Norwich bulletin., 1919-06-04
FACTS AND COMMENT

neau or the state, De ne pTeSlQenI or king, names the premier from the party that has a majority in the na- tional legislature. The American sys- the total loss of two years of legisla- ton. It will require the greatest skill and tact on both sides if the 66th con- gress is to produce any really con- structive legislation. Though the president can focre nothing through contrary to the will of the republi- can majority, he can block any meas ure that the republicans may pass, in- as much as their majority is to slender to override a veto. Each side must therefore stand ready to buy success ! by yielding points that appear of minor | importance.
 The presidents position in the strug- gle is very strong. The present con- gress must produce the goods if the G. | o. P. is to have any chance in the | 1920 campaign, but the republicans in | congress are powerless without The presidents acouiescence. On the other hand nothing is expected of the demo- cratic minority and the president with out injuy to his party may buy vic | tory for the peace treaty and the 1 league of nations by yielding tempo l arily on points that are fundamental to democratic doctrine. The presi- dents determination to get the peace | treaty past the hostile senate permits 1 the hope for the passage of essential
 legislation. If to his eight years mas 1 tery of the home government he can add this international triumph, Ee
 will retire to private life with such prestige as no other president has ever
 won. Presumably therefore he will be I will tn l-a al
 a fact that Senator Lodge and his cot
 erie will not be slow to take advan- tage of.
 1 It may have been to show what pow CT he held over the present congress | that President Wilson recommended the repeal of the law under which prohibition was to begin July 1st. The 18th amendment is not to take effect until January, 1920, but rider sad dled on the agricultural bill that was Ipassed last November forbids among other things the sale within the United States of spirits wines and beers after June 30th. Thus by act of congress prohibition was to begin almost inn mediately. It is this act that the pres ident has asked congress to repeal thereby causing the greatest embarass-
 ment to the members of both houses
 If they vote for the repeal. they go on
 record as opposed to prohibition. If
 they vote against the repeal, they an
 tagonize both the brewer and the workingman, in whose breasts the president has aroused the hope of six months more freedom before the lid goes on for good and all. Were it 8 . matter of permanent importance the political risk might be worth while; but as it is, the president has forced , his opponents to risk their poliitca
 existence on a question that will be o
 no significance six months hence Mir
 Wilson himself, having run his las
 race, can no longer be affected by the [ attitude of the prohibitionists. Int 9 democratic party, being in the miority f cannot be arraigned for the actions O f the present congress. If the republi Y can party which has been led into the
 snare from which it will take shrewC parliamentary tactics to escape.
 Entirely apart from what congress
 may do with the wartime prohibition ;. act, there is at least a reasonable doub as to the ultimate fate of the 1Stl [ amendment. Forty-five out of tn r forty eight states have ratified it, bu d in ten of these states a referendum i l being asked. Should the people o
 these ten states vote against tn
 amendment, the action of their legis
 latures would be nulliied, the numbe
 of raalfying states would be reduce
 to thirty-five, one less than the neces U sary two-thirds, and the amendmen s would fail This is the attitude of the Ii n quor interests who are leaving Il q stone unturned to bring about a popu if lar vote in the states whose consti
 tutions provide for a referendum Tn
 roIof 1Nff f1N,,5 5r,4..
 dunn or no referendum, the requisit
 two-thirds of the legislatures have rat = flied the proposal and that nothin It can change that fact. It is indeed n nice point of law. When the feders S. constitution was adopted there was n : such thing as referendum and so tn ,s action of state legislature was fins ,e so far as that state was concerned s The letter of the constitution has cer u tainly been fulfilled The supren II court may have to decide as to th e spirit.
 Is When on May Premier Clsmencea IL handed the allies terms to the Germa 1t delegation, he explained that the peac Id conference would listen to no oral dis ts cusslan but was ready to receive an Id written observations that the German If might wish to make. Two weeks wei to be allowed during which such obsel . vatio ! might be submitted, aft
 which date would be set for final at y tion. The treaty is a thick yolun III of S0,000 words and covers so mar I'd points that the Germans asked and ol a tained and extra week for it's co1 os sideration. This time has now elapse
 the allies are in the course of replyir
 to the last German objections ar
 counter-p proposals, and it is proba b
 that they will include in their answ in the date on which Germany must nal
 her final decision.
 The indeterminate sentence DIT 1e nounced on Germany is in keepir ze with modern penology, whereby the
 is aroused in the criminals breast u
 hope that he may tighten his semen ed by good behaviour. Here and there in the German press has appeared u
 suggestion that only humility and a
 parent regret would serve to light r. the penalty, but in the conduct Is Germany's official representativ 40 there has been nothing to arouse al
 ienielt in he minds of her accusel " Count Brockdorf Rantzaus discourte 'e in addressing the courtly and digr es fled Clemenceau without rising pr ID. duced anything but a favora bie ir
 preSSlon on the peace conference. Su It an omission of one of the first prine g. pies of politeness by a man who clair to noble rank and was for years receiv
 at the imperial court is all of a pie h. with the arrogance of those Prussi
 officers who were captured in the ear
 days of the war. Add to this t n- counts bravado in declaring that t f. allies were responsible for all the mi ce cry in Germany since the armistice b ne cause they had maintained the bloc
 ade, and it would be hard to ina pi