The Washington herald., 1918-06-29

We doubt IL the Kerensky now do
ing and saying so many things in Lon
don is the same Alexander Kerensky
who acted as Russia's premier for
several months last year.
There are several things which look
hshy. First, the deep black" eyes of
the former premier are supposed to
have shot darts at some man who
questioned him on something or other.
The truth is. Alex. Kerensky's eyes
are light blue and prominent. One
could not mistake them, even in the
semi-darkness.
Then. Kerensky was stated by the
newspapers to have addressed a Lon
don labor audience in Russian. Why
Russian7 The real Alexander Keren-
sky speaks English very well. indeed.
He would not need TO resort to Rus
sian when addressing an English audi
ence.
Then, in one place in the supposedly
in London, it was stated that the
Russian ambassador did not come as
n Socialist and. in fact, was not a
Socialist. Yet the words attributed to
him. later on in the same story. make
him say with much emphasis II come
to you as a Socialist"
Our own State Department is not
willing just now. So II appears. to
vouch for this Kerensky. Doubtless
the department Is keeping close track
of this mans doings and certainly II
would be to the interests OF the de-
partment to announce with some glee
that the man now discussing the
Russian problem in London is the real
Kerensky with whom Mr.. Root dealt
on the Russian Missions trip last
year.
We will have to see more proof be-
fore We are willing to believe Alex
! ander Kerensky. who acted as Rus
sian premier from May IS to Novem-
ber s. 1917. is with US.
One needs not to be hale and
hearty Senator. actually present in the
chamber, to have an influence on
pending legislation. This was demon
strated abundantly when the woman
suffrage matter came up Thursday.
Ollie James, convalescing in a Balti-
more hospital and 40 miles away from
the chamber, defeated immediate ac-
ton on the suffrage amendment and
put Congress In the position OF facing
a delay here which will utterly ami
hilate the plans of the members to go
home for a five or six weeks cam
| paign stay with their people. Mr..
James is deeply concerned in the mat
| ter and. of course. does not want to
SUI ender his rights merely because
! he IS gravely III. He insisted on be-
| ing paired against some one favorable
| to the amendment but this right the
sIffragists would not confer. The re-
| tusal of the ants to allow a vote
Until the pair was arranged means
r,w, so IL appears. that the suffra-
g'sts will keep Congress here until a
vote is taken. Thus tho matter stands.
There is much interest over the
| country. so newspaper editorials ard
general gossip would indicate. in the
| matter of treaty-mal.ing and the in
| depreciation to be given to the "open
| diplomacy" statement Of the Presi-
dent.
There Is no doubt but that popular
| opinion is inimical to the treaty-mak-
| ing rights such as bestowed upon the
Bolshevist government of Europe by
| the propa gandist leaders. Likewise
there Is an utter antipathy for the
practices under which European trea-
ties generally have been negotiated,
| and then kept In darkness after they
were completed.
No such practice can prevail here
under the methods used since our
| foundation. and which practice will
| likely continue for some time to come.
| The treaties are negotiated in a con-
fidential way but representatives of
the people have them in charge at all
times. The executive and legislative
departments confer and agree on
them. When they are ratified they
are made public. They become the
supreme law OF the land and to oc-
cupy that position must be made
known to the people. This prevents
them from bringing the disastrous re-
suits they have brought in Europe.
"Open diplomacy" is the diplomacy
that means scrutiny of all treaties
after they have been made by our
President and approved by our law
makers. 1t is safe. II is reasonable
and Il Is necessary. The American
method needs no change and II Eu-
rope will adopt II there will be no
repetition of what precipitated Europe
into the awful thing started in August,
1914.
Joint responsibility of a wife in the
duties of the Office held by her hus-
band would not exactly satisfy the
proponents of the suffrage cause but
IL would give every woman with am
billions an opportunity to have her
husband elevated to public Office. The
suxgestion may not b populax Just