Pines and Palms

(Quietly, at the State Department, Secretary Hughes signed an agreement with Dr. De Graeff, Minister from the Netherlands, agreeing to arbitrate a controversy with Holland over the possession of the Isle of Talmas, a map-fleck near the Philippines.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, the treaty over the Isle of Pines near Cuba--a treaty submitted to the Senate by John Hay, Secretary of State to President Roosevelt, over 20 years ago, continued to produce an unprofitable rumpus. The island was not specifically mentioned in the post-war treaty with Spain at the end of the last century. Various real estate companies sold much land on the island to Americans, with the under-standing that it was U. S. property. The State Department has never taken this view, holding--and in this supported by the Supreme Court--that the island is territorially a part of Cuba (TIME, Dec. 22). The Senate, however, has never ratified the treaty, submitted to confirm Cuba's sovereignty over the island. Last week, it was up for consideration in the Senate. There were speeches for and against ratification. Senator Borah believed that the treaty must at least be modified. Senator Swanson of Virginia believed in ratification, and Senator Ralston, with old-time sentiment, exclaimed:

"Have we lost the American spirit that fought Great Britain? Nor would I have my government-the best there is in the world-forget what compulsory expatriation means to an American citizen. We shall refuse to desert 10,000 American citizens who relied on the word of our Government. As for myself, I shall refuse to palter with conscience, I shall refuse to be a party to the abandonment of American citizens."

President Coolidge, however, made known that he believed the treaty should be ratified. Finally, the junior Senator from New York, Dr. Copeland, announced that the Senate had, during the 20 intervening years, lost the original copy of the treaty. At once a hunt for it was organized.