The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-03-05
STONE IS IN LINE
MissoURIAN LIKELY TO BE
CHAIRMAN OF FOREIGN RElA.
TloNs COMMITTEE.
PLACE OF HIGH IMPORTANCE
Patriotism, Rather. Than Politics., Gov
! erns the Deliberations Of This Body
: Of the Senate Which pesls
With Big Affairs.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.


Augustus o. Bacon OF, Georgia caused
a,vacancy in the craftsmanship Of the
senate committee on foreign relations.
Senator Bacon succeeded Senator CuE
lom. as presiding officer of the COM
mittee last Ms-ch.- He had been a
member Of the foreign relations body
for great many years, and therefore
was thoroughly familiar with all the
work with which it is charged. Sen
ator Bacon was a conservative man,
able and forceful. saRd-he had the re-
spect, Of all the. senators, no mat,
ter what were their political affilia.
tons. ~ "a. II -- so s..s b. ...
The position o. chairman Of the for.
eign relations committee of the SEN
ate is one OF high importance. The
duties of this committee frequently
are OF the most delicate character.
inrolying as they do on occasion the
issues OF war and peace Senator VIII
liam J. Stone Of Missouri probably
will succeed to the position Of presid-
ing officer OF the committee, for he is
the ranking Democrat holding men,
bership in that body. Mr.. Stone is
known as politician and as an in
tense partisan, but unquestionably he
will shed politics and partisanship
when he takes Mr.. Bacon's seat at the
head OF the foreign relations table.
Some. men have called William ].
Stone Gum Shoe Bill for good
many years and the name is not sug-
- hf-L hitt thpFo
are such things as misnomers. The
Missouri senator is known to his col
leagues regardless of party as man
OF brain and corresponding under
standing. and, moreover, he always
has held that patriotism ranks poll
tics. although the latter has been his
close companion.
President Took His Advice.
President Wilson, to a considerable
extent. has been viewing legislation as
a party matter. Seemingly he has
given little thought to the probability
that Republicans and Progressives
might help in putting through bills
which appeal TO their judgment Mr..
Wilson made his partisan position
clear when he told the suhragists
who called on him that he could not
do anything for them because their
cause was not party one.
While Washington understood pref
ty well Mr.. Wilson's views along these
lines. it nevertheless was puzzled
when in the early days of his admins
tration he made an attempt to deal
with foreign affairs solely through the
Democratic members of the senate
committee on foreign relations. The
Republican members of the committee
were astonished and perhaps hurt.
Senator Lodge probably knows more
about the intricacies OF our foreign
affairs than does any other member
OF the committee.
Senator Root was once secretary Of
state. Today he is a member of the
foreign relations committee. His
knowledge Of Central and South Amer
ican affairs is greater than that of
Senator Lodge, and on European and
Eastern matters his knowledge prob
ably is equal 10 that OF the Massa-
chusetts senator. When Senator Ba-
con, Democrat, who succeeded Sena-
tor Cullom as chairman OF the com
mittee, found out that it was Presi-
dent wilson's intention to consult on
foreign affairs only the Democratic
members of the committee. he told his
party chieftain frankly that he was
making a mistake, and that he had
better unmake il as soon as possible.
Mr. Wilson followed the Georgjan's
advice instantly and every member
of the senate committee was invited
TO the White House TO the first great
Mexican conference, and has been in
vited to every other conference of i'm
portance since that time.
Not Political Committee.
Before Mr.. Wilson's time no presi-
dent had withheld bis confidence from
any, of the members OF the foreign
relations committee. In the Venezue-
Ian boundary case the committee stood
"a. one man back Of President Cleve-
land and Secretary OF State William
r. Olney when Great Britain was
threatened with war by the admins
tration il she refused to submit the
boundary question to arbitration.
The records show that the war with
Spain was fastened by the chairman
OF the committee on foreign relations
acting with the approval of his fellow
committeeman. The chairman at that
time was Cushman X. Davis OF Mime.
sofa. President Mckinley was averse
to going TO war and he stood out
against pressure from the country and
1t was tremendous one because Il
seemed to be backed by public opin-
ION. The public was strong for re
taliation. for Il believed that agents
of the Spanish government had sunk
the Maine. William r. Day. now on
the Supreme bench, was secretary of
state. MT Davis called on him and
said: You may tell your president
that IL he lis not prepared for. dec
Iaration .of war congress. will make
the declaration over his head"