oted on in committee and in
the Senate during the month of December following.

President Roosevelt was very much concerned about its ratification,
and on June 26, 1906, when it seemed pretty certain that the Senate
would adjourn without acting on the general Act, he wrote me this
quite characteristic letter:

"White House, Washington, _June 26, 1906_.

"My dear Senator Cullom:

"Having reference to the letter which Secretary Root wrote you
yesterday about the Algeciras Convention, I can only add that I
earnestly hope this matter will receive favorable report from the
committee at this session. I am literally unable to understand
how any human being can find anything whatever to object to in this
treaty; and to reject it would mean that for the first time since
the adoption of the Constitution this Government will be without
a treaty with Morocco. It seems incredible that there should be
a serious purpose to put us in such a position.

"Sincerely yours,
"(Signed) Theodore Roosevelt."

The General Act would probably not have been ratified by the Senate
had we not agreed on the form of the resolution of ratification.
That resolution provided:

"Resolved further, that the Senate, as a part of this act of
ratification, understands that the participation of the United
States in the Algeciras Conference and in the formation and adoption
of the general Act and Protocol which resulted therefrom, was with
the sole purpose of preserving and increasing its commerce in
Morocco, the protection as to life, liberty, and property of its
citizens residing and travelling therein, and of aiding by its
friendly offices and efforts in removing friction and controversy
which seemed to menace the peace between powers signatory with the
United States to the treaty of 1880, all of which are on terms of
amity with this Government, and without purpose to depart from the
traditional American foreign policy which forbids participation by
the United States in the settlement of political questions which
are entirely European in their scope."

After this form of resolution had been agreed to by those favoring
and those opposing the treaty, I showed it to President Roosevelt.
He expressed his satisfaction with it, and the Act was ratified by
the Senate.

I have endeavored to cover only a very few of the more important
matters which have come before the Committee on Foreign Relations
since I have been its chairman. The treaties be