The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-01-04
Wilson Expects Endorsement
on Blind Faith.
Congress Entitled to InfOrma-
ton in Presidents Hands.
SLIGHT CHANGE IN NOTE TEXT
Germany Would Follow Light
Leading to Peace.
Don't Act in Dark, Says Massa-
chusetts Senator.

/ cnuSeltS SeudtOIs
| Washington. Jan A vote on
Senator Hitchcock's resolution to have
| the senate endorse President Wilson s
peace note was again postponed today
1 by the parliamentary situation.
Washington, Jan. 4.-Declaring the
| people who are fighting the war
ought to make their own peace, and
correcting slightly his remarks anent
German Ambassador Won Bernstorft
during his speech in the senate yes
| terday, Senator Lodge opened the
4 fight this afternoon against passage
of the Hitchcock resolution endorsing
President Wilson's note to the beliig-
/ erents.
Lodge fairly ripped into admins
tration secrecy" He declared against
1 American interference in European
affairs and excoriated the administra-
ton for seeking "a blanket endorse
ment' to its entire negotiations.
Il shall resist the attempt to bring
| the senate into approving blindly any
steps of which we are not informed,
he said I'VE do not ask what the
president is doing. but if any approval
i of his acts is wanted, we ought to
know what we are approving.
Discussing secrecy. Lodge turned tc
the press gallery and mentioned the
stories from abroad which said Count
4 Andrassy declared at budapest that
President Wilson knows Germany's
peace terms.
/ These terms" he said, may have
| come to President Wilson in other
/ than the usual channels. Tt is en-
4 tirely within his discretion to have
these come secretly but when our Co
operation is invited, we are entitled
| to have the same information that the
president has.
I'VE ought not to be asked to act In
i the dark . Lodge said with great en-
tphasis. He presented various note:
| reported in the press, growing out o.
recent peace overtures.
| 81 have no official copies" he sale
sarcastically, $50 I've got to do the
| best can with press reports. I Intend
| to fight endorsement of proposals o.
which We know nothing but what we
see in the press
| At the outset, Senator Lodge cor
rected his translation of the German
ambassadors published Statement
praising the note for which he yester-
day assailed the envoy.
Not Follow President.
'In translating the ambassador.
statement said Senator Lodge, %
quoted it as stating that Germany
stands ready to follow him. meaning
the president. l have been informe &c
that the German word was used in the
sense of it and not him and thai
the phrase meant that Germany wa.
willing to follow the star of Bethle
hem thus carrying out the pleasing
paralelle in the ambassadors state
ment between the presidents note anC
| the star of Bethlehem.
az do not think, however, that the
| change alters the essential meaning O.
the ambassadors statement" Am
| hoS
ferred to as retranslated by Senator
Lodge would read:
"As once the star of Bethlehem
from afar led the kings of the orien
thru the night to the fulfiIlment OF
their hopes, SO thru the darkness O
shines out of the words of Presiden
Wilson the light of new message OF
peace on earth.
Germany stands ready to follow it.
Resuming his direct argument or
the presidents note Senator Lodge re
ferred to that portion of the note
which indicated that the United State:
was willing to cooperate after the
| war with the bel1igerent nations O.
Europe and other nations in arrange
ment for the peace of the world.
1T is apparent to every one." he
| continued. that when we abandon
our traditional policy of separation
from European politics we take a yer,
great step which should not be taker
without most thoro knowledge of VIVA
is intended and of the distance which
we are invoted to co.
Reading Germany's reply to the
presidents note Senator Lodge said:
There is nothing said in this repl,
that compares with the statement o.
the German ambassa dor regarding tn.
I Star of Bethlehem and the Light cas-
by the presidents note but if we re
move the diplomatic civilities. we FIND
| that on the three principal points tn,
/ request for terms the proposal fol
neutral cooperation and also as t.
the future cooperation in league
for the enforcement of world peace
the German note is very explicit al
| most blunt. 1t says nothing abou
terms whatever. 1t passes that by il
complete silence.
He reaa from newspaper dispatches
indicating Germany's terms have beer
communicated to the president. Il
the president has l1te terms proposed
by the central powers" he said, Il
is entirely in mis- discretion to dea
with them, bur if we are to endors'
everything he is doing, then befor'
actin is taken we should know tn,
! grounds on which we are acting
When our cooperation is asked W,
are entitled to the same Information
the president has
If the United States true policy i
followed we will seek to maintain
good terms with all We do not wan
to find ourselves at the end of tn
war without a friend in the worl,
and with the fact glaring in the ey
that we have made uncounted million
out of the war. which has cost then
uncouuted millions and MILLIONS o
men,