The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1922-01-27
HAS, AN
EXA[TED|DEA0F
SENATE'S POWER
WOULD LIMIT PRESIDENT
There is No Use, According to
Mr.. Brandegee, for the
United States to Enter Into
Conference Economic or
Otherwise as Only the SEN
ate as the Right to Act.
WOULD LIMIT PRESIDENT
(By David Lawrence.)
Copyright 1922 by The Daily

Copyright 1922 by The Daily
Times.)
Washington, Jan. Ex-senator
Brandegee's pronouncement that the
United States is not bound by the
foreign policy Of the President or
Secretary of State without the con-
sent of the Senate is the sensation of
the hour.
Foreign governments whose repre-
sentatives have been at loss to un-
derstand the constitutional system of
the United States ever since an
American President signed contract
which the Senate repudiated are be-
wildered over the new turn Of events.
The truth is a controversy has been
brewing under the surface between
President Harding's former col
leagues on the Republican side of
| the Senate chamber and the Secre-
tary of State which if carried to
logical conclusion may mean re-
voutionary change in the import
ance of Secretary of State or Amer
lean ambassadors abroad.
Senator Brandegee is the leader of
the Oscillation bloc" But the views
he expresses about the necessity OF
getting the consent of the Senate be-
fore any international act Of the
United States government can be
binding is not something of recent
origin. The late Philander Knox
once a secretary of state himself be-
came converted to that doctrine af-
ter he became a member of the Sem
ate and it was with difficulty that
President Harding coaxed him to
eliminate from his famous peace re-
solution a phrase directing" the
Chief Executive to negotiate treaty
with Germany. Besides Senator Bran
degee there are some Senators of the
so-called liberal school and some
Democrats of the William Jennings
Bryan philosophy on foreign affairs
who believe diplomatic note ex-
changed between governments should
not be sent without the full approval
of the American Senate.
President Harding himself has
recognized the weight Of the move
ment which seeks to prevent the
Chief Executive by series of notes
from committing the government to
course of action from which the
Senate cannot honorably extricate it.
SELF It is still matter of debate in
congressional circles whether the
members who voted for the declara-
tion of war with Germany after the
Chief Executive had publicly pro-
claimed the step would have voted
for war il the issue had arisen in
Congress without any previous ex-
changes of notes on the submarine
question by which the executive felt
America, was committed to 60 to
war.
The problem Of an executives
right to negotiate any kind Of an
agreement with a foreign govern
ment has suddenly been thrown into
maelstrom Of after-the-war contro-
versies, and while this question arose
over the sending of an American rep
resentative to attend the Genoa con-
ference, it will establish an import
ant precedent. Mr.. Brandegee Of Con-
necticut doesn't deny the right of
the President to send an Ambassador
or any other personal agent to at
te nd unofiicially or otherwise an in
ternational conference such as is to
be held at Genoa but he insists that
neither the President nor his spokes-
men can commit the United States
to any policy which isn't first ap-
proved by the Senate. Whether It
would be suhlcient to consult the For
eign Relations Committee Of the
Senate as in the past or whether a
1.-TWO thirds vote must be obtained be-
fore any important answer can be
tContinuSd on psss 81