which our Constitution attempted to fasten upon us.

A successful foreign policy requires public understanding and
support. The makers of the Constitution established in our
government a nice balance of powers between the various
departments, beautifully adjusted until someone thought of putting
a stone into one side of the balance. That stone is the people. The
Fathers of the Constitution had not noticed it. The executive put
it into its end of the balance some years ago, and the legislative
has been kicking the beam ever since. One nice bit of balancing was
that between the Senate and the Executive on treaty making. In
foreign relations, the President can do everything, and he can do
nothing without the approval of two thirds of the Senate. It is a
nice balance, which broke the heart of John Hay, frittered away the
sentimentalities of Mr. Bryan, and destroyed Mr. Wilson.

No one ever thought of putting the stone into it until the Senate
did so two years ago, by discussing the Versailles treaty in the
open, right before the public. The people got into the scale, and
Mr. Wilson hit the sky.

Mr. Hughes observed what happened. He is determined that the stone
this time shall go in on his end of the balance. He talks to the
country daily. He takes the people into his confidence, telling all
that can be told and as soon as it can be told. He makes foreign
relations hold front pages with the Stillman divorce case. He makes
no step without carrying the country with him. He comes as near
conducting a daily referendum on what we shall do for our
"interests" as in a country so big as ours can be done; and that is
democratic control of foreign relations, initiated by the Senate,