A Minority Refuses

"American foreign policy is determined not by him [the President] and two-thirds of the Senate but by one-third of the Senate, which will withhold its consent. . . . It is the fact that one-third may veto and go unscathed--unless perchance the issue should be a stupendous one--that directly invites the Senate to substitute its anfractuosities for the executive's desires."*

This fact was clearly illustrated last week, when a one-third minority refused to ratify the-Lausanne Treaty between the U. S. and Turkey. The vote was 50 (all Republicans) to 34 (all Democrats) -- six less than the necessary two-thirds majority. In executive session behind closed doors, debate had fumed intermittently for more than a fortnight. Senator Borah, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Administration backed the treaty; Senator King, sharp-tongued Mormon from Utah, and his band of Democrats fought it on the grounds that it fails to carry out Woodrow Wilson's plan for Armenian independence, that it does not guarantee protection to Christians and non-Moslems in Turkey,/- that it fails to provide recognition by Turkey of the U. S. nationality of onetime Turkish subjects.

The Senators were confused by the contentions of religious bodies. Early in January the Senators received a telegram, signed by Bishop William T. Manning, Dr. S. Parkes Cadman and James Cannon Jr. It read: "Northern Baptist Church, Methodist Episcopal Church South, Reformed Church in their respective conventions and the bishops ot the Episcopal Church have denounced the Lausanne Treaty. . . ."

The counterblast came quickly: "Not one of the Churches referred to has any work in Turkey The Congregational Church, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A. and Near East Colleges are the only organizations in this field. . . . All assertions in body of statement are so misleading and misconstrued that we cannot let them go unchallenged in view ot prominence of men involved. Legitimate American interests are protected by treaty, and moral obligations can be discharged more effectively by America after diplomatic relations are resumed Those that signed this statement were important representatives ot these bodies: Cleveland E. Dodge, John R. Mott, James L. Barton, Mrs. Frank A. Vanderlip, Mrs. Henry Goddard Leach and Mrs. John H. Finley.

Yet Hearst-Editor Arthur Brisbane could exclaim: "The rejection of the treaty is largely a triumph for Christian missionaries. He did so ignorantly here. The only missionary interests in Turkey urged ratification of the treaty.

*So says young Professor Lindsay Rogers of Columbia University, a comparative newcomer among political commentators, in his recent book, The American Senate, wherein he tells why this Senate is the mosf potent upper chamber in the world. /-Old Turkey had given capitulations to Western powers, yielding them their own law courts for their nationals. In 1914 Turkey cast off these capitulations, refuses now to renew them.