The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1919-01-03
Senator Lewis Says G. 0. P.
Leaders Try to ThWart Pres
ident's Peace Purposes.
ASSERTSfxECUTIVE SUPREME
Informs Negotiators and Others In
terested That Present Undertake
ings of U. S. Chief Are as
Commander of Armies,
Not as Civilian.

Washington Jan. 3-SenatOr Lewis,
Democrat, of Illinois, speaking in the
senate, charged Republican leaders
with conspiring for political purposes
to discredit President Wilson abroad,
to thWart his purposes by giving Euro
pean negOtiatOrs the impression that
the senate opposed his plans and by
deceiving the American public. Their
object, he declared, is to prevent the
president from accomplishing any
thing"
The speech was in reply to recent
utterances of Senators Lodge of Mas
sachusetts and Knox of Pennsylvania,
both Republicans criticlzing certain
of the presidents IA principles Of
peace and urging that consideration
Of league Of nations, freedom of the
seas and other questions be deferred
until after the peace conference.
81 do not object to Senator Lodge or
Senator Knox qualifying for the sup
port of ColOnd Roosevelt and his fol-
lowing for the nomination for presi-
dent by catching the expression of op-
position of the colonel and then echo
ing so say we all Of u.s. ;" said Senator
Lewis. 'but l do object to the country
being deceived as to the design, and
the president of the United States dis
honored by false political pretenses to
accomplish the purpose"
Declares Conspiracy Shown.
''The concurring assaults by certain
leaders of the Republican side upon
everything that President Wilson has
attempted in Europe" said Senator
Lewis, disclosed, as l charge, con-
I,spiracy to discredit him and to defeat
any design he enters upon by giving
the European negOtiatOrs to under
stand that the senate is opposed to the
president. that it objects to his meas
ures and that it is speaking with the
power to revise, reverse and repudiate
him."
In referring to the presidents
critics on the Republican side, Senator
Lewis departed from his prepared
manuscript to say that they had never
uttered one word Of satisfaction at the
presidents safe arrival abroad or the
great honOrs conferred upon him there.
He added that it was not too much to
| believe that they would not have been
displeased to find the presidents name
in the casualty lists.
Senator Lewis declared the senate
had nothing whatever to do with what
the president is now doing "in pre-
|tsenting the protocol for peace, and the
adjustment Of the disposition Of the
armies
81 inform the European negotiators
and the world" he said, that there is
no law Of America, by onstitution,
statute or custom, by which the presi-
dent is under any obligation to sub
NIT what he is now doing to the SEN
ate, or to any other branch of the leg
| islative or executive body.
Holds Wilson Has Full Power.
81 inform the negotiators as do all
those interested, that the present un-
dertakings of the president of the
United States are as commander in
chief of the armies. That he remains
such with full power as commander in
chief until the full treaty or compact
of peace has been finally accepted and
peace declared and the armies with
drawn as result of that acceptance
Drawing a distinction between
treaties made by the president as head
of the civil government and after the
war has ended, and the making Of
peace by protocol or agreements, the
senator said under the latter condi-
ton, the president serves as COM
mander in chief, agreeing upon terms
of peace for the purpose of withdraw
ing the armies, and in so doing, exc
cutes the authority of the law and of
the people vested in him as executive
and wholly apart from the interfer-
ence, the opposition, the approval Or
Reputation of the senate"
Senators Lodge and Knox were
charged with being inconsistent in
their views. The Illinois senator said
postponement of the proposals for a
league of nations and freedom of seas
would mean that the war had been
fought In vain and would bring about
q ronpfttion of the Strugple