The Bozeman courier., 1921-02-09

the president has accepted, his SER
vices to collect and arrange for ready
reference the papers and documents In
Mr.. Wilson's possession relating to
the work of the peace conference. The
files are bing put in shape to facili-
tate the preparation Of a book by
! Mr.. Wilson when he has retired from
the White House and resumed the
status Of a private citizen. 1t Is
understood that for several weeks Nj.
! Baker has passed part Of each day at
the White House asserting the Yer
sailles data, and presumably the presi
dent will take it with him to mis- Of
flee in his new residence.
Is this the material that Mr.. VIII
son refused to transmit to the sem
ate by his failure to respond to reso-
buttons requesting it? In all the
months that the peace treaty was un-
der consideration in the foreign re-
lations committee and in the senate
itself, senators We're denied access TO
the data upon which the league and
treaty were based and which was
available at all times to the president
while he was in Paris. Is the origi-
nal copy Of the peace treaty itself, re
turned to the president by the senate,
to be included in the collection and
carted away to take its place in the
private files of Mr.. Wilson?
There should be q way found TO
prevent such wholesale spoiation of
the United States recOds of state. Mr.
, Wilson is now president, and as such
is charged by the constitution with
p the negotiation of treaties. Our fU-
: ture relations with Germany are still
n undetermined, and the president has
. the power to-resume negotiations with
+ her at any time; indeed, it has been
: his duty to do so ever since the re
- lection of the Versailles treaty by
IS the senate. While matters remain in
n their present state it is proper that
/ the president retain in his possession
&c the data bearing on the war and its
h termination.
v But it will likewise become the
r duty Ct President Harding to take up
al cur international relations in the con-
,e dition in which they ore left by his
n predecessor and endeavor to restore
is them to normal once more. In the
g. discharge OF that duty he has a right
NO to all public records that are now al
y the hand Of Mr.. Wilson. Such records
at are the property of the United State:
4bos,. f,,4v,r.o ehnr1lI h., wifi n
spect to such international negotia
tions as may be entered upon bI
President Harding or his successors
It may be proper to permit CitizeI
ID Wilson or any other duly accredite'
w citizen access to them for referenc
NJ in the writing of history or for an.
re- other purpose, but that they shall be
'~e come a part of the personal memo
randa of Woodrow Wilson is unthink
lg, able.
is The president made the fatal mis-
ex- take while in Paris Of treating tn
Use Versailles treaty as an undertaken
me between Germany, the allies, an
inn Woodrow Wilson, the individual, ratl
by er than President Wilson, the ageI
a Of 10000, 900 American citizens.
was largely because Of his disregaI
er- Of their interests that the treat
re: was unceremoniously rejected by the
/? elected representatives in the senat
ers Now apparently he assumes that re
paw ords and documents that formed
,ar. part of those negotiations are h
us personal property instead of a pa
can of the national archives. Mr.. Wilson
me mind should be disabused of tn;
in idea before March 4th., and before
has a chance to carry his plant
ink. conmiscation into effect.