Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-11-23
Tuesday, November %, 1915.
A Coming "conferenee."

The announcement from the White
House that President Wilson will
confer" with Republican leaders re-
garding the legislation for national
defence has only one Interpretation
here. 1t means that Mr.. Bryan's fol-
lowing in Congress is sufficiently
numerous and vigorous to prevent the
passage Of a defense programme by
Democratic votes alone and that the
control Of the situation will be in Re-
publican hands IL the Administration
cannot come to some understanding
with Republican legislators.
The White House announcement
was accompanied by certain express
sions to the effect that the proposed
conference is not to be looked upon
"as a bid for Republican support
and an attempt was made to show
that the President had heretofore
conferred" with Republicans upon
important legislation. The antitrust
law and the banking law We're es
pecially named in this connection.
TIE fact remains, however, that the
President has never conferred" with
Republicans except under stress Of
dire necessity. When the banking bill
was rapidly going on the rocks in the
Senate, a meeting was brought about
between the President and Senator
Weeks of Massachusetts,: and the
senator, from his own business ex-
perience. was able to demonstrate to
Mr.. Wilson some of the fallacies of
the law as it then stood. But the
Presidents concessions were neither
complete nor cordial He yielded as
little as he could-and that grudging
ly.
1t is not believed in Washington
that he will do more in regard to de-
Tense legislation. While it was not
stated in so many words. the infer
ence is plainly to be drawn from the
White House announc ement and it's
concomitant comment in welI-author-
lied quarters that the President is
willing to be guided by suggestions of
Republicans if they appeal to his
judgment. In this light, the confer
ence" may rank in history with a
visit which Senator Foraker once paid
to the White House in Roosevelt
term. when the railroad rate bill was
under considerat ton. AS the senator
came away a reporter asked him what
had taken place at the conference
which he had just had with the
President. Young man." answered
Foraker. do you call it a conference
where only one person does all the
talking
The indicated personnel of the CON
ference however. presages that the
talking will not be all on one side
AaiiAiiSSI ana Representative
Mann have been advocates of an ade-
quate national defense when the
President and his party were opposed
to it: and it is not probab BILE that these
men will consent to abandon measures
which they have heretofore espoused
In order to swallow in toto the plan
which Mr.. Wilson has proposed and 70
which there are many and valid criti.
cisms as to its efficacy and workable
ness. Nor are they at all likely tc
lend themselves to any scheme which
Will permit the President to make use
OF patriotic Republican support nov
and enable his party later to claim the
result as an additional argument for
continuing the Democracy in power,
In addition, 1t is probable, when the
proposed conference" is held, tina,
the President will be bluntly asked i!
he Is asking Republican aid to pul
him out Of the preparedness pit into
which he has fallen, and at the same
time intends to favor cloture in the
Senate in order to facilitate the pas.
sage OF ship-purchase bill.
And Of course there will be an ir.
repressible inquiry as to how the
President intends to get the money
which he now wishes to spend on the
army and navy, and whether he in.
tends to enforce economy upon his
extravagant fellow-Democrats in Con-
gress as a means of helping to carry
the financial burdens Of national
defense.
These suggestions readily occur to
those who attempt to visualize the
proposed "conference"-which, but for
the Presidents antecedent acts, would
be hailed genuine era of patriotic
consideration Of the nations needs.
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