The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-11-27
EMBARRASSING QUESTIONS MAY
rid ARISE

The newspapers are generally dis
\ cussing the presidents decision to go
abroad in order to attend the peace
\ c6nference to be held in all probable
ity in France. The president, has
permitted the announ cement to be
made that it is his purpose to attend
the conference, leaving the United
States early in December and to re-
turn when it suits his pleasure to do
so. II the president goes abroad his
conduct in 50 doing will be without
precedent and it is feared it may
lead to consequences which may be
hurtful.
The president of tie United States
is elected for purposes of such
4 grave importance that we doubt if he
can fully discharge the functions Of
4 his office if out of the jurisdiction of
the United States. We doubt if the
trainers Of the constitution of the
United States intended that the presi-
dent in the discharge of his duties,
( could perform the functions of his
Office in foreign country to any bet
ter purpose than the supreme court
Of the. United States could hold it's
session in a foreign country or that
congress could meet in London or
4 Paris. The trouble with President
Wilson has been that he has quite too
much assumed that this country can
3 be run by the executive and he has
not hesitated invade the functions
of the two other departments Of the
government
The congress under the constitution
s will convene on the first Monday OF
December at IL o'clock noon 1t will
seem very unusual at the time con-
M gress convene S, that the president with
Il his retinue of two hundred people more
or less shall leave the country and go
to France To take part in the delib-
Ferations which are expected to be
handled by representatives of the sew
eral allied governments and which
could be properly managed by dele
gates from this country. We Won
q der what congress can do in the alb
sence of the president and may there
y not come up many embarrassing ques-
lions in congressional work, on
X account of the absence of the presi-
4 dent?
sss 1t is said that the government has
taken over the service of the Atlantic
cable and by that is meant that the
4 executive. in other words the presi-
dent, has ordered that this be done.
4 The act Of congress giving the gov
ernment authority to take over pub
Y lie utilities was granted as war
( measure and in order to facilitate the
successful carrying on of the war. It
seems very strange that FIVE days af-
ter the armistice was signed this or
Z der taking over the Atlantic cable
was promulgated A charge is OBJ
8enIy made that this was done in order
Ito prevent news being sent abroad or
received from abroad which is not first
censored by repres entatives in the d.
rect control of the president 1t is
Said that gat. this end of the line is
Postmaster General Burleson, who
could control news to be sent abroad,
and at the other end of the line is the
notorious Creel, whose reputation is
not of the best. who would control
Information coming from abroad
Whether the president had any motive
iii having this step taken with re-
spect to the Atlantic cable or not, 1t
does seem that the government has
exceeded its authority in taking this
step since the war is practically over.
1t does not seem that we are tending