New-York tribune., 1918-10-29
Senators Flay Wilson
For Election Letter

shing,' he continued. eve shall also
require evidence that the German
grip on Russia, Turkey and the Bal
kans has been oosed."
AS to the League of Nations ques-
ton, Senator Knox said some regarded
1t as Utopian visionary.
In its most extreme form" he de-
eiared. "any league Of nations will
! believe, have to be relegated to a
future quite beyond the purvew of
the ending of this war or of the re-
after this war There will be no
room for a task of such problcmatical
possibilities in either of the phases
OF negotiation that now confront us
The peace that follows this war must
rest upon recognition Of this inter
dependence of nations"
Hitchcock Replies to Knox
Replying to Senator Knox, Senator
hitchcock said he was glad the Penn
sylvania Senator had brought the sub
lect before the Senate at this time, as
1t would afford an opportunity to state
the facts IN such a way as to correct
any erroneous impression. He read
this letter from President Wilson:
In reply to your letter Of October
Il let me say that it seems to me
really not worth while to answer the
Republican attack on Article 8 of
the peace terms I suggested in my
address of January 8. The words /
used are perfectly clear to any honests
mind. They leave every nation free
TO determine its own economic pol
icy, except in the particular that its
policy must be the same for all other
nations and not be compounded of
hostile determinations between one
nation and another. such weapons of
discrimination being left to the joint
action of the nations for the purpose
OF disclplining those who will not
submit to the general programme Of
justice and equality.
1t would be impossible to follow UP
all the perversions and misrepre-
sentations that some of the Repub-
llcans are now indulging in, and my
own judgment is that we can safely
leave the matter to the good sense Of
our fellow countrymcn who can read
English.
Made Free Trade Propaganda
Statements from Republican Leader
Lodge, Representative Cannon anc
others in Congress praising the Presi
dents message of January 8 were reaC
by Senator Hitchcock. Senator Pen
rose Interrupted to say that he hac
deferred criticism Of Article 3 at the
time, but that his conclusion was tha,
the President did make a free trade
propaganda
Senator Lodge declared that although
he was in full sympathy with the Presi.
dents recent note to Austria he OBJ.
served that in it the President had sale
n oh.
altered because of the recognition OF
the Czecho- Slovaks
"1s he alone to have the right te
change his mind ?" he asked. "He ex-
ercises it freely"
Declaring that he had never indorset
ali of the Presidents fourteen terms
Senator Lodge said, although he ad
mitted stating that the January mes
sage was an able message, he dis
agreed utterly with the one term pro
posing to make Turkish sovereignty
secure.
Senator Pittman, of Nevada, charged
Colonel Roosevelt and VIII Hays, chair
man Of the Republican National Com
mittee, with attempting to make {
political insue when there is no issue
over the Presidents attitude.
At the request Of Senator Wads-
worth, of New York, Republican, let
ter from President wilson to c. O. Hen.
messy, Democratic Senatorial candidate
in New Jersey against Senator Baird
was read into "The Record"
Wadsworth Gets Caustic
an view of the fact that the Senate,
from Nevada has used the word insip
cerity' in his speech several times" sait
Senator Wadsworth. "and in view OF
the effort of the President to defeat
Senator Baird solely because he op
posed the suffrage amendment, | won.
der if he Will send simila- letter
to the people Of Delaware ask klng then
to defeat Senator Salisbury. or to ths
people of Tennessee asking them to de
feat Senator Shields, or to the people
of Alabama asking them to defeat Sen
ator Bankhead, all three of whom votet
against the suffrage amendment"
Senator Poindexter, of Washington
Republican, declared President Wilson
assumed more authority than is giver
under the Constitution in fixing peace
terms.
There is a widespread feeling" hs
said. that if the President had devoted
himself to executive duties and to the
duties of commander in chief OF the
army and navy, rather than to have
Immersed himself to such an extent
in matters that devolve upon Congress.
under the Constitution, we would have
gotten into the actual fighting some
what earlier and would have avoided
the shipping, ordnance and airplane
tiascos of last year.
Peace Talk Started Early
"Shortly after VIC entered the wal
the President began to talk peace, ant
to declare what the terms of peace
should be. He has continued the dis
cussion from that time to this in 6
series of speeches, notes and inquiries
during that period, declaring some
thirty-fve or forty peace terms OF
points. Although Congress can alone
make war and peace, the conclusions
reached by the President were stated
as though conclusive" In answer t
Senator Hitchcock's intimation that
criticism of the Presidents peace prin-
ciples had been delayed for partisan
purposes. Senator Poindexter said the
President urged and many persons be
lieved that discussion of peace anC
peace terms should be foregone, be.
cause it would divert attention from
the prosecution Of the war.
THE Presidents letters to Senators
Simmons and Hitchcock interpreting
Article 81 said Mr.. Poindexter, "indi-
cate he is opposed to any discrimina-
tory treatment Of Germany or German
goods.
"This is the issue the people must
understand and decide" he added
hot h1