The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-26
Let lis Have Peace.


the real war that is to say, by decla-
ration of peace by the Congress.
1t is two years now since President
WILSON, under his own signature, reg
istered the fact that war was over.
His personal declaration to that effect
was inadvertent but truthful.
For two years the fiction of war
has been maintained by an obstinate
Executive. 1t has been maintained
for no other purpose than that the
Executive might continue to exercise
in time of peace the extraordinary
powers conferred upon him by the
legislative department for carrying on
the war that has ceased to be. The
fictitious war has been trump card
in the hand Of the player Of a game
for Unconstitutional results; for
individual prestige at the price Of ma
tional ENHANCEMENT.
Fictitious war has been kept a-going
during all these months as an instru-
ment for the coercion of the Congress
and the country into acQuiescence In
his policy.
Thrice has Mr.. WILSON sought and
failed TO obtain some sort of colorado
warrant for his enterprise. The first
time was when JAMES HAMILTON
LEwIs'S resolution proposed to remit
from the Capitol to the White House
a blank check of authority to con
clude peace by the Presidents uncon-
trolled decisions. The second time
was when he appealed directly to the
people to vote approval, at the Con
gress elections Of 1913. of whatever
he might do in his transactions with
Europe The third time was when.
after rejecting these warnings and
proceeding on his own way exactly
as if they had not been pronounced,
Mr.. WILSON again went over the
heads of the Congress and demanded
of the people a vote of confidence or
rejection at the great and solemn
referendum of twenty-four days ago ;
the final appeal which had its sting
ing answer in the shape Of seven
million adverse majority.
Throughout this unparalleled eX-
pertinent Of Executive assumption
Mr.. WILSON has persistently refused
TO let peace come except in his pre-
determined and self-determined man.
ner He has used the war powers of
war now two years in the past for
all they were worth to keep the nation
out of the peace that would have
been recognized technically and legally
long ago but for him.
THE NEW YORK HERALD is as far
as any newspaper can possibly be
from the desire TO renew arguments
and recite principles that have been
disposed Of by definite verdict; or,
again. to dwell now upon the almost
incredible consequences of the Presi-
dents obstinacy. But while the war
status still endures, Notwithstanding
the actually of peace, the question OF
the powers of the Executive in rela.
ton to the powers of the Congress is
yet Enclosed and vital.
As fictitious as the present war sta
tns itself is the theory that, although
the declaration of war belongs to Con
gress. the termination OF the war de
clared by Congress is the exclusive
function Of the Executive. That
theory, which has lent itself so con.
/ veniently to Mr.. WILSON'S now
/ thwarted plans. is the outgrowth OF
( the system Of constitutional interpre
tatiOn leading TO the assumption by
I the President of authority not ex
pressly vested in his office by the great
chart Of our Governments carefully
separated powers How many people
who have been led by reiterated as
sertion to believe that the initiative
of peace is solely with the President
remember that the assertion or i'm
plicaHon rests solely upon the claus,
that gives the President power, by
and with the advice and consent oi
the Senate. to make treaties; and tha
nowhere in the Constitution Is there
a word combining the declaration OF
peace to n treaty declaration?
In seeking warrant for a method Of
ending the nominal status OF wal
which has long ago ceased 10 be ac
tual, the weight Of argument by lmpli
cation. in the absence Of express pro
vision, would certainly be with thos'
who hold that the power 10 terminate
is implied in the expressed power e
begin, especially when the power 1,
begin is accompanied by such Other
grants as those which enable Con
gress 70 end n real war at any time
by Withholding appropriations for IL
conduct or by recognizing on peac,
basis the military and naval forces
required to carry on hostllitles.
Senator KNOX prepared and sub
mitted in December Of 1918 n resolu
ton which. If adopted, would have
ended the war, unshackled business
terminated uncertainty and put IN
,.rc,,or gauuopaa tho Ifffnrnnt ,,,,a