Evening star., 1921-02-28
Editorial Digest
The Presidents Peace Expenses.

The Presidents Peace Expenses.
The tendency toward an official truce
in the running fire of press comment
on the merits Of President Wilson
during the last days of his ad-
ministration ended suddenly. Discus
sion of the resolution calling for an
itemized statement of the $150.000.000
war fund, including the Presidents
personal disbursements at the peace
conference, reopened hostilities- On
the whole, Mr.. Wilson's defenders
, have been more vehement. as well
as more widely vocal, in their coun-
ter attack than the offense. though
here and there a bitter voice is raised
! against the administration.
Perhaps the strongest example of
recurring anti-Wilsonism is given by
the Parkersburg CIV. Va.) News Gre
pubiican). which says: so long as
President Wilson camoufiages his dis
ourSements of sum which in ordi-
nary times equals one-fifth the an
nual cost of the whole government
so long as he covers up what he spent
the money for. the public is justified
in suspecting there's a reason"
This sentiment, while not at all
typical of the majority Of the papers,
represents a feeling which to a lesser
degree is reflected elsewhere in the
country. The Hartford Courant (re-
publican) asks what harm can come
from having the American people
know what became of the money.
The Pittsburgh Leader progressive
republican, objects to the idea that
dAnocratic President-like an old
fashioned king-can do no wrong.
and the Florida Times-Union, Jack
sonville (democratic), supports this
sentiment, suggesting that the demo-
cratic attack on the measure may
have been based OF the theory of tine
Presidents divine right to spend money
as he pleased. and that it was no.
body's business how he spent it, An
accounting is demanded by democ-
racy, the Leader explains, mot be-
cause there is a belief that something
has been put over but because it IS
the business way Of keeping the rec
ord complete, clear and unquestion-
able"
Not only did Congress imply no
"suspiciou." the Detroit Free Press
independently adds. but it likewise
intended no "disrespect."
The New York Tribune (republican)
speaks with less restraint.
Congress- it says, ''is only obey
ing a general and highly proper de-
mand when it tackles the financial
expenditures of that interesting pc
riod and asks what for and why"
. The Presidency confidential
expenses in Paris is an entry utterly
unbefitting diplomacy in behalf of
republic in this day and generation
To the st. Louis Star independently.
which agrees that Congress has a
right to information concerning any
expenditures of public moneys. the
resolution is. nevertheless. the last
in Of
retiring President"
To the New York World demo
cratic) the 'object of the resolution
was not to obtain fuller information,
but to insult the President and his
prompt offer to comply has come ito
the certain chagrin of the House
Simply Smiling for scandal the
Brooklyn Eagle independent demo-
cratic) calls the demand. for If
Congress wants to know more about
expenditures it should ask for infor-
nation from various departments. as
was done following the Spanish
American war The Knoxville
Sentinel independent democratic)
brings up the same point and adds
but the present Congress is plainly
not after crooks, if there were any
in the world-war episode, but they
are after Wilson"
The Wilmington On. c. Star (dem-
ocratic) considers the action of the
republicans Deneatn lntelllSeHl anu
dignified opposition and remarks
that the next thing to expect is "a
resolution requiring the President to
count out to a designated House
committee S150.000,000 in nickels and
dimes" The New York Globe Gnde-
pendent) dismisses the matter with
short ironical comment: Nobody
cares about these items now, but they
did give several congressman an
opportunity to settle down, buZZard-
like. over the last days of President
Wilson's presidency"
In the opinion of the Chattanooga
Times independent democratic), the
American people care nothing about
the expenditure of that fund and "a
contemplate spirit" Of the congress
men who prompted the act "outrages
the sentiment of the country and
reflects severely on the people who
elected them" The Norfolk Ledger
Dispatch independent democratic)
takes the viewpoint, shared by many
others, that certain items of the fund,
for necessary secret service and the
like, could not in propriety be re-
veaIed.
The Dallas Journal Gndependent
democratic) sees morbid curiosity"
at the bottom of the demand. and
the Richmond Times-Dispatch (demo-
cratic) feels that public sentiment,
without regard to it's political com
plexion. will deeply resent this
despicable attempt at rejecting on
the integrity of the sick President"
The Houston Chronicle Independently
expresses the regret that some one
as robust and skillful as Gen. Dawes
was not present when the measure