Evening star., 1928-12-13
Ratify the Kellogg Treaty.!

Under tentative agreement feacIleu
BY the Senate committee on foreign re-
lations, the general pact for reAuncia-
.,o,, of war-more popularly knbwn as
the Kellogg treaty--will be reporfed out
of that body tomorrow. 1t will Rhen be
formally before the Senate as q whole
for ratification. Under the rules no
formal order of priority is requlree> Ior
bringing it to a vote. Senator BoraiI
can call for an executive session at
pleasure, and there seek the pacts
adoption.
It is the overwhelming view OF the
foreign relations committee, as II un-
doubtedly is of the country at large
that the treaty should be approved by
the United States Senate without res
ervations. President Coolidge and Sec
retary Kellogg have given both punllc
and private assurances that there is no
necessity whatever for safeguarding
Americas rights under the pact py
loading its ratification down with res
ervations of any kind.
During the past week Mr.. Kellogg
has twice appeared before the foreign
relations committee. He submitted
himself to searching cross-examination
on every phase of the treaty and OF the
negotiations leading up to its signature
by fifteen nations at Paris last August.
The Secretary of State left Senators in
no doubt on the two scores regarding
which some question has been raised
~ the Monroe Doctrine, and Cd the
constitutional and exclusive right OF
Congress to declare war. Mr.. Kellogg
supplied convincing evidence that In
neither of these respects are existing
prerogatives impaired.
Apart from the superf1uity of reserva-
tions they would contain a danger the
Importance of which cannot be over
looked. They could easily imperil the
ratification of the anti-war treaty by
nther governments. Sir Austen Cham
berlain stated in a speech in London
a few nights ago that the British gov
ernment stands ready to give its ap-
proval to the pact as soon as the United
States had acted. But that was no
blanket assurance. 1t plainly conveyed
the thought that If America ratifies the
treaty as it was signed by herself,
Great Britain and thirteen other coun-
tries, the London government would, on
its part. give its final and formal as
sent. No genuine friend of the cause
which the Kellogg treaty essays to pro-
mote-that OF bulwarking international
peace-should throw obstructive res
ervations across its path.
President Coolidge accurately eulo-
gized the pact in his recent message to
Congress Praising it as simple and
STRAIGHTFORWARD" covenant. he predicted
that it promises more for the peace
of the world than any other agreement
ever negotiated among the nations"
Those are strong words. They savor Of
the millennial. But they are fully justi-
fed by the gIobe-wide and unmistakable
sincerity with which fifty-nine govern
ments have affixed their signatures and
pledged their adherence.
No gesture on behalf OF a peaceful
world since the armistice approximates
in far-reaching magnitude the value
and validity of the Kellogg treaty.
American public sentiment, With ex-
ceptions so inconspicuous as not even
to be enumerative, supports the pact
and demands It's ratification. The Sen
ate will honor itself, crafty the country
and stimulate war-weary universe
with fresh hope by promptly and un-
qualifedly approving it.