Evening journal., 1917-01-05
An Attempt To Tie The Senate To
The Tail Of The Presidents Kite
LION the New York sun.)

The Hitchcock resolution. for the
passage OF which by the Senate the
Administration has shown itself so
anxious. approves and strongly en-
dOrses the action taken by the Presi-
dent ia sending the diplomatic notes
OF December 49, TO the nations now
engaged IN war, suggesting and rec
ommending that those nations state
the terms upon which peace might
be discussed
It will at once appear TO the close
observer that this Is a sterile form
Of approval or indor5ement. 1t seems
to be Intentionally SO phrased as to
give the impression that the Senate is
formally ratifylng the sentiments ex-
pressed or The promises made by the
Executive Ia his communication to
the Governments at war
Yet an analysis of the language of
the resolution shows that all it does
is to approve and indorse the "ac-
tion" OF the President in sending the
notes; not 20 approve and indorse the
specific contents OF those notes The
distinction may seem metaphysical.
but il is important.
There was only one sentiment or
proposal or pledge in the Presidents
note which concerned the Senate of
the United States as a coordinate de-
partment Of the Government. With
the exception of that single proposal
or pledge the Senate has no more TO
do with the Pres dents recent over
lures to the belligerents than IL has
to do with the reply of the Allies to
the Overtures OF the Central Powers.
The Senate may express approval or
disapprOyal of the Presidents action
in sending the notes, il may record its
Endorsement or reputation Of the
sentiments expressed in these COM
munications; but in so doing the SEN
ate is merely exercising it's broad
right TO register an opinion on any
subject whatever: not performing a
prescribed and clearly defined func-
ton devolvlng upon il as a part Of
our system of Governments a Senate
resolution approving and indorsing
Mr.. Wilson's action in sending such
notes and making such suggestions
means no more in the strict govern
mental sense than would a Senate
resolution commencing similar action
and similar suggestions by Mr.. Bryan
or Mr. Jacob II. Schiff. or ex-Presi
dent Eliot, Of Harvard. or any pri-
vate citizen
But the case is different when we
come to this passage in Mr.. Wilson's
note dated December Is and published
on December q:
"ln The measures to be taken to Sc
cure the future peace OF the world the
people and Government Of the United
States are as vitality and as directly
interested as the Governments now at
war. They stand ready, and even
eager to cooperate in the accom-
plishment OF these ends when the war
is over with every influence and re-
source at their command"
II this means anything it is a def
mite pledge in the name OF the people
and Government OF the United States
TO participate to the full extent OF its
moral and physical resources in a fu-
ure league or international police sys-
tenn designed to enforce peace. safe
guard the independence OF certain Eu-
ropean nations and guarantees the In
tegrity OF certain European frontiers
In an editorial article which was
made part Of Tuesdays proceedings
OF the Senate. The sun tried TO show
that this means the abandonment Of
the Monroe Doctrine, formally de-
clarod by our delegates at The Hague
as the expression of our traditional
policy with respects to participation
I'm the affairs Of European politics and
also Of our traditional attitude to-
ward purely American questions. II
Mr. Wilson's note TO the belligerents
were OF itself valid and effective IL
would annul the declaration at The
Hague and release the conventions
there negotiated from the Monroe
Doctrine proviso or condition imposed
upon those treaties by the constitu,
( tional vote Of the Senate.
OF course President Wilson has nc
/ power TO annul our treaties that are
conditioned upon the Monroe Doc.
/ trine He has no power to COM
/ nit the people and the Government Il
/ so complete a reversal OF the tradi
4