PACIFIC TREATY RATIFIED

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 155, 27 March 1922, Page 5

PACIFIC TREATY RATIFIED

BY UNITED STATES SENATE SHOAL OF AMENDMENTS DEFEATED BRANDEGEE’S RESERVATION ADOPTED The united States Senate has ratified the Pacific Treaty by 67 votes to 27, and Senator Brandegee’s reservation against the United States being committed to armed force, alliance, or obligation to come to anyone’s defence has been adopted by 90 votes to 2. »Y TELEGBAPH—PMBB ASSOCIATION. “COPYBIGHT. Washington,' March 24. The Senate defeated all the amendments to the Pacific Treaty' and then separately approved four of the Treaty Articles. The opposition then introduced fifteen reservations, delaying the final vote. ' ' The first vote in the Senate to-day concerned Senator Robinson’s amendment to the Pacific Treaty, providing that each contracting Party should refrain from entering into any secret treaty, agreement, or understanding with anv other Power during the life of the Treaty. This was defeated by 61 votes to 13. Senator Robinson will later offer the amendment as a reservation. Senator Reed’s amendment that any nation, refusing to concur in any understanding should not be bound by such an understanding, was defeated by 62 votes to 29. Senator Reed’s further amendments that no nation should be obliged to do any act of war, that any signatory Power could withdraw from, the treaty at. two years’ notice, and proposing' to limit the treaty to ten years, were all ’defeated. An amendment stating that the United States becomes a party to the Treaty for the sole purpose of keeping peace and adjusting differences among the other nations was beaten by 74 votes to 13. / . . A flood of reservations was introduced before the voting began. Senator La Follette introduced six, one providing for the abrogation of any 'existing treaties inconsistent with the present one; another that no other treaties relative to the Pacific should be made by any of the signatory Powers without the consent of the others ; another prohibits the renewal of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance during the life of the present treaty.; another states that it is the intention of the United States to grant the Philippines, indeprudence within ten years; and another binding other nations to respect territorial' integrity.—-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. BIG MAJORITY FOR . RATIFICATION » Washington, March 24. The Senate ratified the Pacific Treaty by 67 votes to 27, along with Senator Brandegee’s reservation, which was adopted by 90 votes to 2. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable FINAL VOTE DELAYED SUPPLEMENTARY TREATY POSTPONED (Rec. March 26, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, March 24. The introduction of fifteen reservations to the Pacific Treaty at the last moment delayed the final vote. Senator Johnson moved an amendment providing that the Powers use peaceful measures in meeting any aggression from outside. This was defeated by 65 votes to 26 j ' ' ..

Senator Walsh’s amendment was defeated by 55 votes tb 36, Senator Robinson’s reservation was rejected by 56 votes to 36, and Senator La Follette’s reservations were also rejected. Senator Robinson offered an amendment to the Supplementary Treaty, excluding from the operation of the Pacific Treaty the island of Sakhalin, the southern half of which is- held by Japan, as the result of the JapaneseRussian Way. During a previous debate, many Senators predicted that Russia would within a few years seek to regain tho island,- thus involving the United States. Senator Pittman criticised President Harding for not presenting for ratification the declaration Mr. Hughes made before signing, providing that the United States gave up none of its rights over mandated islands, and all domestic questions were excluded fromtreaty operation. Senator I-ittman moved a reservation giving the United States the right to decide for itself what a domestic problem is, hence what lies outside the treaty’s jurisdiction. This was rejected by 65 votes to 28. The votes approving of the treaty articles were as follow (—First article, 74 to 15; second. 66 to. 28 : third, 67 to 26; fourth, providing for the scrapping of tho Anglo-Japanese Alliance, '73 to 8. . Senator Johnston’s amendment, reintroduced as an amendment, was defeated by 63 votes to 29. Senator Johnston moved a reservation that -the United States assumes neither a moral nor legal obligation to maintain tho rights of other Powers in their Pacific possessions, and requiring Congressional assent to agreements under tho treaty. This was defeated by 64 votes to 28. Senator Recd introduced a reservation that tho United could withdraw when any other party in the judgment of the President or Congress wrongly irtade war. This was defeated by 62 votes to 28. Senator Reed immediately offered a reservation providing that the United States may withdraw at any time on a year’s notice. This was defeated by 64 votes to 26. Senator Pomerene’s substitute for Senator Brandegee’s reservation,providing that any adjustment reached under Artcles 1 and 2 must bo approved by Congress before being binding on the United States, was defeated by 78 votes to 10.

Senator .Brandegee’s reservation states: “The United States understands that the treaty contains no commitment to armed force, np alliance, and no obligation to come to anyone’s defence.”

Senator Walsh introduced a substitute for Senator Robinson’s reservation providing for a general conference of all nations, whether signatories, or not, whose interests were. involved in any concern which might arise out of the treaty. anticipation of the final votes, tho public began to assemble in tbe galleries at 7 o’clock. Fifty-five Republicans and twelve Democrat's voted for the treaty, arid four Republicans and 23 Democrats voted against it.

Following on the ratification of the Pacific Treaty, Senator Lotlee urged the Senate to take an immediate vote fti the Supplemental Treaty, eliminatfng Japan’s homeland from the scope ot the former. Senator Robinson, the Opposition leader, objected on the ground that Senators had had no opportunity

to study it. Senator Lodge then consented to a postponement till to-mor-row.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. , BRANDEGEE’S RESERVATION 1 NOT OBJECTED TO BY JAPAN (Rec. March 26, 5.5 p.m.) Tokio, March 25. It is officially declared that Japan has 'ho objection to Senator Brandegee’s reservation to the Pacific Treaty, the Government regarding it as in-consequential.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SUPPLEMENTARY TREATY LONG DISCUSSION LIKELY t ...... . ’ (Rec. March 26, 11.5 p.m.) Washington, March 25. It now appears likely .that several days will he spent over a long discussion on the Supplementary Treaty, excluding the Japanese mainland from the .provisions of the Pacific Treaty. Senator Lodge had hoped for ratification within a few hours, but Senator Hitchcock has produced a new sensation' by declaring the adoption of the Pacific Treaty illegal, since the Supplementary Treaty' was like a codicil of a will, and ratification of one without the other is void- The irreconcilableo promise a sharp debate.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. j I _■ NAVAL REDUCTION TREATY TO BE CONSIDERED NEXT, (Rec. March 26, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, March 24. The Naval Reduction Treaty will be next considered.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SECRET AGREEMENT ALLEGATIONS CAUSE UNEASINESS IN JAPAN ' '.(Rec. March 25, 5.5 p.m.) Tokio, March 24. Despite prompt and . emphatic denials by President Harding and Mr. C. “E. Hughes that a secret agreement exists between America and Britain, continued allegations on the floor of the Senate are commencing to create a feeling Of uneasiness among., the Japanese public, placing the administration in an awlrward position. Politicians in Japan are equally eager as those elsewhere to seize anything to embarrass the Government. Repeated assertions that something is behind the treaties give an excellent. Handle for anti-administrationist Jingoists here.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.