The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-08
Democratic National Chair
man Points to Senator's
Words in 1906.
UPHELD ROOSEVELT
AT THAT TIME
Circumstances Then Exactly Similar to
Present League Situation, Cummings
Asserts-Liberally Interpreted Wash
/ ington's Warning.


WASHINGTON, April s.-Homer S.
Cummings, chairman of the Democratic
| National committee, in a statement IS
sued recently, declared that Senator Lodge
| was. inconsistent in accusing President
Wilson Of having ignored the proper func-
| tions of the senate in developing the
league OF nations project. He quoted
from a speech by Senator Lodge on jan
%, 1906, in which Mr. Lodge upheld
President Roosevelt for having appointed
delegates to the AIgecfras conference to
adjust the Moroccan trouble without hav-
ing consulted the senate.
| Mr.. Cummings first quoted Senator
John c. Spooner, then chairman OF the
committee on foreign relations, as ex-
pressing that view, to which Senator
| Lodge specifically assented, and went on:
"On the following day Senator Lodge,
in more elaborate statement, used these
4 words: @
So No one I think, can doubt the alb
solute power OF the President to initiate
and carry on all negotiations. There
is no doubt that the senate can by reso-
luton advise the President to enter upon
a negotiation, or to advise the President
to refrain from negotiation, but these
resolutions have no binding force what
soever, and the action of the senate be-
comes operative and ~aetually effective on
~ when a treaty is actually submitted to
it. We have no possible right to break
suddenly into the middle Of a negotiation
and demand from the President what IN
structions he has given to his representa-
tive That part of treaty making is no
concern OF ours. 1t is a mere in
vasion of the powers and rights Of the
President, if we are to plunge in at a
lstage of the negotiations where we have
! mo business, and demand from him the
: instructions which he has given to his
: Eproperly appointed representatives. When
the treaty made by those representatives
: comes before AIS then is the time, and
not before, in which We can properly ask
for information in regard to all which
Z ed up to It 80
The foregoing quotation ought K
l,make an end, for all time, of the ill-ad
4 vised and uniustiiiahle criticism to whiei
}. President Wilson has been subjected fol
: a supposed ignoring of the senate In
Z deed, President Wilson has gone furthe
s in the matter of satisfying the senate
c thars previ6uss Presidents have done. If
o has submitted to individual senator's an,
I members of the house, making up tn
d great committee ON foreign relations, tn
c details OF the pending covenant of peace
/ and, indeed the terms OF the propose,
c league have been printed and distributes
l. broadcast over the country.
ION the same day that Senator Lodg
committed himself as TO the meaning Q
the words advise and consent he ais
expressed some ideas concerning 'entan
Cling alliances which are very prevs
lent at the present time Senator Lodg
on the day mentioned, Jan. 81 l9lt
speaking in the senate. said:
THE idea that there is somethin
very strange and very novel in our jor
ing with other nations in the settlement
by treaty of matters affecting commerce;
questions, or, indeed, other questions,
wholly mistaken one The famou
warning against entangling alliance whie
is embodied in The Washington Farewe
Address, as every one is aware. grew OF
OF the troubles which Washington el
dured on account of our alliance wit
France. - but he was altogether to
sensible and too practical a man to sul
rose that, because we were not to engag
in alliances which might involve us in IL
twars of Europe, in which we had no col
lcern. therefore, we were never to engag
in any agreements with any nations
Europe. no matter how beneficial tbs
Knight be TO the world at large or to OH
selvea s.
'sIf the principle were carried out til;
we were never TO join with any oth'
countries, that entan9ling alliances meal
anything of that kind, most of the gre
and beneficial things which have be'
achieved by international agreeme'
would have become impossible to us.
In opening his statement, Mr.. GU
pings remarked that "a careful observ
Of the trend of public opinion cam
fail to note that opposition to the leag
OF nations is rapidly erumbling.