New-York tribune., 1919-03-13
British Misunderstanding

hS NiiilNuiey IIjlSliSiliIiCll ildNC III Ill
derstanding the American political sys-
tenn is again illustrated by an article
from The NeU Statesman, republished
in another column. This publication has
devoted much attention to America, SEEM
lngly making an earnest attempt to pene-
trate to the heart of our mysteries, yet
the result is a farrago of misconstruc-
ton. A British editor, deceived by super
fetal resemblances, persists in interpret
ing America in terms of Great Britain.
British political life revolves about
Cabinet, responsible to Parliament, but
during its incumbency possessing both
legislative and executive power We have
no similar institution-have no Prime
Minister except in an inexact metaphori-
cal sense. The British system normally
implies a government and an opposition,
with the House of Commons as an
umpire, deciding when the Gins" shall
become the "outs" Here is little re-
sembling this.
The President and Congress, each
supreme in its constitutional field, and
serving for fixed terms, are independent.
The government" does not inhere in
either. Capitol Hill is as much the
government" as the White House To
oppose President is no more opposition
to the government than it is to oppose
Congress-
The Neno Statesman, bottoming its
review on the assumption that an execu-
tive administration in America is the
government, as it is in Great Britain,
naturally goes astray when discussing
last November's election. 1t does not see
that a man who supports the Senate's
constitutional rights may claim to be
more supporter of the government than
one who assumes that a President, like
a sovereign or Prime Minister, NAV
make, in effect, binding national agree
ments. The Senate is a party in treaty
making, and when partners DISAGREE
neither can claim to be the whole firm.
Similarly, one may agree with the Sen
ate rather than with the President con-
corning the wisdom of the covenant with
out opposing the government.
AS to treaties there is a double, not
a single, administration, and when one
upholds one and consequently disagrees
with the other he is necessarily out of
step with one or the other administra
tion.
Touching another point The New
Statesman is uniformed, or it would
not speak Of the fury" Of the attacks
on the President last autumn. No Presi-
dent ever received from any Congress
support so unstinted as President Wilson
has received. He had the grace to
acknowledge this when making his appeal
for Democratic Congress. Washington
was abused and opposed, and so was Lin
coin, by partisan opponents, but the Re-
publican leaders, in pursuit of what was
deemed good party strategy, if for no
higher reason, outdjd their opponents in
sustenance of everything definite asked
by the President. Get on with the
war;" was their motto. Captious criti-
cism was kept in leash The Republicans
were averse to coming out of the war
with a Copperhead repute.
Nor was the main objection to the
partisan appeal that it broke the party
truce. The truce had long before been
broken-when the President refused to
reorganize his Cabinet, saying he thought
it better to rely on his own party rather
than on both.
Popular indignation was chiefly be-
cause the appeal implied one-mansm
and because of the open attempt to cap
italizc patriotism for party benefit. To
the first American feelings are sensitive
and the second seemed grossly unfair.
Kitchin to be reelected and Kahn to be
defeated
Moreover, it seemed an extraordinary
thing for man who had been cold to
the war to demand a blind vote of conf
dcnce on the ground he had become SO
hot he was solely to be trusted, to the
exclusion Of men who had labored long
and hard burning fuel to warm him.
Here the misreadings of British peri
odicals of course do no harm, but in
view Of the common problems facing
Great Britain and America it is highly
important the British public be not
mislcd