The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-05-04

course not actually bind foreign gov
arnment unless so notified by the execu
tive branch of the United States govern
ment with whom it deals exclusively in
matters OF that kind. Congress can't |
under our constitution enter into com |
nunlcatIon or negotiation with foreign /
governments.
mus, broadly speaking, President Will |
SON cannot veto the Knox resolution, as |
II merely expresses an opinion or re-
quests him to adopt certain course.
and before the resolution is finally
passed by the senate. the fact that CON
gress requests" rather than .'orders"
the executive branch of the government
TO safeguard all claims or rights which
would otherwise come to us under the
treaty of Versailles itself will be empha ::
sized, and all constitutional or technical
objections to the Knox resolution twill
have been removed.
The President would have to choose
some general ground for yetoing the
Knox resolution. And his action would
be unprecedented. Hefcould say that the
treaty of Versailles is already in opera
ton and that he believes it to be the best
compromise agreement that can be OBJ
tanned and more advantageous past to
the United States than a separate peace
with Germany. He could, moreover. re-
iuse to negotiate with Germany sepa-
| rately, arguing that it would be a viola
! ten OF the terms of the armistice agree
ment signed by all the associated pow
| ers las the basis of peace and a with
drawal of our moral obligation to stand
| with the allies with whom we fought the
war.
But the task of .vetoing measure
whose main action is merely a repeal of
domestic legislation and request for a
new treaty is not going to be an EASY one
for the President and the Democratic
party.
Indeed house Democrats themselves
proposed a substitute resolution repeal
ing war time laws. From the Presi
dents viewpoint, it might be more com
Portable not to sign the joint resolution
at all but allow it to become law after
the lapse of 10 days and then to send
| back to the senate the treaty of Yer.
sailles as his defiant answer to the re-
quest for a separate peace with Ger
many. This would throw the whole
matter into the campaign as the Presi
dent on the one hand and Senate,
Lodge on the other are eager to do. But
the request for separate peace will
Germany" was denounced by President
Wilson on his western trip and from Tho
statement issued by Homer Cummings
the Democratic national chairman. it i.
apparent that the Democrats will try /,
revive the wartime hate of Germany b,
refusing to beg the Huns to make
separate peace" On the other hand. TIN
demand in the allied countries for re
vision of the treaty of Versailles has bee
taken up to some extent in the Unitet
, States and there are political group
who would be quick to contend tina
hope of forcing a revision of the Yer
! sailles treaty lies in the negotiation o
separate peace with Germany
!, Senator Knox speaks on Wednesday i
defense of his resolution. Administra
tion Democrats led by Senators Hitch
), cock and Underwood will make reply
There viii be plenty of talk for the mex
, month, possibly a repeal of some Of til
/ wartime laws, but no commercial agree
: ments or treaties with Germany or Aus
tria until the American people at tn
:, polls next November have decide
whether they want the treaty Of Yel
! sailles with reservations or interpreta
{ tions or a new treaty with Germany alto
Z. 0ether