The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-08-12
MORE WILSON DUPLICITY
REVEALED BY DR.. HILL
Former Ambassador Declares Claims
of President to Treaty Authority
Are Invalid.

duplicity of President Wilson in plead
ing for the ratification of the league
of nations without change and in
claiming that he had received full au-
thority to bring about such a result
are supplied by David Jayne Hill, for
mer ambassador to Germany and Sec
rotary of State. He says
In his famous appeal to the cleo
torate, of October 20, 1918, he had said
to the people: If you approve of my
leadership and wish me to be your un-
embarrassed spokesman in affairs at
home and abroad, earnestly beg you
will express yourselves Enthusiastically
to that effect by returning a Demo-
cratic majority to both the Senate and
the House of Representatives.
I'm November, the country had ex-
pressed itself, Enthusiastically; but it
offered no mandate to an unembarrass-
ed spokesman in affairs at home and
abroad A Republican Congress-, he
had said, would divide the leadership.
1t was thus made perfectly evident to
the President that, If the wishes of the
people wer to be respected, the choice
of policy as he had said, would not
rest with him alone.
There was in the country, and the
President well understood it, a wide
spread conviction that he had never at
any time rightly comprehended the in
International situation. His theories
were closet theories. Either he had
not known, or had not cared, when
laws against the violation of neutral
territory were disregarded, that they
were part Of solemn compel with
this country. He had attempted even
to silence our consciences on great
questions of right and wrong, by i'm
| posing a personal neutrality in
thought as well as deed. He had for
a long time expressed ignorance OF
what the war was about. At time
when the whole world was in commo-
ton, he had sent abroad diplomatic
representatives of our country who
either did not know the condition oil
Europe, or were afraid to inform him
lest he would consider that theil
minds were no longer going along
with his. II is no exaggeration to say
that, after all the vast sacrifices of the
war, the mind Of tn ecountry was dis
turbed with the thought that the Pres
ident personally intended to contro
the negotiations for peace.
81 shall not dwell upon this migrate
full theme. But repel the accusation
that the honor of the country ~ IN
volved in this business in any manner
that reflects upon the majority of the
Senate of the United States, or upor
any who, In a temperate spirit and If
the light of knowledge, have resisted
the ratification of this treaty, with the
obligations which the President has
personally endeavored to impose upor
the country. If honor has anywhere
ben compromised, the American peo
pie will Judge by whom and wherein
while 1t is clearly within the prov
ince Of the President of the United
States to negotiate treaties, it is moi
within his constitutional power tC
promise the ratification of any o.
theih contents; for the reason that thu
process Of treaty-making is poin
procedure, in which 1t is necessary
that two-thirds of the Senators shall
concur. It is, therefore, malicious
act to censure any Senator for re
fusal to give his advice and consent Il
any treaty, or any part of any treaty
which he may for any reason regart
as prejudicial to the interests Of hi
country. On the other hand, since tn
President is thus restricted by tn
fundamental law from forcing his owl
IDEAS upon the country, II Is his plat
: