The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-14


10 the constitutional provision that the
President may exercise his treaty maxi
ing power only by and with the con.
sent of the Senate, and further that the
President may convene the Senate on
extraordinary occasions.
Epoch Making Occasion Arrives.
Surely" the document reads. this is
the most extraordinary occasion since
the Constitution was adopted 1870 years
ago.
The President can at least consider
and cry to meet the advices Of the Sen
ate, for from the many able, expert and
experienced counsellors of both parties
in that body much light and wisdom
may come. In addressing both branches
OF the Congress December 2, as he was
about to depart for Paris, the President,
among other things, said:
L shall be in close touch with you
and with affairs on this side of the
water, and you will know all that
do. i shall not be inaccess-
ible. The cables and tho wireless
will render me available for any
counsel or service you may desire ot
me. and / shall be happy in the
thought that ! am constantly In touch
with the weighty matters OF domes-
tic policy with which We shall have
to DEAL
The converse must be equally true,
and the Senate can be kept in close
touch with the President and he can
avail OF It's advice while he is in
Paris, II he only so desires and will
communicate with its leader"
The report continues TO point out that
IN urging n special session of the Sem
ate TO consider the provision OF the
League OF Nations covenant tho MEM
bers of that body will be only perform
ing their imperative duty under tho
most recent mandate received from the
American people. Attention is drawn to
president Wilson's proclamation Of Oc-
tober "a when he appealed TO tho voters
of the nation TO return a Democratic
Senate and House OF Representatives in
order that he might continue as Amer
ica's "unembarrassed spokesman in af-
fairs at home and abroad"
Answer Given to Wilson'S Appeal.
The answer" he report says was a
Republican majority in both the Senate
and the House.
Hence the United States Senate Is
performing its imperative duty under
the most recent mandate from the .i,rer-
7
stitution OF the United States, when the
majority Of the Senators urge that their
| advice and consent shall be obtained in
| fair and appropriate manner, and
when they protest against a procedure
on the part OF the President which
| tends practically to deprive them of the
! power to advise and consent In any just
| and reasonable sense, and which would
| leave them in a position of having TO
In, al -hn1 fha Ngf
! important and far reaching treaty ever
negotiated in our history under the coer-
! cion of a situation deliberately created"
/ As TO the manner of appointment OF
! the American delegates at the Peace
| Conference the report says;
! 1T may be seen At and proper
to reflect at this point upon the fact
! that, of all the great nations at the
! Peace Conference. we are the only
! one whose delegates are not immedI-
ately responsible to the elected repre-
| sutatives of the people. Thus tho
Premiers of England, France and
Italy represent their respective lesis-
| lauve bodies and they could not con-
! tinue for day under any circum-
! stances to speak for or commit their
nations unless they had the support
and confidence of a majority Of the
| peoples Representatives.
other Nations Can Invoke Recall
Each OF their legislative bodies
! can at once recall Its representatives
| IL dissatisfied with their action or
Judgment No European Premier
would venture TO proceed and commit
his country in defiance of his. peo.
pies representatives.
1T would, therefore, be surely quite
an anomaly and a unique and OK
| traordinary situation, in a world to
be made safe for democracy, If the
delegates of the American people
! alone could act independently of their
| legislative body. If they were en-
| titled TO do so. the founders would
have established very defective sys-
tenn, wholly unrepublican and unrep-
resentative in character and danger
GUS in principle, and in practical ef-
! feet our national Government would
! then be little short of an autoCracy,
although the autocrat would be cleo
! tive
! AT any rate 1t must needs be clear
that the founders had no intention of
vest!ng the treaty making power
solely in the President and delegates
appointed by him without the advice
and consent of the Senate
|