The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-04
KNOX PROPOSAL
LESS OBJECTIONABLE
TO White HOUSE
By DAVID nAwRHNcE,
tCopyrtgat BY The rutelltSeneer)

WASHINGTON. D. c. May 3
Neither President Wilson nor the Dem
ocrats IN the senate who follow MS
leadership are particularly pleased w'th
the changes made BY Senator kniN IN
the resolution declaring state OIL
peace which was passed by thv Ncpuo-
lican majority in the nous. OF represent
tativeS. but II Is tact that tnS Nt'GS -,
proposal il less objectionable than us
Predecessor and makes more dtlIcuIt
Veto message from the White House.
Two courses ~ act are DTinS uE tn
batcd by the Demo wn'thHL "
center their opposite On the hnoA
resolution and by cont. .suouS tax deIay
action until after the two poutcat con
vcntionS next month have humlnaIco
candidates FOR the presidency. or 10 re-
rho resolution paSS--tor the kepuph-
cans probably have the rotcs--~anu thuS
be able when the conventions arrive TO
point out that the joint resolution
doesn't make peace.
Senator Knox, who was once an at
toeruy general and Il secretary OF STATE
OF tho United States, rcwrote the house
resolution with an eye IL tuture SrltI-
ciSm. lie recognized At ono" that tne
congress could not bind the executive
branch OF the government rs 10 the
kind OF treaty Of peace II should heso-
tiate and that II would be thc Sttnp'eSt
thing in the world for President NIISoh
TO veto the resolution anu N4NS "'ie
precedents to support his action. 80
after repeating all the war time iesis-
lation of a domestic character ana tor.
bidding, moreover, the dlSposl'l9n o5
the German property In the CntIeu
states taken by authority OF the trad
ing with the enemy act, another CON
gressional privilege. the Knox resolu-
tion would merely request the prest-
dent to open peace Negotiations WIZ WI
Germany. In so far. also; as the reso-
luton declares that the United States
does not waive any rights in the mean
time which Il might get under Ih
treaty OF Versailles. this; too ToGia
merely be the expression OF an opinion
hv congress and would OF course not
actually bind foreign government un-
less so notified by the executive oranch
OF the United States government. WIN
whom II deals exclusively in matters OF
that kind Congress can't under our
constitution enter into communication
or negotiation with foreign govern
"e''' Less Objectionable.
Thus. broadly speaking, President
Wilson cannot veto the Knox resolution
merely because it expresses an opinion
or requests him TO adopt a certain II
course. And before the resolution Is IS
T,St'y ma congress- requests" rather than
orders" the executive branch or inc
government to safeguard all claims or
rights which would othSrTisEs TcTs,,ss SSpS Itself
will be emphasized. and all constltu-
tjonaI or technical objections TO the
Knox resolution win have been re-
moved. .. .hooso
sorne general ground for Tetoing the
Knox resolution and his action wouIo
he unnrecedented. He could say that
the treaty of Versailles IS already IN
operation and that ne oenesss tS.t ~ .sn %
the host compromise agreement tnat 60
he oStaaHed and q more advantageous
nsct TO the United States than separ,
ATE peace with Germany. He couio
moreover refuse 10 negotiate WIN
Germany separately arguing that 1t
would be violation OF the 'srn' T " ,hs %
armistice agreement signed oy an me
associated powers as the basis OF the
neace treaty and a withdrawal or our
moral obligation to stand with the
allies with whom We iouSn' 'no ""''
Not An Easy Task.
But the task Of vetoing message
whose main action Is merely repeat
OF domestic legislation ana reauese 81
for a new treaty is not going TO De an
snsv ono for the President and the
Democratic party. Indeed. the houSe
Democrats themselves proposed SUP
stitute resolution repeating war tine
laws, From the presidents viewpoint, II
might be moro comfortable not TO sign
the lolnt resolution at all but allow II
10 become law after the lapse OF Ten
days and then to send back TO the SEN
,ts the Treaty of Versailles as his de-
sant answer 10 the request for sep
arate peace with Germany. This would
throw the whole matter into tho cam
paign as the President on the one hand
and Senator Lodge. on the other are
eager TO do. But the request Tor a
"separatc peace with Germany was de-
nouncAd by President Wilson on his
western trip and from the statement
issued by Homer Cummings. the Demo-
cratic national chairman, II IS appar-
ent that the Democrats will try to re-
yiye toe wartime hate OF Germany by
refusing to beg the Huns TO make a
separs te peace" On the other hand.
the demand in the allied countries for
afeylsion of the treaty or Versailles
Mo- heen taken to some extent in the
United states and there are political
Sro,,ns who would be quick 10 contend
,hst homo OF forcing a revision Of the
Versailles treaty lies In the negotiation
- separate peace with Germany.
Senator Knox speaks on Wednesday
Z, defense OF his resolution. Admins
tration Democrats led by Senator's
Jitchcock and Underwood will make re-
NV There will BE- plenty OF talk Tor
Tho next rnoath. possibly repeal or
Some OF the war time laws. but no COM
rosrcial agreements or treaties with
Csrmanv or Austria until the American
,sonie AT the polls next November have
5colSed whether they want tho treaty
or Versailles with reservations or inter
prstatiors or new treaty with Ger