New-York tribune., 1920-12-08
Message Also Includes a
Plea for Economy That
Evokes lrouical Com.
ment by Some Senators
League aud Treaty
Are Not Mentioned
Reading Is Marked by Alb
sence of Enthusiasm:
Leaders Express Views
By Carter Field

0late independence or the PhlNp-
pines, q large loan to Armenia and
strict economy in appropriations were
the three chief recommendation Of
President Wilson in his formal mes
sage to Congress to-day. He mads
no mention of the peace treaty.
The President sent the message in
writing, according to the old fashion,
this being the first occasion on which
he did not appear in person at the
opening of session of Congress
with the exception of the time he
was in Paris.
Failure Of the President to include
any reference to the peace treaty
left that situation just where it was.
1t had been understood in some quar-
ters that the President would leave
the whole question of peace to .
later effort, probably with view.
when he gets little stronger. to
delivering a last message in person
to the Senate and concentrating, at
that time, all the dramatic light on
that one subject.
The fact that the peace treaty Is
the business of the Sennte and not OF
both branches OF Congress is another
reason why the President did not in
clude any reference to It in his for
.,ol ,,,occ,,,o
No Chance for Treaty
Opinions among friends Of The Pres
dent vary as to whether he viii re-
submit the Versailles treaty TO the
Senate. It is generally conceded that
there is no possible chance Of it being
ratified. even If the Senators VINO voted
to ratify it last March and prior to
that in November should wish to do
So and r the Democrats who followed
the Presidents orders TO Kill it should
now reverse their action.
The opportunity for the Senate TO
ratify the treaty with the Lodge rese--
vations- offered twice TO the Admin
istration by the Republican leadership
has passed IN the short session now
begun very much smaller group of
Senator'S tnan the ilreconcilabies
would be perfectly competent 10 talk
any measure to death.
No matter wnat the President does
about the treaty, therefore, the peace
moves viii wait until after Mar q
The President urged the enactment
Of a workable bulge. system. assert
ing that the bill now before Congress,
as amended after his veto at the las,
session, might meet the requirements
Of the situation
Another recommendation called Tor
a revision Of the tsx laws, with SIM
plfication Of the income and excess
The President also asked for the en-
actment of cold storage and othef
laws affecting prices and Ior no
licensing of corpofations IN accord
ance with Recommendations ne mace
in previous messages
The message further suggested tns
enactment of laws Tor the renablli-a~
ton and training Of disabled so.d'ers
and sailors, but he cld not stgses'
| bonus.
President should have called On Cor
grcss to practice economy aIte' no
had permitted his own depar'mene
heads, who would he compelled at a
mere word from him to revise tAe!r
demands downward, 10 send IN es-i-
mates calling for hundreds Of millions
of dollars more than they were al
lowed last year. The surprise was
the greater because the departmenr
heads. it would seem, should be able
to economic more intelllsently II
they did the cutting themselves than
if Congress does il 18th an axe.
Philippine Idea No Surprise
The demand for Independence Of the
PHILIPPINES occasioaed no surprise.
When the present Philipp'nes bill,
generally called the Jones &ct, after
the late William A. Jones, chairman
of the House Insular Affairs Commit
tee. was pending in Congress Presl-
dent Wilson supported an amendment
proposed by Senator James p. Clarke,
! Of Arkansas, which would have given
! the islands complete independence n
from two to four years after the bills
pa ssage.
The Senate adopted this amendment,
and when the House seemed 20 ba'k
President Wilson wrote a letter to Mr..
Jones which was read TO the Den"-
cratic caucus, urging the House TO a.*-
cept this Senate amendment. Gniv a
bolt by the Tammany members aro tbe
So vote AGAINST I 5y the Republican
members Of the House prevented this
country then from taking action Witch
would mean that the islaAds would
have been turned adrift on chaotic
world just while the peace conference
was having its troubles. The Clarke
amendment was viewed with such frank
apprehension by Secretary OF War Gar
rison that the Presidents insistence
on it was assigned by him as one Of
the reasons for his resignation.
In the Senate less than half tho
members listened to the reading OF
the message, and while Democratic
women in the galleries applauded 1t
the close of the reading. lis reception
was strikingly cool so far as the mem
bership itself was concerned. Smiles
went around the Republican side over
some Of the recommendations. Thc
House was silent while the mcssacs