The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1919-01-10

the members of the Paris Municipal
Council, of the reason which moved
his heart to ask congress to send our
armed forces to the aid of France!
By what warrant, in the second
place. does President Wilson tell these
same gentlemen and all France and
all Europe that his private and as
yet undsclosed purposes with regard
to peace terms represent the desires
and purposes of the American gov
eminent and people? This is his Ian
guage at the Hotel de Vile:
"You have been exceptionally gen.
erous in what you have been gracious
enough to say about me, generous far
above my personal deserts, but you
have interpreted with real insight the
motives and resolution of the people
of the United States. Whatever in
fluence l exercise, whatever authority
| speak with, | derive from them.
know what they have desired. and
when | have spoken what | know was
in their minds it has been delightful
| to see how the conscienccs and pur-
poses of free men everywhere re-
sponded."
How Can He Know?
How can President Wilson know
that there is a perfect concurrence of
purpose and desire between himself
and the nation for which he speaks
when he has not even taken that ma
ton into his confidence concerning his
own purposes and desires; not even
the senate of the United States, which
as the superior and ultimate author
ity in the making of treaties has the
very first right to be informed of his
motives and resolutions with regard
to foreign policy?
By what warrant does he assume
to be spokesman of the American
people when every recent action Of
their congress and their votes has
been negative rather than affirmative
as to his right to speak on these sub
jects in their name?
Apart from the rhetoric Of cere-
mony and celebration, the cold facts
are these:
/. A proposed resolution approving
in advance whatever the President
might say or do with regard to the
conclusion of peace was introduced
weeks ago by Senator Lewis, of Hi
lnois, his mouthpiece in many matters
at the senate end of the Capitol 1t
! is yet in pigeonhole in the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations. 1t will
never be reported and discussed, for
the proposal met in no sane quarter
any other reception than the ordinary
forms of ridicule and even disgust at
the nature of the proposal The
Lewis resolution cannot be President
Wilson's warrant of representative
authority. Today or at any other
time it would stand no more chance
Of adoption than proposal to pay
Germany's war debt or to declare war
on Canada;
2. A resolution directly counter to
the Presidents supposed policy of ty-
ing up his yet underlined project for a
League of Nations with, the immedi-
ate business of concluding peace has
been introduced by Senator and for
mer Secretary of State Knox and has
the support of considerable part, If
not a majority. of the senate.
| 8. A direct appeal BY President
Wilson was made to the citizens of
the United States less than eight
weeks ago to give him vote Of con-
fidence for use abroad in these very
negotiations he is now undertaking in
|person. The President said on Octo-
Der u to his fellow countrymen:
"This is no time either for divided
council or for divided leadership.
Unity of command is as necessary now
in civil action as it is upon the field
of battle If the control of the house
and the senate should be taken away
from the party now in power an OPP
posing majority could assume control
of legislation and oblige all action to
be taken amid contest and obstruc-
ton. The return of Republican ma
jority to either house of congress
would. moreover, be interpretative on
the other side of the water as re-
pudiation of my leadership. - The
peoples of the allied countries with
whom we are associated against Ger
nificance Of elections. They would
find it quite difficult to believe that
|