The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-04-07
LEAGUE OPPOSITION IS CRUMBUNG, SAYS SENATOR CUMMINGS
Reproduces Extracts From Speech of Senator Lodge to Show Republican
 Attitude
EY Assnciafed Prs

Washington. April 6.-In statement tonight, declaring that a careful ob- server "cannot fail to note that opposi- tion to the league of nations is rapidly crumbling, "Homer s. Cummings, chair man of the democratic national com mittee, reproduced extracts from a speech delivered by Senator Lodge in 1906, to show the attitude of the repub- lican leader at that time toward the negotiation of treaty by the president without advance consultation with the sentiments issued by opponents of the league, MT. Cummings said, are less sweeping in the character and carry the implication that when the time comes for ratification the treaty will be resisted by a very small minority.
 Criticism is rapidly narrowing down to mere trifles," the statement con- tinued, and those who follow the lead of the senators who issued the round robin, accompany their rapidly dimin- ishing objections with attacks upon President Wilson for the manner in which the matter has been handled
 The provision in the constitution re- lating to the approval of treaties by and with advice and consent of the Senate is still being relied upon to challenge the conduct of the president in ignoring as it is said, the proper functions of the senate
 OTHERS FOLLOW
 "Senator Lodge has been particularly inclined to be captious with reference to the attitude of the president. and many others have followed that lead"
 Recalling that there was criticism in the Senate of President Roosevelt for sending delegates to the Algeciras con- ference on the Moroccan question, Mir Cummings quoted the following from a speech on January 2S 1906, by Senator John q. SpcCner of Wisconsin, a member of the foreign relations committee:
 The Senate has nothing to do with the negotiation of treaties or the conduct ot the foreign intercourse and relations save the exercise of the one constitutional function of advice and consent which the constitution requires as a precedent condition to the making of a treaty.
 A The President negotiates the treaty to begin with. He may employ such agencies as he chooses to negotiate the proposed treaty The Senate has no right to demand what he shall unfold to the world CT to it, even in executive
 
 of progress of the negotiations. |. When he shall have negotiated and sent his proposed treaty to the Senate, the Jurisdiction of this body attaches and it's power begins
 Senator Lodge, speaking later, Mir Cummings said. gave his complete en- dorsentent to the position assumed by Senator Spooner, by saying
 T don't think that it is possible for anybody to make any addition. to the mas terly statement in regard to the powers of the President in treaty making '. which we have heard from the senator from Wisconsin,
 On the following day, MT Cummings added Senator Lodge used these words
 WORDS OF LODGE
 No one, think, can doubt the absolute power of the President to initiate and carry on all negotiations. We have no possible right to break suddenly into the middle of negotiation and demand ing of the President what instructions he has given to his representatives. That part of treaty making is no concern Of ours. It is mere invasion Of the powers and rights of the President if we are to plunge in at stage of the nego- tion where we have no business and de- mand from him the instructions which he has given to his properly appointed representa- tiveS. When the treaty made by those representatives comes before us then that is the time, and not befrore. in which we can properly ask for informa- tion in regard to all which led up to it. '
 'tThe foregoing quotation said MT Cummings. fought to make an end for all time of the i'll advised and unjustifia-