Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-04-08
ACE RESOLUTION
HOCKS OUT ALL
|j0URNMEN7 PLAN
sure Will Keep Congress and
g President IT. Perpetual
arrare for the Next Few
ontns Without Getting
ither Side Anywhere
Hy DAVID LAwUENCE

Hy DAVID LAWRENCE
'o,vrau, 1920 by tho Free Prcss)
sh,ngton. Apr 4.-Confercrces be-
republican loald,rs In both the
tc and House confirm the impress
gained earlier in tie week that
am mas been outlined with respect
Ia 1oint resolution declaring peace
!, will keep Congress ana the exacu-
in perpetual warfare for the next
months without getting either side
fhcrc.
t as President wilson struck sndg
gnoring tho Senate, whose advic"
consent ga necessary n making
ies, 80 are tas rrpubl!cnns In CON
likely To run up against insuporae!c
oies in their efforts TO negotiate an
ument with Germany In Violation of
constitutional; proroGati,e which vests
hover OF negotiation In tho prSa!-
Sst not all the republicans ere
to 10 held into the acceptance OF
aakeshift proposal of peace by joi1t
rtioa. Infue.,tin! republicans OF bon
sena,s and the House IRE preparing
Itc agains, I!,> nicus,irc.
begins to LOOK ae * many of the re-
cans in tho 1ious. who come from
which favor the peace treaty with
.odg. reservations Will decline to
for 4 resolution whose validity Is
- serious question and Wh:ch. as
opponents arc prepared TO demon
c. may involve the United States In
err complications with Germany.
Ter The language Of the Joint reso-
Germany would obtain all the
S of the treaty of Versailles. This
IS incidentally all the rights which
covenant of the League of Nations
8 to member States. Germany, II
fgued. would be in a position even
he she was admitted to the league to
the solution Of any questions affect
he rights of American citizens to
lges sustained during the war if the
resolution becomes the law of the
hd States.
while the resolution will he attack
the House by Republicans as we'll as
bcrats. indications are that 1t will
The Senate leaders have been in
ant conference lately with House
RS and assured themselves of that
Yet the path of the resolution In
Senate is far from rosy. While
democrats may have split on the
ion of reservations, largely because
any of them thought the treaty Will
Lodge reservations was better thar
at ali. the full strength of the
with the exception of two or three
will be mustered against the joint
|Ition. The Republican mild reserv!
lists are reported to he unwilling tc
BIT the responsibility of the effects
e joint resolution and some of them
vote against it. Constitutional law
like Senators Cummins of Iowa, and
of Rhode Island are hardly expected
ipport the proposal because of its
us effort to negotiate an agreement
foreign government
is quite possible that by the time
Senate gets through with the meas
he resolution may be amended 81
it advises the President to declare
hte of peace and proceeds in th'
act To declare the purpose 70
wartime legislation was passet
\ at an end.
thing seems certain: there will
most as much debate in the Senat
the joint resolution is up for dis
on as when the peace treaty itsel
on the calendar. But the Demo
look forward to the tussle as the.
10 a field day. For instead o
on the defensive as they have beel
ghout the treaty fight, they are nov
,rinC to take the offensive agains
publican proposal. The Democrat
been i'm the position Of defendin
reaty while the Republicans pune
1t with holes. They will now star
lex flaws in the joint resolution
will have on their side a wealt
Fecedents about the express and i'm
powers of Congress. Chiefly the
be able to point to the journal O
Constitutional convention wherein
pm was made to give Congress tn
to declare peace as we'll as wal
tion that was unanimously heater
action was taken largely becaus
g trouble the confederation of co
had in getting the treaty wit
md ratified. They found that It wa
nwieldy and difficult procedure fc
legislative body to attempt to nj
to treaties. II was decided to gi,
senate n check on the power of tn
tive by the ratification power bl
revision was made for the negoti;
of treaties or agreements with 70
governments except through the e,
vc. Other foreign government
tain the same practice. as treat,
iaing is considered an exeoutiv
Ion.
Fnbers Of Congress who have bee
nG up the presidents find that WIFI
ress can advise the president to d
peace. even then the President
found to accept the advice. Justi,
one of the most eminent of Anne
lurists, makes that clear in h
7entaries on the Constitution. Elm
lg the arguments that will be mat
nd con to forward the political plai
'tb the Democrats and Republican
campaign year, tho truth Ia mo
10 Republicans themselves do n
~ the e-by-joint-resolutit
od will prevail. They know 1t is
orary oxpedien; designed to bridI
zap while the Issue of the treaty al
q Is written into thu platforms
wo political conventions and carrie
the national campaign.