Arizona republican., 1919-01-04
]. Hams Latest Fling

Senator J. Ham Lewis was right when he said the president within his powers in going to Europe and that he within his legal rights in de- clining make known to senators what he expected do there. The constitution gives to the president power negotiate treaties, unaided by the senate. But with the negotiation his power ends. The treaty be concluded by the Unless that is done all the negotiation comes to paught. The president will have wasted his time.
 Presidents heretofore before engaging in negoti- aton of important treaties if they had any doubt the attitude of the senate toward them, have en- ascertain that attitude and have governed themselves accordingly. Presidents have and then taken that the would be in accord with treaties negotiated by them and sometimes been mistaken MT Taft erred in the matter of the treaty with Colombia and Mir. Wilson a year later repeated he error. That though a treaty with inferior and unworthy power that it comparatively lnimportant matter But such q failure of a treaty with great power must have been very humiliatng to those presidents.
 The treaty to be negotiated at Paris is in which practically the whole civilized world will par ticipate. The United States. Great Britain, France and Italy will be the influential powers there. Or should substitute for the United States Presi- lent Wilson, whose peculiar position there will be one of representation of only the executive branch of the government.
 What may be agreed Versailles by Premier Orlando Baron Sonnno will at once be the agree ment of Italy, When Premier Clemenceau and the French delegates vote they will the vote of France. LloJd George and his associates have been delegated only negotiate but actually to MAKE a treaty on the part of Great Britain The president and the American delegates alone of all who will sit Ut the peace table will be empowered to speak ,,.t ,5o senate will do for the that the American tors have not been told what the president will do.
 It was frequently said during the that the president was vested with greater power than any other ruler in the world At the peace conference he will have less actual power than any foreign minis fer who will be there and he say them that he has the support of his nation. He cannot guar antce national support to any treaty which may bc agreed upon. In these circumstances it would have seemed wise for the president to confer be- fore his departure with the senate leaders who will have power to reject the treaty.
 A few months ago the situation would have been somewhat different The president seemed to have the backing of the nation. Undoubtedly he did it as the commander our military forces engaged in war. But it turned out that the people were supporting him only in that capacity IT the same thing had happened to Lloyd George in the cent British elections that happened to MT Wilson in November. he would be the British premier nor would he represent Great Britain in the peace conference.
 We do share the wild belief of Senator Lewis that there is a republican conspiracy against MT Wilson We suppose there little souls in the republican party and in the republicans of gress who wish the president ill; who hope he may make muddle at Paris and who would oppose treaty however just it may be. But that is the sentiment of the republican party of any party whose members are Americans first and partisans afterward. All Americans regardless of party wish the president well and they hope that he may suc- ceod in putting into
 he has so beautifully, though vaguely, expressed Americans expect material gains through the treaty. We committed against that. We only do want to surrender anything have; any advantage which nature and favorable situ- ation have given us We do not want to embark on unknown seas.
 Mr. Lewis should, We think, be the last to plain of partisan opposition to a negotiated treaty. He member of the house at the time of the negotiation of the Spanish American treaty. No member of either house opposed that treaty more vicously unfairly, ignoranty, in a partisan spirit. He foremost in demand by deuaonTac congressman at that time for the reading of the party of d distinguished democratic con- gressman from New York, one of the leaders of the party, fer supporting the treaty There certainly be greater display of partisanshp when the worlds peace treaty comes before the than MT. Lewis oxhibted twenty years ago.
 Some people have said that, in consequence of the war; we will have to learn geography all again
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