THE AMERICAN BEEF TRUST. (From Own Own Correspondent.)

Otago Witness, Issue 2663, 29 March 1905, Page 22

THE AMERICAN BEEF TRUST. (From Own Own Correspondent.)

CHICAGO, U.S.A., February 16.

The Beef Trust decision is regarded as a great triumph for President Roosevelt, r.nd j effectively dispels any illusion that he launched the investigation as a " grandstand " play. It is a confirmation in the minds of the people of their general belief in the wisdom and Tightness of the move he makes. Such a moral backing as this pi'blic opinion is stands the President in good stead juat at present, when the attitude of the Senate would indicate that his views do not represent ths will of the nation. A Russian paper asks if the enunciations of the State Department concerning the open door in China are worth anything, since now we have evidence tnat they arc only the whims of the President and Secretary of State, while the ftSal American policy as to foreign affairs is dictated by the Senate, which has never said a word on these questions, but which has takon action with regard to the arbitration treaties which amounts to a declaration that it is jealous of th-e President's activity in making preliminary arrangements with foreign Powers, and proposes to call a- check. The fact is that the action of the Senate on the treaty matter is quite generally condemned by leading publications as narrow and picayunish. After laborious negotiations with a number of foreign Governments, tne President and the State Department had concluded agreements that, in future, disputes as to certain questions should be referred to the Hague Court ; but it was provided that in each individual case, before appealizig to the Hague, the high contracting parties should conclude a special agreement defining okarly the matter in dispute, the scope of the powers of the arbitrators, etc. The President intimated to the Senate, wh<?n presenting this arrangement for its ratification, that any change in the agreement as it read would undo all of the work of the State Department. But the Senate, fearful that if the Executive were given the right to arrange details regarding the submission of cases to the Hague the prerogative of the Senate would be curtailed, changed the word " agreement " to read "treaty," so that it is now agreed that whenever the Senate makes a treaty it shall be binding. A publication no less nrominent than the Outlook is amazed that the staunch members of the Senate who are regarded as most progressivo should find" themselves advocating 6o ridiculous a policy as that " v»c agree that we will agr-ee when we agree to agree. ' There was an indication of tho formation of a breach between the President and the Senate when a statement was given out by the State Department as follows :—" The President regards tho matter of the general arbitration treafies as concluded by the action of the Senate. He recognises the right of the Senate to reject a treaty either by a direct vote ia that sense or indirectly by changes that are incompatible witn its spirit and purpose. He considers that with tho Senate amendment the treaties not only cease- to be a step forward in the cause of general afbitra-

tion, but arc really a step backward, and therefore he is unable to present them in this altered form to the countries with | which we havo been in negotiation." It 1 was reported that this state-mer.t was rerouted by many Senators, who, while they rocownisod the right of tho Executive to withhold the treatie 5 . objected to the imputation that the Senate had acted ■Kith, insincerity, vhich was contained in the statement that the President " recognises the right of the Senate to reject a treaty cither by a direct rote in that sense or by changes which are incompatible with its spiiit and purpose."' Those in the Senate who desire to avoid any permanent breach between that body and the Chief Executive, such as existed in the second Cleveland Administration, largely destroying its usefulness, may make special effort to pass tho treaty which the State Department ha=! negotiated with Santo Domingo for relief of its financial embarrassment by temporary collection and disbursement of its customs. The recent report that th© United States had already taken charge of the customs reports appears to have been a mistake on tho part of the newspapers, arising out of an assignment" of fiscal agents to certain ports in default of payment of awards mad© by a former Arbitration Committee.