New Britain herald., 1918-06-05
Mr.. Wilson in Europe.

(F'rom the Christian Science Monitor)
A suggestion, credited to a Partisan
Journalist that a personal visit by
President Wilson to Europe, at this
llne would go great way toward
making sure the final decision in
favor Of the allied nations. raises,
once more, the interesting question as
to whether Or not the president of
the United States may go beyond the
borders of the country during his
term of office.
Tradition, custom, precedent have
long combined in holding to the
contrary. but there is nothing in the
constitutional or the statutory law Of
the nation to support this point. 1t
is impossible to trace to any author
itatiVe source the origin of the belief
tlat the president would cease to be
president the moment ne stepped on
foreign soil. AS q. matter of fact
two presidents. during their incum-
bency. did actually go outside the
borders of the United States. Grover
Cleveland was the first to do So
when, on one of his fishing excur-
sions, he went beyond the three-mile
limit in the Atlantic ocean. William
Howard Taft, however, went farther
than this. On October 16, 1909. In
the course of long tour, he met
President Porfrio Diaz, by arrange
ment on strip of territory known as
II Chamizal to which the conflicting
claims Of the United States and Mex
leo have never been definitely settled.
After reception on the American
side of the line to the Mexican eXecu-
tive by President Taft the latter paid
return visit to President Diaz on
the Mexican side. This was the first
time a president of the United States
had personally greeted the chief ex-
ecutive of any other government on
foreign soil
President Wilson has broken some
roCk-riNen precedents since he en-
tered the White House. and it is not
beyond imagining that. if he felt
that some great purpose might be &C
complished thereby, he would not
hesitate to visit Europe The presi-
dent Of the United States enjoys In
many respects, almost unlimited pow
crs; these powers are derived from
the people; whether he might leave
the country for. a period without in
volv1ng him self in any difficulty, tech
nical or other, would depend far less
Upon the views Of constitutional con-
strLctionists than upon public senti-
ment If the people said he might
gos he could go. That would be the
END of it. Some dissatisfied person,
or element, might raise the point that
il going outside of the national ter
ritcry he had made himself subject
to the disability clause of the con-
stitntion, but the nation would give
no countenance to such a contention.
When James A. Garfield was lying
al Elberon, the question of disability
was raised, and, although the nation
was. to all extents and purposes, for
weeks, without a president capable OF
| erforning the functions Of his office
the suggestion that he be superseded,
even ad interim. was hushed. by
an outburst Of public Indignation.
There is no law to interfere with a.
visit by President Wilson to Europe
in the existing circumstances. If it
should appear to the allied nations,
and to his own country that his
presence in Europe would be serv-
iceable to the cause OF civilization
and humanity, and if he should, for
humanity's sake consent to under
take the voyage, whatever safeguards
might be necessary. IN the form OF
laws, to protect his rights as chief
II agistrate during his absence, would,
upon popular demand, be quickly
enacted. No technicalities, no quib-
bling. no fear lest affairs at home
n1ght not be scrupulously and jeal-
Cusly guarded in the interval would
be permitted to obstruct or delay SO
Sd cred a mission.
The United States constitution has
cen found adaptable to every situa-
ton and contingency with which the
nation, throughout its history. has
been confronted. If it shall appear to
be in the interest of the greatest
cause in which the republic has ever
enlisted that the president should
leave for Europe, his fellow citizens
pI cbably almost with one accord, will =,
gra MT him leave of absence and wish
him prosperity unbounded in his
GRAND.