Evening star., 1930-06-13
Secretary Of State Writes
Borah That Pact Should Be
Considered on Language OF
Document Itself.
CABINET MEMBER FAILS
TO SEND NOTES SOUGHT
Committee Called Monday and
Final Report on Naval Arms
Agreement Is Expected to Be
Taken by Foreign Relations
Group.

BY the Associated Pres
Replying to the Senate foreign
relations committee assertion OF
its right to the London naval
papers, Secretary St,mson wrote
today TO the committee j. should
base its treaty action on the
language Of the treaty itself.
The Secretary OF State acknoWl-
edged the committees resolution
in a brief letter TO Chairman
Borah. He made no mention OF
forwarding the exchange OF notes
among the powers leading up 70
the London parley The commit
tee resolution did not demand the
papers.
Accepting the incident as closed,
Senator Borah called another
meeting Of the committee for
Monday, when he hopes to get &C
tion on the treaty.
There were indications that som
committeeman would seek 10 deH
action because OF the refusal Of Pref
dent Hoover and Secretary StmSon
turn over the note but il was appares
that a majority would vote for imme
dia'e action on the treaty
SumSon's letter, dated yesterday va
as follows;
Dear Senator Borah:
Il have received your favor Of toda
transmitting a copy Of resolution or
the committee on foreign relations IL
respect 10 letters and documents IN the
recent negotiation of the naval treaty.
L did not. in my letter 20 you OF
June 6. attempt to define the duties OF
the Senate or the scope Of its powers
in passing upon treaties. MY statement
in that letter that the question whether
this treaty is or is not in the interests
OF the United Saes and should or should
not ne ratified by the Senate must in
the lest event be determined from the
language OF the document itself and
not from eXtraneous matter was in
tended 10 call attention TO the fact that
the obligations and rights arising from
the treaty. as in the case of any other
contract must be measured by the
language Of the document itself"
Confers With Moses.
President Hoover called in Senator
Moses, Republican. New Hampshire, to-
day for an hours conference Senator
Moses has lined up with the opposition
10 the treaty ard was one of the 10 men,
berS of the foreign relations committee
who voted for the resolution yesterday
asserting a claim TO the London notes.
The New Hampshire Senator declined
to comment upon his White House visit
! as he left the President.
However. despite the prospect Of an
attempt to stop action on the treaty be-
cause of the Presidents refusal 10 turn
over the London documents TO the COM
! mittee. il was believed today both at
| the White House and AT the Capitol
that the pact would be reported to the
Senate before adjournment of the reg
| ular session, probably some time next
week.
Johnson's Comment.
Senator johnson. Republican, Cali
fornia, who asked for the exchange OF
notes prior to the London parley, Of
| fered the following comment on Secre-
! tary StimSon.S letter:
obviously the learned Secretary of
! State was unfortunate in his express
sions. In his prior communication he
said the question whether the treaty
| IS OI IL i!CL III lIlc interests Oh lne
! United States and should or should
not be ratified by the Senate must in
the last event be determined from the
| language of the document itself and
! not from eXtraneouS matter.
BY every rule of construction, this
! language would seem to imply that in
| the matter of the ratification of a treaty
| by the Senate the Senate in the last
event is limited to the document Itself
and no eXtraneous matter could be con-
sldered. Now the distinguished Secre-
tary of State says he was merely calling
attention to the fact that obligations
| and rights arising from the treaty must
be measured by the language itself.
While the explanation may not be as
clear and as bright as the MONDAY sun
| I'm delighted that the declaration OF
! policy enunciated by the foreign rela-
| tionS committee is neither controverted
nor denied We may accept as settled
now the rights of the Senate in the con-
sideration of treaties as defined in the
resolution Of the committee on foreign
! olot