1954 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - HOUSE

I do not mean by anything I have saic

that I have abandoned the view which:

have held for some time that this Na.

tion should pursue wholehearted inter.

national cooperation militarily, econom. ically, culturally, educationally, and sci.

entifically, and, above all, spiritually

with all other nations of good will in thE

world. But we should have it always ir our minds that cooperation is a two-was

street; that as we give, so must we re- ceive; also that it is impossible to cooperate with any nation which is not willing to cooperate with us. It strikes me as a realistic appraisal that that is about

the condition we face today, and we might as well realize it and get down to

business to try to promote peace under a program of our own; one that will be

shaped and conducted by Americans in

the interest of America as well as for the

benefit of the rest of the world.

A policy of bluff and bluster would come to as sad an end as Humpty Dumpty. It is a wrong policy, anyway, to begin with it, and we might as well recognize the fact. The brandishing of

atomic and hydrogen weapons by those

in high authority would be a serious mistake. It is time for America to put its

best foot forward and replace fuddyduddyism and sophomoric zeal with the

courage and vision and common sense of

experienced statesmanship.

Dien Bien Phu has fallen. The gateway to southeast Asia has thus been

forced ajar. If it is opened wide-and

that is a distinct possibility-the broad area behind may fall completely into the

hands of the Communists and under the

sway of the Soviets. If that happens, it

may not only cut off vital critical materials, but it may lead to Communist domination of many other nations.

SPECIAL ORDER GRANTED

Mr. BAILEY asked and was given permission to address the House today for

20 minutes, following any special orders

heretofore entered.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE CLERK

OF THE HOUSE

The SPEAKER laid before the House

the following communication from the

Clerk of the House which was read:

MAY 26, 1954. The honorable the SPEAKER,

House of Representatives.

SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith a sealed envelope addressed to the

Speaker of the House of Representatives from

the President of the United States, received

in the Clerk's Office on May 25, 1954, and

said to contain veto message on the followIng:

H. R. 7512, an act to provide for the con- veyance of the federally owned lands which are situated within Camp Blanding Military Reservation, Fla., to the Armory Board, State

of Florida, In order to consolidate ownership and perpetuate the availability of Camp Blanding for military training and use. Respectfully yours,

LYLE 0. SNADER, Clerk of the House of Representatives.

I CAMP BLANDING MILITARY RESERE VATION, FLA.-VETO MESSAGE

FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE

UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 403)

The SPEAKER laid before the House

the following veto message from the

President of the United States:

*To the House of Representatives:

I return herewith, without my ap- . proval, H. R. 7512, a bill to provide for

the conveyance of the federally owned

lands which are situated within Camp Blanding Military Reservation, Fla., to

the Armory Board, State of Florida, in

order to consolidate ownership and perpetuate the availability of Camp Blanding for military training and use. Generally, the bill provides for the

conveyance of federally owned lands

within Camp Blanding Military Reservation, Fla., to the Armory Board, State

of Florida, upon conditions designed to

permit coordinated management of the

natural resources of both the Federal

and State lands within the reservation

and to insure that all of such lands will

continue to be available for military use. I wish to emphasize my agreement with

these objectives.

However, I cannot approve section 2

(4) of the bill in its present form. This

section would authorize the State of

Florida to dispose of "interests or rights in land by lease, license, or easement or by contract of sale of timber or timber

products" upon the condition that in the case of Federal lands and within 9

months after the enactment of the bill

into law, the State of Florida and the

Secretary of the Army shall have reached an agreement governing the disposition of the revenues from such operations. Again, there can be no objection to such

cooperative action between Federal and

State governments. However, section 2

(4) further provides "that prior to the

consummation of the agreement with

the State of Florida or board, the Secretary of the Army or his designee shall come into agreement with the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and

of the House of Representatives concern- ing the terms of such agreement." Be- cause of this provision of the bill, I can- not approve it.

The purpose of this clause is to vest in

the Committees on Armed Services of the

Senate and House of Representatives

power to approve or disapprove any agreement which the Secretary of the

Army proposes to make with the State

of Florida pursuant to section 2 (4). The practical effect would be to place the power to make such agreement joint- ly in the Secretary of the Army and the

members of the Committees on Armed

Services. In so doing, the bill would

violate the fundamental constitutional

principle of separation of powers pre- scribed in articles I and II of the Constitution which place the legislative

power in the Congress and the executive

power in the executive branch.

The making of such a contract or agreement on behalf of the United States

is a purely executive or administrative

function, like the negotiation and execu- tion of government contracts generally.

7135

Thus, while Congress may enact legisla- tion governing the making of Government contracts, it may not delegate to

its members or committees the power to

make such contracts, either directly or by giving to them a power to approve or disapprove a contract which an execu- tive officer proposes to make. Moreover

such a procedure destroys the clear lines

of responsibility for results which the

Constitution provides.

I believe it to be my duty to oppose any such departure from constitutional pro- cedures. However, I am confident that

th. true purpose of the Congress in the

enactment of this provision was to facilitate administrative action, while at the same time not neglecting its own re- sponsibilities. I suggest that this could

be properly accomplished by requiring specific reports from the Executive as to

action taken. These reports could serve as the basis for further congressional action in case the Congress so desired.

Accordingly, I recommend that H. R.

7512 be modified and reenacted.

DWIGHT D. EISENHOWEa.

THE WHITE HOUSE, May 25, 1954.

The SPEAKER. The objections of the

President will be spread at large upon the Journal.

Mr. SHORT. Mr. Speaker, I move that the bill and message be referred to

the Committee on Armed Services and

ordered to be printed.

The motion was agreed to.

MILITARY AND NAVAL CONSTRUCTION ACT

Mr. ALLEN of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I call up House Resolution 558 and ask

for its immediate consideration.

The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:

Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to move that the House resolve itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill (H. R.

9242) to authorize certain construction at military and naval installations and for the Alaska Communications System, and for other purposes. After general debate, which

shall be confined to the bill, and shall con- tinue not to exceed 2 hours, to be equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services, the bill shall be read for

amendment under the 5-minute rule. At the

conclusion of the consideration of the bill

for amendment, the Committee shall rise

and report the bill to the House with such

amendments as may have been adopted, and

the previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto

to final passage without intervening motion

except one motion to recommit.

Mr. ALLEN of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I

yield 30 minutes to the gentleman from

Mississippi [Mr. COLMER].

Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge the adoption of House Resolution 558, making in

order the consideration of the bill (H. R.

9242) to authorize certain construction

at military and naval installations and

for the Alaska communications system, and for other purposes.