Kellogg arbitration treaties are only
agreements to undertake other agreements some time
in the future and in a manner agreeable to the
Unitd States Senate.
And Sir Austen doubtless thinking about what
the Senate did with the treaty of Versailles, the
World Court, and othes such projects, can't help
Wondering -