Norwich bulletin., 1919-12-09
WASHINGTON AFFAIRS

| Aey 1SFSSu lIelt GHe president mind was clear but regarding his phy- sical condition there stIll remains great mystery. For instance, when Senator Hitchcock was asked. ,lle replied much better than when 1AsaW him last When Senator Fall was asked the same question he answered T am not a doc tor" Neither giving any. details nor mentioning the cause of the presidents illness. Practically the entire inter view between the two senators and the newspapermen was such that each man was left to frame his own interpreta- ton And it is safe to say that the fifty or more men present were inn pressed ill fifty or more different ways, and on that account printed reports varied to a great extent
 When Mr. Hitchcock was asked if there seems to be any truth in the report that the president is paralyzed below the waist. he replied He was m bed-how can teh?a To the same am not doctor' When asked wheth- CT or not the president showed any hesitaHtcy or impeachment in his speech MT. Fall said T had no tifficuity in understanding him." MT. Hitchcock admitted he talked thickn but attrib. uted it to a slight cold The two serf- ators gave separate interviews to the press neither being present when the other talked. Both senators said the room was diTnly lighted and the presi- dent covered to the chin with bed clothes, that he reelined on pillows slightly raiseds and moved only his right hand and head during the inter view which lasted nearly an hour. Some of the members of the press take this to be a refutation of charges that he is suffering from some nervous or paralytic shock, while others view it as complete confirmation of that rumor. However that may be the fact. Is, no specific statements were made by either senator. and the press and the public are as much in the dark as before the two members of the foreign relations committee saw the president, Only two facts were made clear-first that the president has rot seen Secre- tary of State Lansing since his illness. and the Mexican situation was not be- ing directed by the president. second MT. Hitchcock stated positively that the president declared he would make no move to resubnit the peace treaty to the senate Beyond that the mem bers of the press, to whom the seua- tors talked. were left to make their own interpretation of the presidents condition and the fate of the treaty. The senate finds itself fact to face with two great problems of vital inter national mportanee-first the Mexican situation and next how shall it be de I clared that a state of war no longer 1 exists with Germany if the president, | after giving instructions to the demo- 1 crats of the senate to reject the peace l treaty, refuses to resubnit it or take 1 steps towards declaring the war at an end. The senate has taken its final ac- l tion until the present treaty is resub- mitted or new treaty or resolution declaring peace. is put before it. Senator Brandeqee today said to 1 The Bulletin correspondent that he did
 not care to make. any comments on l the Mexican situation, although he is 1 member of the sub committee in- vestigating condition nor would he talk regarding the fate of the treaty | or possible resolution declaring the war with Germany to be at an end MT 1 Brandegee said frankly that he felt it 1 was not proper for the several mem bers of the committee to make state- ments. but that the chairman. Senator
 Lodge. was the only proper person to do so.
 Technically we are at war with Ger.
 many, although in fact we are in. a 1 state of peace and have resumed some
 months ago hap-hazard sort of com.
 mereial relations, with it by authority
 of the state department; technically W. < are at peace with Mexico, but in fac
 our relations with that country ar,
 strained to the point of snapping
 Without decisive action by the chic executive national and internationa
 complications are certain to arise, ln less congress intervenes Just how
 such intervention can be brought abou
 is the subject of lively and anxious dis
 cussion. -
 Some definite policy regarding botl
 countries must soon be made knowl
 by the white house, or congress mus
 take the reins into it's own hands which it is reluctant to do, believin;
 if q duty which should fall on tn
 shoulders, of the chief executive
 It has come to Iiaht this week tha there are ambassadors and minister from seven of the great foreign nation waiting in Wa shington to present thei credentials to the president Witiieu such ceremony they are unable ag t } functiens and during these periiou 3 days of reconstruction minor official of these nations are the only reeog nized diplomatic representatives 0 Great Britain. Belgium Japan, Pert Italvi Poland and Uruguay to the Unit 1, CT States These foreign representa- lives of the great allied nations ar x said to be getting restless and annoYe
 at the enforced delay in presefitin 7 their credentials. especially as ti1e$re ports given out, hy the white1 hons
 state marvellous" Improvement in tn Dresident,si condition. It is ruIpere
 that Lord Grey. ambassador < fror
 Great Britain will decline to cool hi heels much longer and will sail back t 5 Ensland, to wait there, until he can D
 officially received by the president. Wh
 has received the king and queen C T Belgium, the prince of Wales and no, ? two. of athe senators. s<
 Ths discussion oF the railroad bi
 is occupying the senate, and the Edg . bill, which Senator Mclean IS steerin : through congress. will be brought u 1. and urged as rapidly as possible
 The Connecticut delegation is bac
 l after the short recess, in fact some ( t its members did not attempt to leay e here for, the few days they had at the il disposal. -fs s
 Practically social events are at
 standstill. The white house sets tf ,+ pace and that is of course dark an = silent; the vice president and Mir e Marshall assume automatically wha'
 ever SLale dHalrS must De carried ot
 to entertain foreign visitors but beyon
 that there has been no official ente, d tainins nor is there likely to be in tf n near future.
 Ii The meeting of the republican n. . tionaI executive committee and u
 state chairmen here this week will gil Ia a boom to party politics and the tin
 and place for the 1920 national convei le tion will then be decided on
 E. - z. A.. .-L. -4-.E : Cleaned from Foreign E, r. rhanra.