Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-11-02
NO NEGOTIATED
PEACE FOR U. S.,
PLEA OF TAFT
Urges. Republican Congress as
Check Upon Weak Pol
icy of Wilson With
the Huns.

ANVIL VIC hllOW SCllcl ally tndt
there are some of the IA points
which they will not agree to, and
that there are other conditions, not
ably indemnities, not contained in
the IA points upon which they will
insist.
"The course Of the president has
seriously endangered the unaninim-
ity of the allies in this critical stage
In the settlement of the war. Until
we know exactly what the allies
wish, until they have made formal
declaration of the terms which they
demand, we cannot in honor fix
what our terms shall be. But we
do know that the terms can all be
properly settled only after an I'M
conditional surrender by Austria
and Germany. How then, can the
attitude of our government be made
a demand for unconditional sur
render by the return of a repub-
lican congress in the election of
next Tuesday? This will push the
president, as nothing else can, this
will be an expression of the popular
will that he cannot ignore, this will
be controlling of will that he must
respect.
Would Dictate Peace.
"The president speaks in all his
messages as if he were the sole ar
bitter in the matter of peace, the
participation of the senate in fixing
the terms he never mentions and as
to the right of the allies to take part
in the settlement and have an equal
voice he makes only slight reluc-
tant references
"The return of a republican con-
gress will settle all these mat
tiers to the satisfaction of the Am.
erican public. &c.,.
third: After unconditional sur
render and q statement of the terms
of peace, the country will naturally
turn to its domestic questions and
this subject must be considered by
the next congress for a large part
pf its term. For nearly two years,
the executive of this administration
has exercised more uncontrolled
power than any administration in
the history of the country, and that
/ power has included the expenditure
of vaster sums per year than this
nation or any other nation has ex-
pended in the history of the world.
"One of the functions of congress,
implied in the constitution, is the
examination into the account ex-
penditures by the executive under
its appropriations. In other words
one of the principal and most SALT
tory restraints upon wasteful, i'll
advised and corrupt expenditure Of
money, and TIE misuse of discre-
N tionafy power, is the investigation
which congress or either house oil
congress, is authorized to make with
a view to preventing further abuse
with a view to making known to
the American people the story Of
the stewardship of the executive,
to whom such power and expendi.
ture have been entrusted.
Should Probe Waste.
"That there has been waste in the
expanding OF money appropriated II
preparation for the war goes with
out saying, but the American peopl,
can be trusted to note how inevita
bic such waste is under the mos
careful administration where wal
has been thrust suddenly on thu
government without trained agen
cies to make the preparation there
for
"Such Investigation should b.
made with due regard to the diff
culties that were presented, but j
should be made impartially ant
without fear and independent O
any partisan restraint. I need hard
" say that . democratic congress
Under the control of the executive
Is a democratic congress will be
Is not likely to look with close scru
tiny into such a stewardship. Onl,
republican congress can be count
ed on to bring the facts as the PEG
pie should have them.
1--WE have contracted enormou
debts to carry on this war, debt
which our posterity to the third ant
fourth generation will have to pay
II we have unconditional surrende
and a just peace, that which W
have secured will be worth the COS,
But the American people are en-
titled to know that the money !
honestly and effectively expended
OK to understand in what respect
the administration and its depart
ments and subordinates did no
meet the patriotic duty and I'll
proper standard of efficiency whicl
the American people had the RICH
under the circumstances to expect
We have during this war, under Is
pionage acts and under other legis
lation, given the executive create
power of restraint upon the free
dom OF speech and freedom OF til
press and upon freedom of actor
than in our previous history
Whether In peace or in war tn
American people are entitled
know by full and free investigated
after the war, when revelations ca
lnjure no one but those who ar
guilty, whether that power has bee
exercised for partisan purpose
Only a republican congress can b
trusted to make such an investigs
ZION.
Postwar Problems Great.
1Fourth; when the war closes an
the demand for ammunition and a
kinds of war equipment cease
abruptly and the intense activitie
in many fields of production are
be turned from war instrumental
tiles in supplies to stores OF peat
necessities that are now so limite
in quantities, it is essential that sue
business transition shall tai
place with the least disturbance
labor and capital. In any even