Part 35 (1/2)

On June 28, 1919, I again cabled the President, as follows:

The White House, Washi+ngton, 28 June, 1919

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, Paris

Received yourthat you do not intend to lift the ban

The Republicans have been industriously spreading the story throughout the country that you in fact have power under the Act of November 21, 1918, to lift the ban I think it important, wise, and politic, therefore, for you tothe following lines: _Quote_ I aal power at this time in the matter of the ban of liquor

Under the Act of November 21, 1918, my power to take action is restricted The Act provides that after June 30, 1919, until the conclusion of the present war and thereafter until the termination of demobilization, the date of which shall be determined and proclaimed by the President, it shall be unlawful, etc This law does not specify that the ban shall be lifted with the signing of peace but with the termination of the demobilization of the troops, and I cannot say that that has been accomplished My information from the War Department is that there are still a ency call It is clear, therefore, that the failure of Congress to act upon the suggestion contained infor a repeal of the Act of November 21, 1918, so far as it applies to wines and beers, makes it impossible to act in this matter at this time Of course when deressional action will be exercised _End quote_

TUMULTY

The President replied to my cables as follows:

Paris, June 28, 1919

TUMULTY, White House, Washi+ngton

Please issue following stateht in advising al power at this time in the matter of the ban on liquor Under the act of November, 1918, my power to take action is restricted The act provides that after June 30, 1919, until the conclusion of the present war and thereafter until the termination of demobilization, the date of which shall be determined and proclaimed by the President, it shall be unlawful, etc This law does not specify that the ban shall be lifted with the signing of peace but with the termination of the demobilization of the troops and I cannot say that that has been accomplished My information from the War Department is that there are still a ency call It is clear therefore that the failure of Congress to act upon the suggestion contained infor a repeal of the Act of November 21, 1918, so far as it applies to wines and beers makes it impossible to act in this matter at this time When deressional action will be exercised

WOODROW WILSON

When the Volstead Act reached the President, he found, upon exa it, that it in no way repealed war-ti it, he ad to do with the personal habits and custoe numbers of people, we e are followed In no other way can the salutary object sought to be accoreat reforms of this character be made satisfactory and permanent”

The House of Representatives with its overwhel ”dry” majority passed the Volstead Act over the President's veto The President clearly foresaw the inevitable reaction that would follow its passage and its enforcehout the country

As the days of the San Francisco Convention approached, he felt that it was the duty of the De the matter and boldly avow its attitude toward the unreasonable features of the Volstead enforcement act In his conferences with the Dee of every opportunity to put before theeous action So deep were his convictions about this vital e of the Volstead Act over his veto, to send a specialfor the repeal of the Volstead Act and the passage of legislation perht wines, or at least athe alcoholic content of beer

Upon further consideration of the reed that it would be unwise to ask for any change at the hands of a congress that had so overwhelly expressed its opinion in opposition to any such ht it wise to conserve our energies and to await the psychologicalforward the President's programme

A few days before the Convention the President delivered to a trusted friend a copy of a proposed ”wet” plank, and asked his friend to submit it to the Committee on Resolutions at the Convention in San Francisco The tentative draft of the plank was as follows:

We recognize that the American saloon is opposed to all social, e ourselves to its absolute elie of such laws as will finally and effectually exterminate it But we favour the repeal of the Volstead Act and the substitution for it of a law perht wines and beer

Evidently, the trusted friend who had this e felt that the ”dry” atmosphere of the Convention was unfavourable and so the President's plank, prepared by hi before the Committee on Resolutions

CHAPTER XLI

THE TREATY FIGHT

Upon his return home from Paris, the President immediately invited, in n Relations Committee to confer with him at the White House Some of those who received the invitation immediately announced that as a condition precedent to their acceptance they would insist that the conference should not be secret in character and that ould happen there should be disclosed to the public The President quickly accepted the conditions proposed by the Republican senators and made a statement from the White House that the conditions which the conferees na and anxious to give to the public a stenographic report of everything that transpired

In view of subsequent history, the conversation between the President and Senator Harding about the distinction between ”legal” and ” at the ti: ”If there is nothing ation on the part of any ue, what avail articles X and XI?”

_The President_: Why, Senator, it is surprising that that question should be asked If we undertake an obligation, we are bound in the _: If you believe there is nothing ation, any nation will assuation? The point I a the peace of the world, and the council takes steps as provided here to conserve or preserve, and announces its decision, and every nation in the League takes advantage of the construction that you place upon these articles and says: ”Well, this is only a ation, and we assume that the nation involved does not deserve our participation or protection,” and the whole thing aue council