The Washington herald., 1918-11-05


Today is the day America passes
judgment on woodrow Wilson's re-
cent request.
Each American voter is a member
of the jury. A majority of the
votes. electing majority of the
House and Senate of the Presidents
party, will return a verdict in his
favor
A majority cast against his party
and selecting Republicans will rem
der a verdict against him.
For this is the meaning the Presi-
dent has attached to the action of
the voters today. and IT is distinctly
the meaning which he and both our
allies and our enemy will attach to
1t, so the President has said
Of the two bodies the Senate, be-
cause IL alone has power to ratify
treaties. Is the most important to
the White House. If either house is
to be lost to the President he would.
without question, agree to the loss
Of the lower house.
Nevertheless. II the Senate con-
tains but forty-nine Democrats this
means that fifteen Republicans will
have to be found to vote for the
ratification of the peace treaties,
and this means that in spite of a
Democratic victory in the upper
house the opportunity and duty of
the Republican party will be rela-
lively as great during the peace
settlement as II had to be during
the presentation and passage of
war measures.
II fifteen Republicans are found
to support the Presidents peace
proposals, after the row that has
been raised over them during the
past two or three weeks. 1t means
the country will have to bring pres
sure to bear upon the Republican
members to take their step.
And steps looking toward bring
ing the Republicans into line are
already being taken.
First, the President, by his state
ment, has prepared the way so his
advisers think, for a ratification OF
his principles at the election to-
day. This will be a verdict which.
his advisers think. the Republicans
will hardly overlook. At least. they
say. there will be no great task en-
countered in persuading fifteen Re
publicans on the basis of the ex-
pected showing today. to turn
deaf ears to any partisan appeals
their leaders may make, and record
themselves in favor of such pro-
pOsals a the President may event
ually make, baed upon the original
fourteen articles with necessary
notifications.
Second. the ending of the war in
line with the diplomatic game the
President has been playing since the
outset, would complete the trump
card of the President-the success
full prosecution Of the war to a
point where unconditional surrender
was the step taken by Germany.
Third, the always possible"
entrance OF the President into the
Presidential fight in 192O-some-
thing the Republicans would not
want to see for fear success would
attend the efforts regarded ny
some of the Republicans as hanging
altogether on what attitude the Re-
publicans may assume on the treaty
ratifcations.
If the Republicans made ratifca-
tion impossible and the matter
dragged along until close to the
next campaign, the President would
have to go before the country in
just one way in 1920 to gain sup
port-as a candidate himself with
his outstanding platform plank the
unqualified ratification of his peace
proposals.
All Of which means that interest
Will not lag when the treaties get
TO the Senate and the time comes
for the Republicans to express
themselves on the provisions.
The fear that Germany will he
come a second Russia and give us a
new and unexpected problem with
the wars end, is not likely il one
facts
For, however. one detests the
orutlshness OF the Huns the masses
are considerably better educated
than the masses of the Russians
They have always had more order
ana solidarity in Industrial methods
and once given a freeman's govern
ment can probably more easily ad-
just themselves to it than the Rus
slams could
Anarchy would he as distressing
10 the Huns as 1t would be to us
ana almost as impossible, we think
ANA this statement, we think. can
De made without respect to IN.
Ideals in a moral way which nro-
wade each country. We think in
1act, when the Huns come To know
really what democracy means tbev
will deliver sound raps upon their
own anatomies for not having come
10 1t sooner-indeed. for not having
taken it unto themselves berore
such a severe lesson was taught
them to impress it upon them from
the outside. And they will deliver
equally sound raps upon their bodies
for not having disposed of their
arrogant, heartless war lord long
before he put millions of them in
their graves.
THE OBSERVER,