The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-26
BY DAVID LAWRENCE

Especial Despatch to The Reformer.l |
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2G. = Senator
Brandrgee's prouounccment that the
United States is not bound by the for
cisn policy of the President or secretary
OF state without the consent OF the sen
ate is the sensation of the hour.
Foreign governments whose represent |
atives have been at loss-to understand
constitutional system of the United
States ever since an American president /
signed a contract which the senate re-
pudiated are bewildered over the new
turn OF events.
| The truth is Il controversy has been
| brewing under the surface between Pres
| ldeut harding 5 former colleagues on the
| Republican side OF the senate chamber
and the secretary Of state which IT car
! rIed to Il logical conclusion may mean
| revolutionary change in the Importance
| Oh secretary OF state OF American am =.
| bttSauduIs abroad. !
| Senator Braudcgec is the leader Of the
isolation bloc But the views he
expressed about the necessity OF getting
| the consent OF the senate before any
| international act of the United States
| government can be binding IS not some
| thing OF recent origin. The late Pml-
! ander Knox, once Il secretary OF state
| himself became converted to that doc
trine after lie became member of the
senate and il was with difficulty that
President Harding coaNed HIM To elm
mate from his famous peace resolution
4 phrase ''directiug' the chief eNecu-
tive to negotiate treaty with germany.
Besides senator Branqegee there are
tsOme senators o. the sO-Called liberal
school and some Democrats OF the VIII
liam Jennings Bryan philosophy 6H fer
Icign affairs who believe Il diplomatic
note exchanged between governments
should not be sent without the full APP
proyal of the American senate.
President Recognizes Move.
President Harding himself has recog-
Iuizcd the weight of the movement which
a series oil notes from committing the
government to course OF action from
WHICH the senate cannot honoEably eN-
tricate itself. 1t is still a matter OF
debate in congressional circles whether
rhe member who voted for the dcClara-
zion of war with Germany after the
rhlef executive bad publicly proclaimed
the step would have voted for war u
! he issue had arisen in congress without
faIY previous exchanges OF notes on the
Submarine question by which the eSecu-
Tive felt America was committed TO go
10 war.
The problem Of an executive 5 right 10
negotiate any kind of an agreement with
a foreign government has SUDDENLY been
J. thrown into nlaelstrom of after-thc-war
controversies, and while this question
arose over the sending Of an American
representative to attend the Genoa con-
ference, il will establish an important
precedent Mr.. Braudegec of ConnectI
cut doesn't deny the right of the Presl-
dent to send an ambassador Or any other
personal agent TO attend uuotticially or
II otherwise an international conference
such as is TO be held at Genoa but he
| insists that neither the president nor
his spokesman can commit the United
II States TO any policy which ism t first
II approved bv the senate. Whether it
would be sufficient to consult the for
II pign relations committee Of the senate
as i'm the past or whether two thirds vote
must be obtained before any important
II answer can be given to an nQuring for
II Cigu government is vet to be determined
but foreign diplomats have for some
time been Wondering whether it would
be practicable to have their credentials
schanged so that they could be accredited
to the senate as well as the department
of state and thus present. their views
directly instead of in he Tutuldabout
way they now must pursue TO get line
on senatorial sentiment or to explain
their own case on vit,rl qu8tions.
Brandegee Condensed.
Senqtor Rrandegce's views in a nut
II she'll are these.
H - assume that this country cannot
Il without the consent of congress take
Il part in a conference By the results OF
Il which it VIII be bonnd.
- do not consider that the govern
ment of the United States of America
Il is the president or the secretary of state
Of the president and the other members
| Of his cabinet, or all three of them to-
\ gctheT- . ..-...--
! 'rTVLcn it comes to making contracts
u with foreign nat ions nv idea is hat
! the government Of the United States Is
| not bound without the consent of the
! congress unless it be a treaty IN which
case the government is not bound with
| out the cOncurriug views of the president
| and two thirds of the senate
II know there are those who think
/ that because the contract may commit
| the country to a foreign policy the pres
| ideRt himself is supreme and can com
nit this country to foreign policies with |
| ont the consent either of the senate or
! congress. / never have entertained that
| view and do not entertain hat view |