Evening star., 1930-06-08
Respecting Condolences.

President Hoover has properly denied
the request of Senator Hiram johnson
for the confidential kilograms and let
ters of the American delegation to the
London Naval Conference. To lay be-
fore the Senate committee, probably
for publication, the confidential ex-
changes between the American dele
gates and the delegates of the other
nations, which were made In conf
dence, would be complete violation OF
confidence. It would necessarily impair
the possibility Of future successful ne
gotiations between the United States
and other nations, as Secretary Stim-
son points out in his letter to Senator
Borah. chairman of the foreign rela-
tions committee, replying to the request
of Senator johnson, who Is leading the
opposition to the London treaty in that
committee.
Secretary Stimson has cited q long
list of precedents Of refusal by the Chief
Executive to furnish to the Senate and
the House such confidential exchanges
between this Government and the gov
ernments of foreign nations, when the
publication Of such exchanges was held
not compatible with the public welfare.
At the top of the list stands refusal OF
the first President, George Washington,
to transmit to the House the instruc-
tions which were given to the American
Minister who negotiated the Jay treaty.
President Washington's exact language
in his letter refusing the request of the
House is so pat to the present incident
that it may well be quoted. He said:
THE nature of foreign negotiations
requires caution and their success must
often depend on secrecy; and even when
brought to a conclusion full disclosure
of all the measures, demands or eventual
concessions which may have been pro-
posed or contemplated would be ex-
tremely impolitic; for this might have o
pernicious influence on future negotia-
tions or produce immediate inconven-
fences, perhaps danger and mischief, in
relation to other powers"
Whether Senator johnson will under
take to set himself up against the judg-
ment of George Washington as well as
that of Herbert Hoover remains to be
seen. It has been quite clear that the
Senator from California has been on a
fishing expedition" seeking to find
something in the files of the State De-
partment which might raise resentment
against the naval treaty either here or
abroad. The treaty speaks for itself.
There is no secret understanding which
goes beyond the terms Of the treaty.
When the treaty is ratified and becomes
an international agreement, the inter-
probation of the language Of the treaty
itself will be the sole basis for the set
tlement Of any disputes that may arise
over it. Senator johnson and the other
enemies Of the treaty, as we'll as the
friends of the treaty, will have to de-
termine whether the treaty itself is Of
advantage or disadvantage to the United
States.
As Secretary Stimson has pointed
out, in negotiations such as those con-
Quoted In London at the Naval Con-
ference, delegates speak to delegates
quite frankly and quite confidentially.
Their conversations, conducted conf
dentially, are supposed to remain con-
fldential To grant the request Of
Senator johnson and expose to the
public and the world generally the
statements made in confidence would
be like changing the rules of a game
when it has been played out. If all con-
versations were to be made public,
then it should have been so stated be-
fore the conference was undertaken.
If the condolences of delegates of for
eign nations, regarding their difficult
ties with other foreign nations, made
to American delegates, should be made
public, for example, it would be con-
sidered gross violation of the con-
fldence of these delegates.
The State Department has fur
nished to Senator Borah a confidential
memorandum which covers many of
the points in the demand for further
information made by Senator johnson.
Beyond that the department and the
President are not prepared to 60.