The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1918-12-27

LnaI C1ere Is d letlinB III Cilc hdIlOh :
capital that the president will return
sooner than he purposed in order to
prevent the passage of the resolution
presented by Senator Knox just be-
fore the senate adjourned for the hol-
idays. England, France and italian
statesmen fear the presidents plan of
league of nations and there is a
likelihood of its being repudiated by
the senate.
President Wilson went to France to
make a peace in Europe, and now
President Wilson we are told this week
may hurry back to make peace in
America The Allies see in the atti-
tude of the senate, as expressed by
Senators Knox, Lodge and others, war
between the president and the treaty
ratifying arm of the government.
Abroad and at home President Will
son has taken the position that wars
can be avoided by frank and free dis
cussion of the issues between the po-
tential belligerents. Reasonable ex-
change of counsel and advice, he urged
will prevent a clash of arms, but there
was no such reasonable exchange of
counsel and advice between him and
the senate on such questions as of
freedom of the seas and the league of
nations before he went to Europe, and
hence what European statesmen re-
gard as war between the executive and
the legislative branch of the govern
ment has broken out.
The other day David Lawrence, who
often expresses in his writings the
viewpoint of the president, cabled from
Paris that the American peace dele
gates were greatly handicapped in
their operations by the attitude of
Senators Knox and Lodge and said
that if Senator Knox could have known
what was going on in Paris he would
not have made his vigorous speech
last week.
This naive statement has amused
many senator's, but none more than
Senator Knox himself. 1t is the very
fact that the president has not per-
mitted the senate nor the public to
know precisely what he means by the
league of nations or precisely what is
going on that has aroused criticism
thruout the country. Many and vary
ing statements put out purporting to
present the presidents aim in regard
to the league of nations have indicated
so radical departure from the coun-
try's traditional policy and have point
ed directly to the possibility of the ma
ton being asked to surrender its SOW
ereignty to some sort of a United
States of the World, in which this
country might well suffer severely,
that the elder statesmen of the senate
have sensed grave danger in the situa-
ton. Hence the apparent opposition
of the senate to what is represented
to be the presidents policy.
1t is altogether possible, as some
American correspondents in Paris
hint, that in reality there is no great
divergence between the views of the
president and the views of Senator
Knox, who admittedly has spoken the
mind of the greater number of sena-
tors. However, the senator does not
know what the president is asking
and it refuses to be party to COM
mitting the nation to something as
yet underlined. Therefore, it is voic-
ing its objection, not so much to the
league of nations as objection to the
reported form that league may take.
1t is demanding information on the
subject and according to the text of
the Knox resolution now pending, that
freedom of seas and the league of ma
tions be left to future properly consti-
tuted international conferences so that
there may be full and ample discussion
and thorough understanding before
this country is committed to partici-
patton in any league.
AS the situation stands today, ma
jority of the senate committee on for
eign relations approves the Knox res
olution. Three or four democratic
members of that committee are hear
tily in favor of it. There are numer-
GUS other democratic senators who
want to vote for it, but at their request
Senator Knox has deferred demanding
vote on it until after the holidays.
The purpose of delay is to permit pub
lie discussion which is expected to re-
suit in approval of the course of these
senator's.
Apparently judging from cables
from abroad, this situation is not well
understood in France, England and
Italy. Their attitude of the legisla-
tive arm of the government in oppo-