Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1919-07-31
PEOPLE DEMAND pUBLICITY

The Republican Publicity Associa-
ton, through its president, Honor
able Jonathan Bourne, Jr., Tuesday
gave out the following statement
from its Washington headquarters:
when the president submitted
the peace treaty to the senate he
said, My services and all the infor-
nation i possess will be at your dis
poal and at the disposal of your
committee on foreign relations at
any time, either informally or in ses-
sion, as you may prefer. Before the
president addressed the senate the
matter of his personal appearance at
the capital to inform the members of
the foreign relations committee of
his Interpretation of the treaty had
been much under discussion. mas
much as there is no instance in our
history of the chief executive testify
ing before a committee of congress,
it was feared Mr.. Wilson might claim
immunity from being placed in such
situation, thereby denying to the
people the information that he alone
can give and that they have a right
to expect. But the presidents vol
untary remuneration of any such i'm
once and removed any scruples men,
bers of the foreign relations commit
tee might have entertained about in
vading the dignity of the presiden-
tial office.
1.-THE people of the country are
waiting for the committee to take
Mr.. Wilson at his word and give him
an opportunity to tell the senate and
the public the true course of the ne
gotiations at Paris, and what the
considerations were that caused him
to assent to what have been criti-
cised as provisions of doubtful wis
dom in the treaty. The foreign re-
lations committee is the only means
by which the people can hope to ex-
tract the facts of the whole transac-
ton. With their decision rests the
question as to whether the informa-
ton the president possesses is to be
given to the people to enable them
to reach a more intelligent conclu-
sion regarding the treaty, or wheth-
er it is to remain forever locked up
in the mental processes of Mr.. Wi
son.
Thru the veil of secrecy thrown
about the proceedings Of the peace
conference, aided by a cable censor
ship the rigors of which were never
| dreamed of before, the American
people have been kept completely in
the dark regarding practically every
phase of the negotiations that result
ed in the treaty that is before them.
| From now on we are told that every
thing will be above board and open to
the light. The public and press will
be admitted to the executive sessions
of the senate during discussions of
the treaty, and the foreign relations
committee have signified their inten-
ton to deliberate in the open. Such
course is commendable, and pre-
cisely in line with what the people
expected from republican senate.
But nothing the senate may do by it.
/ self can uncover the devious trans
actions that brought about the trea-
ty. Only the president himself can
tell us of that.
mot waiting for an invitation
from the committee to give his
views. the President has adopted the
course of calling senators to the
white house and going over with
| them individually and behind closed
| Senator'S coming from those inter-
views are all close mouthed, and
keep to the time-honored custom of
holding as confidential all personal
| talks with the executive. 1t is de-
sirable that Mr., Wilson closet himself
with senators in that way, and WELD
his influence over coordinate trea-
ty making power entirely in secret ?
OF course the president will Use all
the powers of persuasion at his COM
mand to turn senatorial sentiment
his way, but the proper forum for
those discussions is in the committee
room, precisely as he has suggested
himself, in the presence of all men,
bers of the committee and represen-
| tatives of the press. Why not take
him at his word, hear his testimony
question him on obsucre points, and
| give the people the information ia
which they are rightfully entitled?"
n