Evening star., 1928-12-11
The Kellogg Treaty.

The open season on American loi
eign relations is about to open in the
Senate. Indeed, 1t has already begun
In the foreign relations committee,
where the kellogg multilateral treaty
renouncing war is up for consld-
GRAFTON. Eventually the treaty will
be reported to the Senate, and in
accordance with the practice which has
been in vogue when dealing with
treaties since and including the Ver-
sailles peace treaty and the League OF
Nations Covenant. the debate Will be
conducted in open executive session.
It is entirely proper that treaties of
importance, involving the relations OF
the United States with other nations,
should be considered in public. Secret
diplomacy and closed sessions OF the
Senate during the consideration OF
treaties are not desirable in this day
and generation, if they ever were. 1t
is the entire people that becomes IN
velved in a war, If relations between ma
tions are broken off and strife ensues.
There used to be an old saying in
the Senate that partisanship should end
at the waters edge-the edge OF the
Atlantic or Pacific Oceans-or at the
Canadian and Mexican borders. In
other words, that Americans should
stand together in the interests Of the
country when dealing with other ma
tions. 1t is with difficulty. however, that
partisan politics can be kept out Of any
discussion in this country. Possibly 1t
was easier to keep free of such partisan
ship when the doors of the Senate were
closed for the consideration of Americas
foreign relations.
Senators may differ honestly over.
treaty provisions. If they so differ
1t is right that those differences
should be expressed. But II q
treaty is opposed because it is the prod
uct Of a Democratic or Republican ad-
ministration, or because Senators de-
sire to bask in the limelight and TO
show their personal power, or to scin;i!-
late as orators, the affair takes on a
different complexion.
The Kellogg treaty is hailed as a
great step toward peaceful. and perma-
nently peaceful, international relations.
1t is at least an expression Of good will
and gesture in opposition to war and
for the settlement Of international diff
ferences without the use of submarines
and poison gas. The great majority Of
the Senators, on both sides of the
chamber, it Is now believed are in
favor Of prompt ratification of the
treaty. It should be ratified. The
other nations of the world, signatory to
the treaty, are waiting to see what the
United States will do before they under
take to ratify it. Possibly they have
learned by experience. They saw the
fate of the League Of Nations Covenant
In the American Senate, although the
covenant had been drawn largely by an
American President.
There are rumblings of opposition to
the Kellogg treaty, on the theory that
1t would tie the United States in with
the League of Nations. The hair split
ting begins. But Secretary Kellogg and
Senator Borah, chairman of the foreign
relations committee, insist there is no
commitment Of this country beyond the
actual words 1t contains.
Cats may be killed, it is said, by
stufhng them to death with cream.
That IL one way of doing away with
q cat. Treaties may be killed, too, by
stufnng them to death with reserva-
tions. That is what happened to the
Versailles treaty and the League cove
nant. The protocol proposing Ameri-
can adherence to the World Court, which
IL another way Of saying . treaty to
admit the United States to the World
Court, suffered apparently a similar
flte, for the more important member
nations have so far declined to accept
the Senates reservations. Already there
Il talk of adding reservations to the
Kellogg treaty. The supporters of the
treaty, however, will bitterly oppose
any such proceeding.