Evening star., 1946-01-06
Agreements Sidestep
Senate in Foreign Issues
Constitutional Provision for advice and Consent
Not Followed in Various Big Three Pacts
in Europe and Asia
By Constantine Bro,vu

o. the word. The Kurile Islands were
an integral part of Japan, acquired about
so years ago from Russia not on the
basis of conquest but in a commercial
deal, such as we had with the Russians
in regard to Alaska
Japanese Situation Differs.
That the Russians wanted to regain
the islands is obvious and may even be
understandable. But the division of the
Japanese-oWned territory should have
been transacted at a peace conference
and the treaty providing for settlement
of the war with that Asiatic nation
should have been submitted to the
Senate for ratification
The pretext adopted in the division Of
Germany by her conquerors could not
apply to Japan. There is a legal gov
eminent in Japan capable of signing a
peace treaty soon after elections are
held There is no handicap to the
holding of free elections The Big
Three realized that peace treaty with
Japan containing the cession Of an
archipelago, unimportant from the eco
nomic point of view but highly import
ant for strategic considerations, was
not likely to be approved by the Senate.
For reasons of international expedi-
ency, it was decided that the fate of
these islands should be settled by an
other private agreement which in effect
has treaty value" but does not need the
ratification of the Senate.
The agreements signed last week in
Moscow are being seriously questioned
by large number of Senators, includ-
ing many who for political reasons do
not wish to express their views in public.
The Secretary of State is an ap-
pointed and not an elected official. BY
no stretch of the imagination can he
assume the responsibility of agreeing to
anything that the lawmakers of this
country may consider contrary to the
interests of the United States.
Senate Hands Tied.
However, the Moscow agreement pro-
viding for yielding of this countrys sole
authority in Japan is now an accom-
plished fact which cannot be disavowed
by the Senate. Nobody knows yet how
this new agreement will affect the
United States in the future But there
| is nothing that the Senators can do
| about 1t except express their displeasure
IN speeches from the floor of the Senate.
In the wars which preceded World
| War II such problems did not arise. at
least so far,as this country is concerned.
The secret treaty signed between Gar
lst Russia, France and Great Britain
providing for the partition of Turkey
and the surrender of Constantinople to
the Russians caused such a wave of in
dlgnation among the Senators in this
country that, although it never ma
ter1allzed, it contributed greatly to the
defeat Of President Wilson'S plan to
have America join the League of
Nations and caused the signing of a sep
arate treaty of peace with the German
government.
The previous wars ended with peace
conferences at which the spoils were
shared by the victors. 1t was not con-
sldered immoral in the old days for the
defeated to pay heavy penalty in
money or territory; in fact, this was the
principal reason why the nations fought
each other.
Rights Not Considered.
The Second World War has not ended
IN this manner. The spoils which some
| OF the victors lay claim to have been
divided behind closed doors by "agree-
ments" between heads of state to an
even greater extent than they were in
the 18th century after the Napoleonic
wars. The question of the rights of the
inhabitants of the territories earmarked
as war prizes was not taken into con-
sideration.
Even the new peace treaties between
the major Allies and the Italians, the
Firms, the Bulgarians, the Romanians
and the Hungarians are prearranged
affairs which are intended merely to
put the seal of approval on the wishes
expressed by the main member of the
Big Three, the Russian Empire.
The Senate may balk at the confirma-
ton Of such treaties. But that is not
likely because most of the Senators con-
slider that the interests of the United
States in those remote areas are mostly
academic.
The situation regarding Japan and
the Far East is, however, of vital i'm
portance to the immediate and distant
future of this country. The prospects
of an early peace treaty with Japan are
remote. In the meantime, however, 1t
is feared that agreements might un-
dermine our position in the Pacific and
by the time an actual peace treaty is
presented to the Senate 1t might be
too late to remedy the damage done.