Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-22
TO BE OR NOT TO
BE WITH LEAGUE
SENATE PUZZLE
Wilson Forces Senators to
Face Issue Squarely in
Treaty Fight.
. BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Washington, D. c., Aug. 22.-
President Wilson has taken anoth-
er step which tends even more
clearly than anything that has pre-
ceded, to accentuate the issue as
between him and the Republican
party in the senate He fatty re-
fuses to proclaim a state of peace
if the pending treaty is not ratified.
His first reason is that he has not
the power, but that is a question of
legal Interpretation. But the sec
ond reason is along the line of Mr..
Wilson's conception of moral Obli-
cations" which he stressed at the
Tuesday conference with the SEN
ate foreign relations committee at
the White house-he says it would
be "a stain upon our national honor
which we never could efface if aft
er sending our men to the battle
field to fight the common cause.
we should abandon our associates
in the war in the settlement of the
terms of peace and disassociate
ourselves from all responsibility
with regard to these terms"
Made Decision in 1917.
The president considers that
America made her decision on April
=, 1917, when she entered the Eu-
ropean war. Then she joined a
league of nations and if there were
any surrenders of sovereignty in
volYed in submitting American
troops to the orders of a French
commander-in-chie or the Ameri-
can navy to the orders of a British
lord Of the admiralty, he would
contend that these steps OF unity
were as necessary to put down
common enemy two years ago as
they may become in the future to
crush another militarist miscreant
among the nations of the world.
Mr.. Wilson is trying to disclose
both by his answers to senatorial
questions on Tuesday and by his
announced conception OF our moral
union with the allies that the cause
of world freedom would have soon
er or later drawn us into the Euro
pean maelstrom irrespective of the
attacks on American ships. and that
having once become a partner in
winning the peace of the world, the
United States cannot very well
withdraw when the formulas for
preserving peace are drawn.
e. S. Morally Bound.
So the president opposes a sepa-
rate resolution by congress declar- |
ing a state of war at an end and
denounces it with the same vigor
that he exhibited whenever the no
ton of a separate peace with Ger
many was suggested while the war
was on. Many time it was asked |
whether the United States in view -,
of the fact that she never signed |
any pledge against a separate peace |
would feel free to make a separate |
peace with Germany. But again |
and again it was stated officially !
that while the United States did |
not consider herself an ally" she |
was nevertheless an associate
and as such morally bound to act !
in unison with her associates to-
ward the common enemy.
But the declaration on the part !
of the president that even if he le-
gally could do SO, he never would
proclaim a state of peace in separa-
ton from our European associates, !
practically settles that point.
For League or Against It.
1t also moves the controversy a
stage forward. For il the Republi-
can senators insist on putting res
ervations in the ratifying resolution
as indicated by President Wilson
and offered by Senator Pittman Of
Nevada. the president could with
draw the treaty from the senate
and announce to the other powers
that Il new treaty with Germany
would have to be drawn so far as
the United States Is concerned. In
asmuch as the Republicans object
to article one of the treaty which
contains the covenant of the League
of Nations, Mr.. Wilson would be
free to negotiate another pact with
the league excluded. On the other
hand, Mr.. Wilson as the chief exec
Itive of the nation has full power
to make treaties and he believes so
in a league of nations
that the only result of a senate dis
of the treaty. as Mr.. Will
son presents it. which can now be
roreseen is a state of chaos SO far
Is the legal relations of the United
States and the rest of the world
are concerned. Il
Question Of Procedure.
Unless Mr. Wilson absolutely re-
7erses himself, therefore, the
struggle between him and the SEN
ate must center for the next week
)r month entirely on simple queS-
ion of procedure. The president
holds most of the cards-the con-
'titution gave him a big advantage
n being able to negotiate and sign
peace treaties. II isn't like a do4i
nestle law that can be passed over
lis veto by two-thirds vote No
;uch conflict between the executive !
Ind legislative branches of the gov {
srnment involving so many sigma
ories to a treaty has occurred be-
ore and the legal consequences are
enough to make many international {
awyers rich in fees for years to
.Ome Commercial as we'll as finan- 1