The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1919-12-11
SENATORS DROP
PLANS ON MEXICO
SITUATION is NOW LEFT EN-
TIRELY TO PRESIDENT WILL
SON FOR SETTLEMENT

Washington, Dec. 8.-The resolu-
ton asking President Wilson to
break off diplomatic relations with
the Carranza government was aban-
doned by the Republican leaders in
the Senate after the President had
informed Senator Fall, of New Mex
leo, it's author, that he would "be
gravely concerned to see any such
resolution pass the Congress-"
In announcing after a conference
with Senators Fall and Brandegree,
of Connecticut, that the foreign rela-
tions committee would take no actions
on the resolution, Senator Lodge
said:
"We want to help, but now the
entire Mexican situation goes to the
President. The responsibility is on
his shoulders. Let it rest there"
Passage of the resolution, the
President wrote Senator Fall, would
constitute a reversal of our consti-
tutional practice which might lead to
very grave confusion in regard to the
guidance of our foreign affairs"
Declaring that the initiative in di-
recting relations with foreign gov
ernments was assigned by the consti-
tuition "to the executive and to the
executive only" Mr.. Wilson said he
was confident that "the only safe
course" was "to adhere to the pre-
scribed method of the constitution"
1--WE might go very far afield if We
departed from it," he said.
Senator Fall, in statement, took
issue with the President that the
Senate could not advise on matters
affecting relations with foreign gov
ernments until requested to do so by
the President, and said there were
precedents to support him. He also
said he would again request the COM
mittee to postpone action on his reso-
luton, cor any phase of the Mexican
matter" until the President had time
to give the subject his consideration.
Before the President dispatched
the letter, the Senate foreign rela-
tions committee held an hours ses-
sion for discussion of the Mexican
situation, including the Carranza oil
DEGREES, which have been the subject
of diplomatic correspondence between
the United States and Mexico, but
at the suggestion of Senator Fall, ac-
ton on his resolution was deferred un-
til the President had expressed his
views.
Senator Fall made public the men,
orandum which he sent the President
dealing with the results of the inves-
tigation of the Senate committee OF
which the New Mexican Senator is
chairman. Part of this information
was given Mr.. Wilson last Friday by
Senator Fall when he and Senator
Hitchcock, Democrat, Nebraska, call
ed at the White House, to discuss
the Fall Resolution.
NJ. Wilson's statement in his let
ter that what the New Mexico Sena-
tor had told him of the investigation
"prepared' him to find in the memo
randum matter of the greatest I'M
portance" was interpreted by some
Senators as meaning that the Presi-
dent had not yet had time to study
Mr.. Falls report.
Senators noted also that the Presi-
dents letter gave no indication as to
whether a change of the administra-
tons attitude toward Mexico was
under consideration. During the day
the State Department was advised by
the American embassy at Mexico City
that Carranza's reply to the Amerl-
can note renewing the request for the
release of Consular Agent Jenkins
was to be handed to the Americn
charge. The reply had not been re-
ceived at the State Department.
Meantime the investigation into the
liberation of Jenkins on bail last
week was continuing. Officials read
without comment a statement given
out by J. Salter Hansen at Mexico
City that he had acted on his own
initiative and responsibility in fun-
ishing 1000 pesos bail for jenkins
release.
Senator Fall announced that his
committee would continue its inves-
tigation of the Mexican situation.
He expects to leave for the border
before the new year to pursue the
inquiry there.