The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-12
The Colonel and His League OF
Nations.

Nations.
Is it indeed true that the League
of Nations Is already formally In
function, in the name Of the United
States of America, as an established
part of the worlds reorganization? II
so, we hasten to congratulate Colonel
EDWARD NJ. HOUSE of Texas and else
where upon an achievement which has
no equal or precedent in the whole
history Of governmental evolution.
Consider the main fact which in
startling and unparalleled interest
transcends the most ambitious dreams
of socialistic internationalism; which
surpasses even the fictional imagin-
ings about humanitys future mod
estly promulgated under pseudonym
according to public rumor) by this
man of thought and action.
The old Constitution of the United
States has prescribed our institutions
and shaped the national destinies for
about q century and a third; that Is,
through four successive generations
of Americans. 1t has generally been
regarded as great practical success,
not merely from the point Of view of
patriotic devotion but also in the es-
innate of detached philosophical OBJ
servers in other parts of the globe. 1t
divides the Government into three CO.
ordinate and we'll defined departments,
namely, the Legislative, the Execu-
tive and the Judicial. Outside of these
three departments there is absolutely
no warrant or room for the exercise
by any citizen of the United States.
1t would puzzle CoNFUCIUs himself,
in his mood of cleareSt mentality, to
locate in our fundamental law the
exact source of Colonel HOUSES rep
resentative authority. We need not
bother about Lord ROBERT CECIL S
. case; that concerns another system
. and another people. But Colonel
House Is our own problem. He Is
our own spokesman in the edicts and
communicates and organic arrange
ments already said to be issuing or
undertaken under the covenant and
constitution of the League of Ma
lions. 1t seems as if the American
people had the right to wonder and
to question.
Now, Colonel EDWARD NJ. HOUSE Of
Austin in Texas and of the Hotel
Crillon in Paris does not belong, by
any possible application of constitu-
tional provision-we are speaking
merely of the Constitution of the
United States and not Of the constitu-
ton of the League of Nations-to any
one of the three departments afore-
said. He is not a member Of the EX-
ecutiye, for Executive appointments
to diplomatic or other representative
functions require confirmation by the
Senate. He is certainly not member
Of the Legislative depaStment, never
having been elected either to the Sen.
ate or 10 the House of Representa-
tives. And this modest If exceed
ingly protrusive gentleman would be
the last to claim for himself part in
the Republics constitutionally consti
tuted system of judiciary.
Where, then, does the Colonel come
in, to use an expressive colloquialism
The great Chinese philosopher, as
sisted by SOLOMON and all the wis
dom of the Seven Sages of Greece
might search in vain for any light on
this uncOmmonly interesting subject
In the books intended to help us out
In such matters Colonel HOUSE Is
correctly described as the personal
representative Of President WILSON tC
the European Governments" and also
but far less correctly, as "commis
stoned as the special representative OF
the Government of the United States
at the Interallied Conference of Pre-
miers and Foreign Ministers" If ht
has been commissioned by the United
Z States Government to be its specia
representative anywhere or In any
Z thing the record of that commission
has been unfortunately lost in tn,
shuttle. The Colonel's status as al
unofficial personal agent or private
. adviser of the Executive has been pre-
csely the same, in kind though by NJ
: means in individual quality, as tina
E which has belonged at various times t.
Z several less eminent and engaging per
sons employed by Mr.. WILSON to hell
him in his plans for the world
regeneration.
/ How does ii happen, therefore, tina
! Colonel EDWARD NJ. HOUSE of Austl
and the Hotel Crillon thus suddenl