Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-11
A Red Herring.

The Senate foreign relations commit
tee, having been told by President
Hoover, through his Secretary Of State,
that he would not accede to the request
Of Senator Hiram johnson, a foe Of the
London treaty, for all the confidential
memoranda dealing with the negotiation
Of the naval treaty, is about to state
as matter of principle, its view Of the
right Of the Senate committee to all
information necessary to dealing with
treaties sent to it for ratification. In
some quarters the proposal Of the COM
mittee to adopt such a resolution has
been interpreted as a censure and chal-
lenge Of President Hoover's right to
withhold confidential data relating to the
London treaty. Chairman Borah, how
ever, takes the view that the resolution,
which is still to be finally drafted, Is
not q demand upon the President for
the papers he has declined to send to
the Senate. The chairman Of the for
eign relations committee also asserts
that the disposition of the committee Is to
regard the incident over the London
treaty memoranda as closed" He
probably was speaking for . majority
Of the committee when he made such
Q statement and perhaps not for some
Of the individuals.
President Hoover has sent to the
Senate committee all the information
1t needs regarding the London treaty
to act intelligently and squarely upon
that pact. Two members Of the COM
nittee were themselves delegates to the
London conference, Senators Robinson
Of Arkansas and Reed of Pennsylvania,
and are entirely familiar with all the
negotiations and in a position to answer
the questions Of any of their colleagues.
The only information which has been
withheld, 1t is said, relates to conf
Dental conversations between the dele
gates Of this country and the delegates
of the other powers. To divulge such
secrets, with any chance Of their be-
coming public property, would not only
be gross violation Of confidence, but
also would place this country in q sorry
light.
The opposition to the naval treaty has
centered upon these confidential data In
an effort to becloud the issue Of the
treaty ITSELF It is seeking to make the
public believe that something sinister
turks around the corner. AS a matter
Of fact, there Is no secret agreement
which goes beyond the terms Of the
treaty, and the treaty stands on its own
bottom. The Senate committee and the
Senate are in a position to act upon
the treaty. But that is Just what the
opposition is seeking to prevent.
The so-called challenge" to the
President, If Senator Borah IL correct,
Is q statement Of the committee to the
effect that as a coordinate part Of the
treaty-making power the Senate and It's
committee are entitled to full informa-
ton regarding the negotiations Of
treaties. No one will deny that. The
President himself agrees to such q
proposition. Certain members of the
committee take the view that the COM
mittee, not the President Is to detaR-
mine what constitutes full information.
No power Is given the Senate to COM
pei the President to furnish 1t with
documents which the President deter
mines shall not be given on the ground
that such action would not be COM
patible" with the best interests Of the
country. It can demand such docu-
ments, but it can go no further. I'm
parchment of President might be I'M
dertaken, but that must originate In
the House of Representatives, not in the
Senate. The Senate has 1t In its power,
Of course, to reject the London naval
treaty by failing to ratify 1t, II 1t feels
that 1t has not the full information II
needs to act upon It, That is It's only
recourse. The country will not believe
however, that the committee has been left
in ignorance Of what the treaty means
Full hearings have been held by the
foreign relations committee. Two men,
bers of the committee, one q Democrat
and the other a Republican, were i'm
portant members Of the American group
which negotiated the treaty. This does
not seem like darkness" nor secrecy.