Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-03-07
The President S Mistake
s.. Louia Globe.Demoerat.

short time ago we warned the republicans
OF the peril OF opposing the League OF Nations
on party or personal grounds. This we said, Is
a matter of much too great magnitude to be in
fuenced by such considerations It is not a
party question, and we, for our part, decline to
place it in that category But we cannot shut
our eyes to the fact that President Wilson has
done much to make it party question by the
conspicuous if not deliberate offensiveness OF
his attitude toward the republican leaders III
congress- and for that matter, toward congress
as a whole. The incoming congress will be in
republican control, yet the president, with the
greatest question of our day, il not all time I'M
pending for settlement, pursues a course tend
ing to antagonize the interests essential TO the
proper settlement of that question. He offended
the whole senate when he ignored that body
I'm the consideration of the peace treaty before
he went to Paris, and in the appointment of his
commission, when he might easily have won
their interest and concurrence by taking them
into his confidence and giving the senate repre-
sentaton in the deliberations of the Paris con-
ference. 1t was within his right to do as he
did, but it was not wisdom, and we said as much
at the time. Sincerely do we wish" said this
paper on December l, when discussing this mat
ter shat the president would be more generous,
more open and less self-suficient. He would
gain much and the country would gain more"
AHd now he has returned, after helping COM
piete the draft of the constitution of the League
of Nations and, having signed the bills awaiting
him, is going back to Paris Immediately, with
out a word to congress except a brief private
talk with the members of the Foreign Relations
committees. /Moveorer, he has given notice
that he will not call an extra session of con-
gress until his return, thereby preventing the
discussion of this subject in the halls of con-
gress until it suits him. 1t does seem to usthat
elemental prudence as we'll as common fairness
and ordinary courtesy should induce him to re-
main here for time and endeavor to conciliate
the forces he must in the end rely upon for sup
port by frank interchange of views, by a
manifestation of willingness to consider the
criticism raised and by disposition to clarity
the language of the constitution if necessary to
make it more acceptable to American ideas
The president is seriously mistaken if he
thinks the American people are not influenced
by his attitude and conduct in this particular.
There is a strong feeling of resentment not
only among republicans, but among democrats
as well, against this position of aloof sef-sufi-
cheney. And it is just as strong among those
who ardently desire the success of his main pur-
pose as among those who oppose it. The Globe
Democrat favors the League of Nations because
it believes it is inherently right and supremely
necessary. We have not followed Mr.. Wilson
in this conviction We had been advocating a
League of Nations long before he gave any
evidence of an interest in the subject And we
do not support it now because it is his policy.
On the contrary, we may truthfully say that
we support it in spite of that fact. For we be-
lieve profoundly that this is too large matter
to be hindered by either personal or partisan
antipathies, and we pursue our course without
regard to them, confident that somehow right
will and must prevail But we regret, deeply we
regret, that the president makes success, need
lessly makes it, so much more difficult.