The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-05-02
Washington Letter.
is THIS COUNTRY A
WILSON CHATTEL? Z?

Washington-The Republican Pub
licity Association, through its Presi-
dent, Hon. Jonathan Bourne, Jr., to-
day gave out the following statement
from it's Washington Headquarters:
"Recent friction at Paris between
the American and French delegations
is now reported to have been smoothed
over entirely. The great cordiality
that is said to prevail is ascribed to
promise alleged to have been given
by President Wilson to Premier Glenn
enceau that if France is attacekd in
the future the United States will come
to her aid. Protection from further
German outrages is what the French
have been contending for from the
first, and with that end in view have
advocated the formation of an inter-
national army that could be used in
her defense should the Germans ever
recover their strength and undertake
once more to carry out their designs
upon France. The disinclination of
the other delegates to the peace con-
ference to create such force, and to
provide certain other guarantees of
safety to France has been the chief
cause of irritation between Clemen-
ceau and some of his colleagues. But
it is said that all is now serene as a
result of Mr.. Wilson's promises.
But where does the President de-
rive his self-assumed power to obli-
nafa fbo TTpstaI Ctafae -, e,cL n MAN
ner? His offer is nothing more OF
less than an agreement that America
shall make war whenever some other
country takes military measures
against France. Whatever feelings
of sympathy we may have for France
and they are many and profound, il
would be the height of un-wisdom for
the United States to enter into a COM
pact to protect that country by force
of arms if she is ever attacked from
without.
"But entirely aside from the merits
of such an obligation the President
has not particle of authority to en-
ter into an agreement of the charac-
ter that he is reported to have made
The right to declare war rests with
Congress, and with Congress alone
No promise that Mr.. Wilson may
make can be binding upon the Senats
and House of Representatives in the
slightest degree. Such an understand
ing between Wilson and Clemencear
would scarcely be included in the
terms of the treaty with Germany. Il
can retain only its present status
that of a gentleman's agreement
with not the slightest binding effect
upon Congress.
Moreover, if ever the time comes
when France stands in need of mill.
tary assistance from the United States
Mr.. Wilson will be out of office anC
probably dead and buried, physically
as well as politically. What then be.
comes of his promise to the French
The long and short of it is that if the
' published reports from Paris are
true, Wilson has handed a gold brick
to Clemenceau, and has received ir
exchange the support Of the French
| delegates for some of his own PROPOSE.
tions.
"The situation is one that warrants
very careful investigation by Con
gress. If the President of the United
States has agreed to plunge his county
into war merely because another ma
tion is attacked, entirely without re
gard to the merits of the controversy
or whether it affects the interests Of
the United States or not, then his con
duct deserves searching inquiry by
the proper committee of the House
If the facts are found to Substantial
the charge then appropriate actor
should be taken to uphold the dignity
of our republican form of government
regardless of the effect of such actor
on the individual who occupies the
| White House."