Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-08-27
ONLY SENATE CAN
END WAR--W|LSON
President Has No Power to An
null Act of Congress.
FALLS QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Upper Chambers Failure to Act is
the Only Bar to Ending Present
State - German Colonies
Taken in Trust.

Washington, Aug. 22.-The president
has not the power to declare peace by
proclamation, nor could he consent in
any circumstances to take such a
course prior to the ratification OF
formal treaty of peace by the senate.
President Wilson so wrote Senator
Fall in answer to one of the 20 writ
ten questions the senator presented at
the White House conference Tues
day.
Replying to another question the
president said the provision of the
treaty that it should come into force
after ratification by Germany and
three of the principal associated pow
ers operated merely to establish peace
between those ratifying powers. 1t
vas questionable" the president add
ed, whether it can be said that the
League of Nations is in any true sense
created by the association of only
three of the allied and associated gov
ernments.'
Colonies Taken in Trust.
To Senator Falls question relating
to the disposition of Germany's pos
sessions, the president said the ar
rangement in the treaty conveyed no
title to the allied or associated pow
ers, but merely 'intrusts disposition
of the territory in question to their
decision"
President Wilson's letter to Senator
FAIL, replying to the senator's twenty
questions on the treaty and the league
of nations, is as follows:
MY Dear Senator Fail:
"You left yesterday in my hands
certain written questions which l
promised you 1 would answer. 1 am
Fastening to fulfill that promise.
81 feel constrained to say in reply
to your first question not only that in
my judgment l have not the power by
proclamation to declare that peace
exists, but that 1 could in no circum-
stances consent to take such a course
prior to the ratification of formal
treaty of peace. l feel it due to per-
feet frankness to say that it would in
my opinion put a stain upon our ma
tiOnaI honor which we never could
efface if, after 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 associate ourselves
from all responsibility with regard to
those terms.
Il respectfully suggest that having
said this, l have in effect answered
ir1 nd
questions so far as l myself am con-
cerned.
Peace When Treaty Is Ratified.
Permit me to answer your fifth
question by saying that the provisions
of the treaty to which you refer Oper-
ate merely to establish peace between
the powers ratifying, and that it is
questionable whether it can be said
that the league of nations is in any
true sense created by the association
of only three of the allied and asso-
ciated governments.
TN reply to your sixth question,
can only express the confident opinion
that the immediate adoption of the
treaty, along with the articles of the
covenant of the league as written,
would certainly within the near future
reduce the cost of living in this coun-
try as elsewhere, by restoring produc-
ton and commerce to their normal
strength and freedom.
For your convenience, I will num-
Der the remaining paragraphs of this
letter as the questions to which they
are intended TO reply are numbered.
WI. l have had no official infor-
nation as to whether Norway, Swe-
den. Denmark, Holland. or Switzer-
land will join the league.
VIII. I answered your eighth ques-
ton in reply to question asked me at
our conference the other day (This
question referred to licensing of ex-
ports to Germany
"IX. In February, 1917, Spain was
requested to take charge of American
interests in Germany through her dip
lOmatic and consular representatives,
and no other arrangement has since
been made.
tx. The committee to prepare plans
for the organization of the league. for
the establishment of the seat of the
league and for the proceedings of the
first meeting of the assembly, has been
appointed, but has not reported.
SKI. Article 11S of the peace treaty,
part ", under which Germany re-
nOunces all her rights to territory for
merly belonging to herself or to her
allies was understood, so far as spe-
cial provision was not made in the
treaty itself for its disposition. as
constituting principal allied and asso-
ciated powers the authority by which
such disposition should ultimately be
determined. 1t conveys no title TO
those powers, but merely intrusts the