New-York tribune., 1919-12-09


gard to the guidance Of our foreign
affairs.
Il am confident that l am support
Cd by every competent constitutional
authority in the statement that the
initiative in directing the relations
Of eur government with foreign gov
ernments is assigned by the Consti-
,ution to the Executive, and to the
Executive only. Only one of the two
houses Of Congress is associated with
the President by the Constitution in
an advisory capacity, and the advice
Of the Senate is provided for only
when sought by the Executive in re-
gard to explicit agreements with for
eign governments and the appoint
ment OF the diplomatic representa-
tives who are to speak for this gov
eminent at foreign capitals. The
only safe course, l am confident, is
to sdhere to the prescribed method
very far afeld if We departed from it.
II am very much obliged to you
for having given me the opportunity
to express this opinion. Very truly
yours, WOODROW WILSON.
Senator Falls Statement
Senator Fall issued this statement
on the Presidents letter:
"The Presidents letter deals ex-
/ clusively with the propriety OF pass
ing the resolution recommending the
withdrawal OF the recognition of the
Carranza government, and his COM
ments relate directly and only to that
proposition. II is surprising that at
this time it should be stated that the
suggestion Of the Senate that such
recognition should be withdrawn
should constitute reversal of our
constitutional practice.
From the beginning of the govern
ment, the Senate has felt free and has
exercised its privilege over and over
again to make any suggestions in re-
spect to all phases of foreign relations'
There is nothing in the Constitution
that requires that the initiative with
respect to foreign relations shall be
limited to the Executive. Of course
he may and properly, because of his
extraordinary relation to foreign
affairs. in ordinary cases be the
source of negotiation.
Contradicted by Precedents
The Presidents general statement
that only one branch of Congress-
ra hoe 1o$
to foreign affairs. and the Senate only
when its advice is sought by the Execu-
tive. is contradicted by a hundred
precedents Indeed the precedents
have gone so far that in a number of
cases the advice has been the advice
Of negotiation, and even as solemn
engagements as treaties have been
made not only upon the suggestion OF
the Senate, but in the exact terms that
the Senate has suggested.
"A discussion by Senator Lodge,
published in 'Scribner's' some years
ago and more recently by the late
Senator Bacon, of Georgia, has been
supposed generally to have put at rest
the question that the Senate may only
advise when its advice is sought.
by this resolution the Senate did
not attempt TO withdraw recognition or
break off relations, but the concurrent
resolution contained a suggestion or
request to the President that he do so.
huch suggestion is entirely in harmony
with precedent
The President states in the first
paragraph of his letter that he shall
examine it (my written memorandum
furnished him Friday night) with the
greatest interest and care. What you
Told ME Of the investigation on Friday
Ast prepares me to find in it matter
Of the greatest Importance
Would Postpone Action
1t would appear that the President
mas not as yet examined this written
memorandum, and of course, under the
circumstances. ! viii again request the
committee TO postpone action upon the
isesolutlon, or upon any phase of the
mexican matter, until he has had time
10 give the subject his consideration.
Ihe resolution was introduced by
myself after consultation with numbers
OF my colleagues and others, because of
'he tact that we considered it of the
greatest Importance that the matter
should be presented Immediately to the
attention of the President and because
We were reliably informed that the
matters referred to in the statement
made by myself to the President, and to
some extent reincorporated in the writ
zen memorandum, had not been called
10 his attention at all. or by any one"
At this point Senator Fall disclosed
,he contents of the memorandum he
mad given to the President.
me Senator's statement continued:
The attention of the President was
also called specifically to certain acts
Of the Mexican government of very re-
cent date IN connection with the stop.
page of operations by American oil
companies in Mexico upon their owr
lands, and that such action by the Mex
lean government was in direct contra.
ventlon of the distinct warnings of thi,
government repeatedly that such actor
should not be taken by Mexico.
1t may be well to add to the fore
gong the further statement that tn
committee has identified at least tw,
of~the men mentioned in the Carranz
letters Of June IA and August 10.
The committee has identified one o
me agents who was to come from New