Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-05-21
those who are responsible can be
held to their duty.

those who are responsible can be
held to their duty.
Only a few days ago Premier LLOYD
George ANNOUNCED that the vote in the
house Of commons on the Asquith mo-
ton regarding the investigation of
General Maurice's charges against the
British ministry would be regarded as
a vote of confidence or lack of conf
dence in the cabinet Of which he is the
head. His announcement precipitated
a crisis; had, the vote favored the AZ
quith motion Mr.. Lloyd George and
his ministers would have resigned and
theme would have been new cabinet
and a new premier in Great Britain.
That Is the manner in which cabi-
nets are changed there. A similar
custom prevails in France. But in
neither instance does the head Of the
government change. In England the
king remains; in France the president,
an elective official, is not affected In
his tenure of Office by the fate Of his
ministry.
There Is no parallel for this custom
in America, either in practice-or under
the constitution. There is no such
thing here as vote of confidence or
of no confidence. The position OF
President Wilson is very different
from that OF King George or President
Poincatre. To greater degree than
most Of his predecessors he combines
the offices of president and secretary
of state; he is the head OF his own
cabinet.
A vote Of no confidence, If he chose
to consider 1t in that light. would have
put the president in an awkward posi-
ton, faced with self-made need for
action of some sort but without tina
machinery Of constitution or custom for
complying with the implied intent Of
the vote. AS matter of fact he took
no risk in labelling the forthcoming
balloting as he did, for his ability 70
dictate legislation in both houses hae
been demonstrated beyond any posi-.
bility Of doubt by the enactment 1T
the Overman bill and the defeat of all
the proposed amendments to 1t, 1
Continuing the discussion purely in
an academic vein, the thought occurs
that in assuming the responsibility
for whatever may be done by the gov
eminent with regard to the war, the
president overlooked the fundamental
difference between our government
and those in which It is customary to
have votes Of confidence or Of no con-
fidence. In effect he elected to stand
or fall by the vote in the senate on
the Chamberlain resolution. But haG
that vote adopted the measure i.
would not have meant his fall nor
his resignation. He will be president
until March 4, 1921, or longer, posi-
bly,. regardless of any votes the senate
Is able to record.
The fact which he seems to have
overlooked is that of fixing the re-
sponsibility Is not under discussion
For instance, the country cares little
to know who Is responsible for the
failure of the aircraft program. or
whether the blame eventually shall
rest on Mr.. Coffin, Mr.. Baker. Colone,
Deeds OF the lord mayor Of Calcutta.
What the country wants is airplanes.
Just so, il America should come to the
end OF the war and find herself defeat
ed. there could be no comfort nor coz
ISOLATION in holding Mr.. Wilson respOn-
sible.
The congress has voted to the presi-
dent all the power 1t is possible to con-
fer. That was done when the Over.
man bill was passed. Priced preroga-
tives were surrendered; many who
voted for the bill believe they handed
over some Of their constitutional priv
ileges and duties. The whole conduct
of the war is In one mans hands.
along with the fate Of the nation, its
government, It's people and perhaps OF
civilization.
Now IL congress, mindful Of the air
plane fiasco and of the war depart.
ment's tangles which were revealed
by congressional investigators end cor.
rected as a result Of those revelations,
should desire to investigate other war
activities, the desire need not have any
bearing on the respect ana confidence
which congress reposes In the chiei
executive. The Investigations, should
they be conducted unfairly, would con-
denim themselves before the world.
Should they be fair. the resulting
recomm endations might be Of service
to the president in exercising his ex'
tensive powers. They could not COM
mel him to change any single policy
against his will or his judgment.
1t would be we'll for Mr.. Wilson and
the nation if he would remember that
the congress and the country reposo
the utmost confidence In him largely
because he has invited that confidence
in the past by inviting suggestion and
criticism thus making the record OF
his administration an open book.
THAT FOR Mr.. cREEL
The faculty OF getting himself
thoroughly disliked finds its highest
development in the person Of George
Creel, chairman of the governments
committee on pubic information.
"TIncle Joe" Cannon. when he an.