Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-22
Continued from First Page.)

dUcC OF foreign TelaClOnS, uIlOcT I<%
President. At the Washington Confer
ence on Naval Limitation the American
delegation was headed by the then Sec
rotary of State, Charles Evans Hughes.
The other three American delegates to
that conference were another former
Secretary of State, Elihu Root, and two
members of the Senate, both now dead,
Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts
and Oscar w. Underwood of Alabama.
Mr.. Hughes is, of course, still avail
able to go as member of the Ameri-
can delegation to the coming conference,
or even as its head. The fact that he
headed the delegation at the Washing
ton conference and is familiar with the
problem of naval limitation, and that he
is regarded as one of the most able law
yers and diplomatists in the country,
and further that President Hoover
doubtless would like to honor him make
his choice entirely within the bounds OF
probability.
Dawes Appointment Assured.
The United States has two diplomats
abroad who also may be called upon to
serve on the American delegation to
the London conference. They are Gen.
Charles c.. Dawes, American Ambassa-
dor to Great Britain and former Vice
President of the United States, and
11UBA A1lUSOI, l1lc 1A1IlCl1Sdkl SAlb0ood~
dor to Belgium. Gen. Dawes appoint
ment is practically assured. At the in
stance of President Hoover. Gen. Dawes
has conducted the negotiations with
Ramsay Macdonald and brought them
to such a pass that an agreement be-
tween this country and Great Britain
on the Vexing questions of naval parity
and cruiser strength is now possible.
Hugh Gibson was the delegate of the
a. Nn1,n
Limitation Conference at Geneva, held
in 1927 on the invitation of President
Coolidge. He is thoroughly conversant
with all angles of the naval limitation
question, particularly as they affect this
country, Great Britain and Japan,
France and Italy both declined politely
but firmly the invitations to attend the
Geneva Naval Conference.
Rear Admiral Hilary p. Jones, u. S.
N, retired, was the chief naval adviser
of the American delegation to the Ge-
neva Conference in 1927. President
Hoover has consulted him frequently
regarding the negotiations which have
been going on with Great Britain in
preparation for the projected confer
ence. He is likely, it is said, to be at
tached to the delegation when it goes
to London. Other high naval officers
also are expected to be called upon to
Senate Must Ratify Treaties.
Under the American system of gov
eminent the foreign relations of this
country are handled by the President
through the Secretary of State. But
any treaties negotiated by the Chief
Executive for this country must finally
be ratified by the Senate. And two
thirds vote of that body is necessary
for ratification. In negotiation of
treaties of very great importance. the
Senate has frequently been recognized
when it comes to picking the American
delegation. The reason for this is
obvious. When the treaties are pre-
sented in the Senate, they have their
men who have taken part in framing
them. President Woodrow Wilson. ac-
cording to his critics, not only made
the mistake of taking part himself in
the peace conference at Versailles. but
he also made the mistake of ignoring
utterly the Senate in naming the other
members of the delegation.
President Harding, when 1t came time
for picking the American delegation to
the Washington conference on naval
limitation and problems of the Pacific,
was careful TO place on the delegation
two Senators, one the Republican
chairman of the Senate foreign rela-
tons committee, Mr.. Lodge, and the
other Senator Underwood, who had |
All the treaties emanating from the |
Washington conference were ratified by
the Senate, although one, the four
power Pacific treaty so-called, involv-
ing the United States, Great Britain,
France and Japan, was opposed by
certain members of the Senate, includ-
ing Senator Borah of Idaho, the present !
chairman Of the foreign relations COM
mittee.
Out OF the Washington conference
came a development of great impor- |
tance-the abrogation of the Anglo |
japanese alliance. The naval limita- |
ton treaty and the four-power treaty |
brought to an end that alliance, which
for years had been looked upon askance |
by this country. Although the Wash
ington conference has been criticized |
because Of the fact that the United |
States gave over first place in naval
strengthens it would have had If the
naval building program had been con-
tinued-it was of great benefit because
at the conference were solved veXing
questions of the Pacific and better feel
ing was developed among the nations
whose influence lies in those waters.
Must Choose Between Precedents.
President Hoover must choose be-
tween the recent presidents set by
Presidents Wilson and Harding If he
follows the course of the former, no
Senators will be included in the Amer
lean delegation. If he follows the
course of the latter, he will name Sen
ator Borah of Idaho or possibly SEN
ator Watson of Indiana, the Republic
can leader, or Senator Hale of Maine,
chairman of the naval affairs commit
tee, to represent the Republican side of
the chamber, and Senator Robinson of
Arkansas or Senator Swanson of Vir-
ginla to represent the Democrats. Both
OF these Democratic Senators are men,
hers of the foreign relations commit
tee and of the naval affairs committee.
Senator Robinson is the Democratic
leader and Senator Swanson is the |
ranking Democratic member of the two
committees named.
Senator Borah believes strongly in |
the reduction of naval ornaments. He |
Is little Navy man." Senator Swan !
son, on the other hand, has ALWAYS been I
considered big Navy man." although |
he has not been inimical to the pro- |,
posals for naval Limitation by interna- |
tional agreement. The chairman of the |
enrelgn relations committee has let 1t be |
scown he will consider it most disap- |:
( 2:lting If the London conference does |
not result in an actual reduction of |!
naval armament. He does not believe |
that merely fixing a limitation, if that ,
limit be high, is calculated to meet the
needs of reducing the tax burdens on
the peoples of this and other countries.
The negotiations between Great Britain
and the United States, so far as they
have been disclosed, have not satisfied