New-York tribune., 1920-05-26
Foreign Affairs Com.
mittee to Meet To-day
to Consider Presidents
Request On Armenia
Colby Will Be
First Witness
Republicans See Special
Session Unless Acted On
Before Adjournment

WASHINGTON, May 25.-The House
Foreign Affairs Committee will meet
tomorrow to consider President Will
sons request that he be given author
lty by Congress to accept mandate
over Armenia.
Announcement tonight by Chairman
Porter that the committee had been
called to take up the proposal imme-
d1ately, and that Secretary Colby would
be the first witness, caused widespread
comment among members who had
learned earlier in the day that the
whole mandate question would go over
until after the convention recess.
There was no intimation as to the
reasons for immediate consideration
All reports during the day indicated
that the Senate Foreign Relations Com
mlttee contemplated no early action
and, with the short time remaining be-
tore the recess, the general impression
was that Congress would not have an
opportunity to pass on the question
even If 1t was disposed to give the
President the authority he asked.
Immediate Refusal Seen
Some Democrats, outspoken. in their
opposition to the mandate. SAID thew
construed the call for the meeting to
mean that the Republicans had decided
at the last moment to act immediately
on the Presidents request and refuse
to grant it.
the war by Republicans at number Of
informal conferences, and the opinion
Y res cd by many that in the
event Congress failed to act and then
adjourned Until December, as some
members have urged, the President
might call special session for it's
especial consideration. 1t is known
that Republican leaders have advised
against the possibility of special
summons, and, knowing the sentiment
OF the Senate and House, one of the
leaders declared tonight that the
best thing to do is to get the mandate
question over with"
Proposition Called Absurd
Chairman Porter, in statement,
said he had not had time to confer
with all members of the committee, but
that he regarded "the proposition of
sending American soldiers to Armenia
or any other foreign country for the
purpose of settling their political and
economlcal quarrels as utterly absurd u
"lf my views prevail with the com
mttee," Mr. Porter said 1--WE shall give
the President mandate to follow that
portion of Washington's Farewell Ad-
dress admonishing us to keep out of
European entanglements, or | would
gladly give him power forcibly to in
tervene in Mexico ard stop the murder
and robbery of American citizens which
has been going on for over ten years.
Merely Forcible Intervention
"The word mandate is misleading.
In the past the action suggested bv the
President would have been called forci
Bile intervention with the equivalent to
war.
II the President will apply 'watchful
waiting to Armenia and other foreign
countries and forcible intervention to
distracted Mexico, our immediate neigh
Dor, l could agree with him. but dis
tance appears to lend enchantment to
the Presidential view"
William j. Bryan took fiat issue
with the President on the question
ment that "any mandate is impossible. u
The United States, Mr.. Bryan said,
could do more toward making the world
safe for democracy, "even for democ-
racy in Armenia. by recognizing the
Armenian republic and entering the
league of nations "as the friend of all
little countries"
"Any mandate is impossible" Mr..
Byran's statement said without other
preface.
"The one proposed for Armenia, if
accepted, would involve US in an enor-
nous expenditure in a time when war
taxation is still so grevous burden
that Congress has difficulty in finding
the money necessary to do justice to
the men who served in the World War.
ut would involve us in the politics
of Europe and would compel us to deal
with implacable race hatreds.
1T would involve us in the fierce
commercial rivalry of the big nations.
But, worst of all, it would compel
US to surrender vital principle of
democracy, namely, that all people are
capable Of self-government.
Cites Henry Clay's Views
NEARLY 100 years ago." continued
Mr. Bryan, "Henry Clay set forth the
ing with aspirations of South American
republics. Referring to the old con-
tention of monarchists, that subject
peoples were incapable of self-govern-
ment Clay declared it to be reflec-
tion on the Almighty to assume that
He would create peoples incapable of
government and leave them to be
the victims of kings and emperors.
"All the colonial exploitation of
helpless peoples is defended on the
theory of their incapacity for self
government. We cannot indorse this
theory. 1t would be injurious to the
Armenians instead of a kindness to
affirm or admit them incapable of self
government. If it were once admitted
they would never be permitted to out
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