Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-08
WHEN CONGRESS coNvENES

pRESlDENT WILSON'S call for an
extra session will clear the air in the
world. of business. 1t will permit fnan-
ciers to see their way more clearly and it
will make the going easier and less peril
Gus in politics.
Whether the country likes it or not it
must be admitted that Congress was
bundled away into enforced silence when
1t most desired to be heard. The charac-
ter of the opposition that was developed
against the President toward the end of
the recent session and the trends and
apparent purposes of antagonistic criti-
cism aimed, since the adjournment, at
the Representations plan, actuated the
Presidents determination to enforce a
recess. The work of the American dele
cation at Paris could have been seriously
hindered if each step toward an accept
able peace had been met with an uproar
of violent challenge in Washington.
The Presidents summons of yesterday
means merely that the league-of nations
plan is now safely formulated and beyond
the danger of being wrecked before it
was complete. The Senate can take it or
leave it. Congress must accept its re-
sponsibiity in the full light of day. The
President cannot make treaty. He may
only negotiate it and submit it to the
Senate, and it is by it's authority to ratify
or reject treaties that the Senate nor
mally expresses its judgments. Mr.. Will
son has not exceeded the privileges
granted him by the constitution.
The covenant of peace is not perfect.
is n lo J,J
But the indications now are that the
treaty will be ratified with little delay.
Indeed, with the presentation of the
peace terms to Germany the league Of
nations becomes an old issue. New issues
quite as novel and perhaps even more i'm
portant will leap into being almost as
soon as Congress assemblies to receive the
report of Mr.. Wilson and his associates
at the Peace Conference.
The proposal for . formal alliance
between the United States, Great Britain
and France to insure the French people
against further onslaughts from the
German side of the Rhine now appears,
with official sanction, in the cable reports.
1t may be assumed that France demanded
some such guarantee in return for sacri-
fees made in the course of recent de-
liberations for the sake of a workable
league of nations. Current announce
ments are to the effect that the alliance
will not be secret-that its terms will be
published to the world within few days.
Even then the Senate will be justified in
subjecting the proposal to the closest
scrutiny and analytical criticism.
The suggestion will not sound whole
some in America. We may maintain the
utmost esteem and friendliness for the
French people. But we are not able to
foreign policy. If there are financial
cliqucs in France desirous of subjecting
a vanqushed nation to intoerable pres
| sure or melting vengeful spirit in a
| neighboring country, shall we guarantee
| them safety and success in the enter
| prise? That is question that the Sen
ate may put squarely to the returning
peace delegation. Any case between the
| France and the Germany of the future
should properly be settled by the league
| of nations. If it cannot be settled by that
means we ought to know the reason.
| Here, it appears, is new issue for the
critics. But there will be many others.
The coming session of Congress will lead
into the national campaign. That in
itself is regrettable, because partisan in
terest and partisan bias are almost GER
tain to be felt in an unusual degree in
decisions that should be inspired simply
by reason and patriotism.
The character of our future relations
with other peoples in world that is
changed and narrowed; the part we shall
play in making over the world will be
decided at the next session. The ques-
tions involved in better economic adjust
ments necessary to protect the strength
and vitality of the country by protecting
it's workers will be pressing and acute.
The railroads and telegraph lines, the
returned soldiers, tariff and taxes will
loom as dominant problems at the next
Congress.
We shall have to meet each issue
bravely and frankly or lag behind those
European statesmen whom we are ac-
customed to call benighted. Shall we
look forward or back? Will the House
and the Senate be as wise as they pre-
tend to be or will they sit like Belgian
refugees and wall amid the ruins of DO.
litical theories devastated by the war?