The Washington herald., 1917-01-06
Scotch Verdict for President.


boy who studies it cannot under
stand it.
The fault with most contempsra-
neous history is that it is so techni-
cal and written in such deep and
mysterious way that the average man
on the street cannot understand it.
Hence, it is the function of a news
paper to tell in words Of one syllable,
If possible, just what is happening in
the world and in its editorial COM
ment on those happenings to reduce
the application of the principles in
volved in the incidents to under
standable terms.
Therefore, it may be stated simply
and bluntly that President Wilson's
circular note of December I8, in
which he sought to bring about peace
in Europe, was practically repudiat-
ed by the United States Senate.
True, the resolution indorsing the
President was adopted. Equally true
the President, who is a Democrat,
was supported by Democrats and a
few Republicans or Progressives who
are out of harmony with heir old
party associates.
The Endorsement, however, was ac-
complished after the most eager at
tempts of its fathers at compromise.
1t was finally patched up into a HARM
less and inoffensiveN \ Endorsement.
And when the Senate got through
with it, the written words in Ameri-
can history might be summarized
thus:
"To President Wilson and the
world at large:
"We approve of your asking the
belligerent powers of Europe on
what terms you will enter negotia-
tions for peace.
1--WE do not approve of your action
in making suggestions and recon-
mendations to Europe;
I'VE cling to the Monroe doctrine;
We do not sanction your conduct
in rntruding your personal opinions
on the peoples beyond the seas;
by the liberties we have taken
with your thought and your act we
hope we have strongly impressed on
you that it is the business of an
American President to attend to
American affairs and not presume to
speak for the American people, even
if you personally desire to interfere
in the affairs of alien peoples"
That's what the Senate meant when
It compromised and there were still
seventeen Senators, led by the vet
eran Gallinger, who remembers more
eontemporaneous history than Wood
row Wilson ever wrote, who voted
against the resolution. And with
him was Lodge, the scholarly and
able Senator from Massachusetts,,
who sounded warning note against
the policy. Even Borah, the brilliant
Idahoan who voted for the compro-
mise-probably engineered it-in an
eloquent speech before the vote, de-
clared that he would prefer a con-
tinuance of the war rather than the
precedent be established that the
United States should presume to en-
ter into the maelstrom of European
politics.
So, for the average reader, let it
be remembered that even if the
President has been driving Con-
gress," as some have asserted, he
could not drive the Senate on a doe
trine as sacred as the Constitution.
The Senate, in a respectful and gen.
erous way, gave him Scotch YER
dict" but it kept itself and kept the
American people from an abandon
ment of the Monroe doctrine and
free from the odium that innuendo
has attached to the Presidents note,
that it was written for the benefit of
either set of belligerent nations who
are now fighting world battle over
we know not what.