Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-02
Peace by Resolution

| II Is not surprising that President Wilson
| should give notice to the House that he
| cannot give his approval to the knowledge
project for Il declaration OF peace with Ger
| many by joint resolution of Congress Nor
| is il surprising to find that enough votes
will be cast against that measure to make
| its adoption over the veto of the President
impossible.
Peace can only come in an orderly and
decent way. through the negotiation OF a
treaty with Germany. One treaty already
has been negotiated and has been ratified
by all the parties to it except the United
States The American Senate has rejected
that measure on the ground that sufficiently
drastic reservations were incorporated in
the resolution OF ratification to nulify 1t.
Having accomplished that, Republican lead
ers in the Senate, apprehensive of the SEN
timent throughout the country, conceived
the idea of hurrying the war to an official
end by the passage OF joint resolution.
President Wilson from the outset of the
treaty controversy has opposed the con-
clusion of peace in this irregular manner.
The Constitution charges the President with
the conduct of this governments foreign
affairs. The Senate may assent to or reject
any treaty which may be negotiated, but it
cannot take such foreign affairs out of the
hands of the executive. The passage OF n
peace resolution, as proposed, would directly
take from the hands of the President the
most important foreign relationship this
government has been involved in since the
Civil War.
The fact that the President is opposed to
the peace resolution and will veto it. if it
is passed. imposes upon him the duty and
the necessity of making some peace OF his
own. The matter cannot remain in abey-
ance for an indefinite period or time The
war cannot 80 on forever Some step must
be taken, and If the President prevents Con-
gress taking that step. as he is justified in
doing. then he must take it himself
Several courses are open to him He
may recast the treaty of Versailles Ia meet
some OF the opposition, resu bmit it to the
Senate and request it's further consideration.
To do this will be to invite another long
period of delay. The new treaty will have
10 go once more to the Foreign Relations
committee, be studied by that body and
finally reported out with recommendations
thereafter it will be debated for weeks and
perhaps for months, and it might again be
rejected. Or the President can undertake
the negotiation OF separate treaty of peace
with Germany. But before he can under
take that he must know more about the gov
crnment of Germany. Since the militarist
revolution the world has not known who
actually is in power in the old empire, with
whom it would be safe to make peace over
lures and what responsibility would be be-
hind any negotiations which might be un-
dertaken.
Finally, the President may resort 10 a
modus vivendi under which the status quo
would be maintained until such time as this
government can proceed safely with it's
consideration OF separate peace with the
enemy This last course seems, oThand, to
be the only one the President can follow as
matters now stand here and in Germany