The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1930-06-16
Treaty Will Furnish New Round

Having been beaten Oh the debcnture plan, the flexible
tariff provision. on farm relief and on the tariff revision,
the senate now aligns for a new line OF attack ON Prcsa-
dent Hoover. The London naval pact is the issue chosen
for continuing the hostilites.
The initial challenge Of the president comes IN the
senate foreign relations committee demand for the con-
fidential details of the London conference, which Sc~re-
tary Of State Stimson has refused.
There arc Two ways of looking at this demand. If
American policy were one of alliances with foreign gov
e1nments, the senate, which must pass on treaties. might
be justified in asking for the confidential record on the
steps which resulted in the bmission to it Of the navel
parity treaty. The first of these was the visit of Premier
Ramsay Macdonald to this side Of the Atlantic. after
which he and President Hoover sat on an old log along
the Rapidan and arranged for calling the conference. AS
that meeting proceeded at London, its doings were rather
fully aired in the news reports cabled over to this side.
At no time was there any suggestion Of anything re.
sembling an alliance or any other form Of obligation or
ENHANCEMENT between this country and any Of tho pow
crs participating.
It is a tair assumption that no public interest would
be served by making confidential memoranda on the
treaty public. while a great deal of harm could be done.
In advance it is known about just who Is going to vote TO-
ratify the treaty and who is going to oppose its ratfica-
ton. There is strong reason for considering the coming
action on the pact just another repetition of the prior
opposition to all that the president has proposed. The
vote probably will read very much like that on the de-
benture, the flexible tariff revision provision. the nonin-
alton Of Judge Parker to the supreme court and. only
the other day, the vote on the tariff bill conference ad-
justment. Nothing that is being kept confidential would
hardly change a vote by being disclosed. The demand for
the information is largely made by senator's who are 60
ing to vote against the treaty ana want an excuse for
their attitude. AS said. It came from Senator Berahs
foreign relations mmitte
Making treaties on such matters as were considered at
London is a process invested with considerable delicacy.
It is better to get confidential information in the form
of news that leaks out of the proceedings, and In the ses-
sion at London, correspondents openly sat in the meet
ings OF the conference. The back stage proceedings
were disclosed daily in the cables. France and Italy made
demands and refused to come into the plans
for limitation. On the basis of these generally known
facts and by weighing the provisions Of the pact, the
senate committee and the upper chamber itself should be
able to pass on the treaty on its merits or dement's with
out dragging delicate matters into the light, to the pos
sible offense Of other nations in the parley. That Is the
attitude that the white house and the state department
seem to take on the demand from the other end Of
avenue.
This view also is taken by a number of newspapers
throughout the country. which have been able to take
the measure Of the probable motivation Of the senators
who want to pry into the presidents confidential records.
The Duluth Herald sums the matter up by the state
ment that the senate couldn't any more make a treaty
than any other mob could, and therefore its duty is fin
ished when it deals with the finished product as it.
Is placed before it by the executive department. To have
1t burging with the preliminary conversations that lead
to treaties" the Herald continues, would utterly paralyse
treaty making and bar the highway to peace. The prest-
dent is right and the senate. as usual. is wrong"