The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-05-04
PACT
ACCEPTABLE
TO HARDING
Measure, Originally Intended
To Rebuke Wilson, Shorn
of Elements Constituting In
vasion Of Prerogative.
ONLY ONE RIFT IN Lutte
ny MARK SULLIVAN

ny MARK SULLIVAN
WASHINGTON. D. c.. May At is
undeniable that in the minds of some
member of the foreign relations COM
mittee Of the senate and in the minds
of some other senators as well, there !
is disposition to assert right on !
their part to participate in those ne
gotiations with other countries which
are just ahead of US.
The passage of the Knox resolution |
by the senate is frequently described |
as an act coming within this intention.
This does not happen to be true The
passage of the Knox resolution in the
form in which it passed was wholly
agreeable to President Harding and
Secretary Hughes and was not re-
ever of the constitutional prerogative
of the executive.
Intended Rebuke.
1t is true that as originally written
the Knox resolution for separate
peace with Germany was in a form
which invaded the constitutional pre-.
rogative of the executive and was
felt by President Harding to be an
emharra ssment of him in his conduct
OF our difficult foreign relations when
Senator Knox originally wrote his
resolution, two years ago. 1t was
frankly designed as a rebuke to the
then President Wilson. 1t was de-
signed as a means of accomplishing
by act of congress thing which Pres
of the executive.
Still late on January 1 of this year
when Senator Knox visited President
Harding at Marion and announced his
continued intention of introducing his
original resolution and pressing it to
passage, that was an act in the nature
of taking the initiative in foreign
affairs. This disposition on the part
OF the senate to take in foreign
affairs a degree of initiative which by
law and custom belongs to the execu-
tive continued up to the time Presi-
dent Harding assumed his office on
March 4. = 8 8 .s'sss s. I. s.
Harding Wires
At one time one of the most power
ful Republican senators declared pub
licly that it did not matter much who
should be secretary of state inasmuch
as the senate would be the pioneer in
our foreign affairs But since taking
office here Harding. in the gentlest
and yet firmest way, has turned the
senate away from any turbulence of
disposition on its part. President
Harding brought it about that the
Knox resolution should be shorn Of
, those elements which constituted an
invasion of the executive preroga-
| tive.
To President Harding's urgings
Knox and the other senators have
yielded without outward grace. If the
senators still have feeling that their
superior knowledge of our foreign af-
fairs, acquired through long study of
the complications of the league of ma
tions. ought to give them a larger
hand in foreign affairs, they do not
say SO openly nor act on that convic-
ton.
PIeases Harding
The Knox resolution, in abbreviated
/ form, in which it was passed, was not
only completely satisfactory to Presi-
dent Harding, but is an essential part
of the plan of President Harding and
| Secretary Hughes. In untangling the
| chaos of our foreign affairs there is
not at the moment any issue between
President Harding and the senate
So far as there has recently been an
issue. the senate has yielded grace
fully. The enormously difficult busi-
ness of untangling our foreign affairs
| is wholly in the hands of President
Harding and Secretary Hughes, and
the way in which they are going
about it comma nds the confid ence and
Difference of everybody in Washing
ton, including congress.
One Faint Rift
The only faint rift in the lutte is a
| certain degree Of impatience on the
part Of congress with delay in bring
ing about disarmament. 1t is apparent
! that President Harding and Secretary
| Hughes, in their plans for our foreign
relations do not consider that the time
is quite arrived either for reducing
| our own armament or for proposing an
agreement for disarmament. For the
moment congress is willing to accept
, the judgment of the executive on this
! point without inquiring into it closely.
But there can be no doubt that by
the time, now only about nine months
distant, when another appropriation
! for the army and navy becomes neces-
sary, congress will expect President
Harding to have taken adequate steps
| toward disarmament, and will refuse
| the necessary appropriations unless
/ he has done so.
| Copyright 1921 by the New York
! Evening Post, Inc.)