Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-11-15
TREATY FIGHT DRAWS TO CLOSE
Conflict President and Congress Lcaues Issue OpenSe
ae Orersensitire Insists Like Inferior Its Equality

country look for leadership? Certainly not
10 Congress. Usually the two Offices are
whole hemispheres apart. 1t may be q pity
that this is true, but it is true, and no
amount of writing Subject to the approval
of Congress" all over new institutions will
alter the situation.
THE Executive has n competence that
L. Congress has not. The Executive has a
breadth of view that Congress has not. The
Executive has information that Congress has
not. The Executive is free from certain
pettiness that inheres inescapubly in Con-
gress This is government of public
opinion.
Congress has posted" its estate. "No
shooting on these premises without the con-
sent of the owner" And the public will pay
just as much attention to these signs as Il
marching army pays to similar signs on a
peasants farm. And the President, the rep
rcseDtativc of public opinion, will i'll crises
pay the same regard to Congress that the
President paid to Congress during the war.
TAKE even the power to initiate war.
Theoretically it belongs to Congress and
the Executive waits upon the will Of the
Legislative in declaring war. Practically, the
declaring of war by Congress is only for
mality. 1t was Mr.. Wilson who declared
this war. The cry of 1916 was He" not
Congress, kept us out of war" And we
stayed out of war until "he' had made up
his mind to enter or at least until he had
satisfied himself that the mind of the coun-
try had been made up TO enter the war.
When the President asked Congress to
declare war there was no question about its
doing what he asked it to do The only guess
tion was whether there would be any body in
either house who would vote against declar
ing war. The real decision in regard to war
had becu made before by the Executive, or
by public opinion led by the Executive. Con
gress merely formally approved the decision
and had no real choice,
And the same thing will happen next time,
without any regard TO the pathetic signs with
which Congress is just posting its cOnstitu-
tional estate,
And Congress had and has genuine reason
for anxiety regarding the future with its
larger commitments of the nation interna-
tionaly, and that, too, irrespective of the
language in which the league of nations
covenant is couched.
VNHE relations of the legislative and the
l. executive have passed through two stages
and are entering a. third stage. The first
stage was when this country consisted Of a
GROUP of states and was very little nation.
. The interests were local, The central in
terests were only rudinentary. That period
was the period of Congress. Congress was
at home with the local interests. 1t was the
spirit of localism personifed. 1t is the same
thing today. That was its strength in the
early years when the country was turning
from Il confederacy into a nation. 1t has
been its weakness ever since the nation
emerged.
1t is Il question of information. Congress
knows the states and the districts best. The
Executive knows the nation best. He is the
only one who can see the thing as a whole
When the national interests became more
important than the local interests the sec
oud stage was reached and with it came the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Executive. In the
| first stage Congress knew. In the second
stage the President knew. And knowledge
| Is power in this democracy of ours.
In this third stage which We entered with
| the beginning of the war came the impor
rance OF q new set of interests---world inter
| ests international interests. Here emphati
| eally again the President knows. The Who'll,
| international organization of the country
centers in him. The diplomatic function il
! in his hands The diplomatic agents ape his
! And diplomacy is secret art, a kind O
mystery, "higber sphere" into which ntcr'
| congressman cnnnot penetrate.
IsON 4 lSEss viewed with alarm this new
I j az ment Her6 wss another who'll
7 ~ n l.. |y9. 41| 4. 4. ~ =. e