The Washington herald., 1920-10-08
Not Who Said 1t, But Is 1t So?

THE issue Of vcracity which has arisen between
the President and Senator Spencer, of Mis-
souri,, is embarrassing and in the outcome is
likely to be mortifyng to the gentleman who shall
be shown in the wrong. Senator Spencer is backed
by Senator Reed who shows that the words now
complained of by the President were quoted in
Congress and published in the Record without
Presidential denial Their substance was also used
by Herbert Adams Gibbons in a magazine article
last May, and by DR.. E. J. Dillon in his authorita-
tive book, The Inside History Of the Peace Con-
ference" Not until they came to be employed for
Campaign purposes did the President manifest the
slightest objection to their quotation, to their
imputation to him.
In the controversy as it stands now the advan-
tage is clearly with the Missouri Senator But his
advantage may be but brief. The President has
in his arsenal the big gun which will destroy
all the artfully constru ted fabric OF his adversa-
ries. He has access to the official stenographic
report of the Peace Conference. He can publish
it at any moment-indecd according to the state
ment Of Clemenceau it would have been published
day by day except for Mr.. Wilson's intervention in
favor OF secrecy. But now, with so grave a con-
trovcrsy involved, and the need-however suppos-
utious-tor secrecy having passed, the President
can give to the world the exact record in the
Thus, if the record upholds him, he can confound
his adversares without waiting for the doubtful
and at best inconclusive verdict OF the Missouri
electorate to which he has referred the issue
However the question whether the President did
in fact the phrase quoted is OF less importance
than whether under the Versailles covenant, with
out reservations, the promise he is said to have
made is indeed implied.
These are the words ascribed to the President
in the Congressional Record of February > 1920:
IF THE WORLD SHOULD BETROUBLED
AGAIN, IF THE CONDITIONS WHICH WE
ALL REGARD AS FUNDAMENTAL ARE
CHALLENGED, THE GUARANTEES WHICH
WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU-THAT IS TO
SERBIA AND RUMANIA-WILL PLEDGE
THAT THE UNITED STATES WILL SEND
ITS ARMY AND NAVY ACROSS THE
OCEAN"
President Wilson declares that he used no such
language. Controversy this point is futile so
long as he possesses the verbatim report OF the
discussion and support his denial with con-
vincing proof, if it is to be supported at all.
But while the question OF veracity may for the
moment be lett in abeyance it would be we'll if
the defenders OF the Versailles covenant to the
last letter would say whether the pledges the Pres
Ident IS Said-perhaps incorrecty-to hold as in
herent in that document are in fact there
In other words DOES the covenant pledge this
country in advance to send its army and navy
across seas once in the entirely probable
event that such notoriousy turbulent countries as
Serbia or Rumania take up the sword over some
question OF boundaries, petty national prestige
such as has often led them into war.
The President has succeeded in making the
Versailles dominant issue in the cam
psign and has dragged his party, somewhat reluc-
family, to its support without crossing t. or
dotting an Il" The Republican party. on the con-
trary stands for international association in defense
OF peace, and IS not averse to using the Versailles
covenant as the basis OF that association. But it
demands certain amendments and reservations to
the covenant for the protection OF the United
States from beirg dragged into war for reasons
OF no importance to her people.
The possibility which the President saws he did
not put into words, but which HE HAS NOT
SAID MAY NOT EXIST, is emphaticallv one
against which this people must be guarded A
Republican President and a Republican Senate
would guard against it by suitable reservations to
tie covenant.
Since the determination of Gov Cox dictated
by President Wilson, is that the covenant must
be accepted as it is written it is most desirable
that one the other OF these leaders should
say whether the contingency described in the quo
tation of disputed authorship can arise should the
United States enter the league as constituted
That IS OF vastly more Importance than any ques-
ton as to whether not the President actually
said it.