Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-16
MUCH DEPENDS
ON OUTCOME OF
PEACE CONFAB
Wilson Sets Precedent in
Asking Public Confab
With Senators.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

| III, 1913, Dy Inc ATBuS.J
Washington, D. c., Aug 16.-Car-
rying out his idea that under the
American form of government a
president is both a chief executive
and a prime minister, Woodrow
/ Wilson has announced a new de-
/ parture in representative govern
ment in this country by agreeing to
! submit to public Interrogation by
members of the legislative branch
| of the government
! The nature of the precedent es-
tabliShed by the presidents invita-
! tion to the entire membership of
| the senate foreign relations com
mitee, Republicans and Democrats,
was not fully realized until Mr.
Wilson went a step further and
not only declared that everything
said at the conference should be
given to the public but improved
upon by the usual method of get
ting exact information about con-
ferences between presidents and
members of congress. He stated
that he would be glad to have
stenographers present White
house officials added that every
thing said would be given immed-
lately in full text to the public
through the press. And a tran
script of the proceedings will be
published
Gain European Advantages.
Thus America at last will have
obtained some of the advantages
hitherto claimed for the parliament
tary governments of Europe where
premiers and prime ministers have
been called before legislatures to
answer questio-s about domestic
and foreign policy.
OF course from the mere fact of
President Wilson's readiness to
submit to the Interrogation of an
important committee of the senate
no hard and fast rule follows which
would bind future presidents. But
the strength of custom in govern
ments is sometimes not less than
written law.
Senators Forced To Accept.
The decision of the senate for
eign relations committee to accept
Mr. Wilson's invitation for a con-
ference which he made through
Senator Hitchcock nearly a month
ago is rather significant of the
trend of developments here on the
peace treaty and the League of Ma
tions. The committee has been
grilling witness after witness, from
Secretary. Lansing to subordinate
members of the American peace
mission but at every turn it has
been apparent that from President
Wilson alone could be obtained an
intimate knowledge of what hap
pened inside the councils of the
"big five" and the big ten" There
are members of the senate foreign
relations committee who did not
care to go to the White house or to
have the president come to the cap
itol. They thought it would put
them in the embarrassing situation
of having accepted confidential in
formation from the president which
they could not discuss in public
debate. The presidents desire to
have the meetings public in char
acter left no loophoIe for escape
and the committee voted unani-
mousIy to go to the White house
or wherever Mr.. Wilson might Sc
lect
Much Depends On COnfab.
Unquestionably there will be |
speeches made next week on the |
basis of what Mr.. Wilson says. But !
at the same time there will be lit |
tie excuse for delay in reporting |
the treaty. And many RepubIi- |
cans outside of congress have been
urging the senate to report the |
treaty either favorabIy or unfavor-
ably but to put an end to what may
seem to outsiders as "dawdling." |
This advice has unquestionably ac-
celerated the Republican leaders of
the senate and they are now bring |
ing to a conclusion their considera- !
ton of the treaty. A report to the |
senate by the committee is expect
ed within a fortnight If it is un-
favorable there will be more rea-
son for Mr. Wilson to begin at once
his trancontin6ntal tour.
May Accept Mild Program"
On the other hand, if the report
the interpretations by the
sO-caIled mild reservationists" in
Continued on Page Eleven.)