Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-18
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

One of the greatest principles Of
success which Marshal Foch enunciated
In discussing the war was the will TO
succeed" II transcribed all military
technique and overcame all obstacles.
Adequate will 10 succeed" Is unde-
featable.
Can It be conceived that the great
commander in-chief of the allied and
associated armies would have begun q
military conference in the language Of
Chairman Wickersham of the Com
mission to Consider Law Enforcement,
before the Conference Of Governors,
somewhat after this style:
1T seems TO me that this conference
of generals might we'll consider APP
preaching the several governments Of
the allied and associated nations on
some feasible proposal to share this
burden. II the united armies under
my command were to attempt to pre-
vent the enemy from passing Verdun--
the principal point Of defense today,
aside from the River Marne-then it
should be the duty of the several gov,
ernments 10 stop spying at home, and
street traffic regulations should be more
strictly enforced
Every state has promised 10 sup
port and defend the allied cause. and
that includes the enforcement Of petty
matters no less than the grand tactics
of the united armies. Surely 1t Is
pertinent to your conference Just before
the critical battle to suggest and con-
slider how We may pass the buck to
the statesmen, in place Of assuming to
stand united in shouting: Ills ne
FERDINAND FOCH.
"Generalissimo."
THAT Is magnificent, but 1t is not
war" any more than a presidential
commission appointed TO devise ways OF
executing, as inferred from Senator
Caraways come back, the acts Of Con-
rress, adopted by virtue Of thr pro-
visions Of the Constitution. is TO be
counted as a super Legislative body, to
instruct Congress.
Nevertheless, the governors taking
the cue from the commission, and TAX.
ing themselves seriously as endowed
with discretionary powers OF null1fcatton
or enforcement. will go into executive
session and consider policies. Surely
the chairman of the Commission on
Law Enforcement has started some
thing"
The action of the governors in exec
utive session, when fully reported, Will
whether, when they were each and
severally inaugura ted and swore to sup
port the Constitution of the United
States. they had their fingers crossed,
and never really intended anything be-
yond what they counted as State rights
TO select national laws which they ap-
proved.
Gov. Roosevelt. being prudent. re-
minded the other governors OF their
hazards In clinging so closely TO state
rights" that they might get the cramps
asserting plainly If our States do not
themselves, by cooperation and earnest
intelligent legislation. remedy the ex-
isting condition of affairs, we will md
the heavy hand Of washington laid on
us by Federal legislation, and the people
of our own Connmonwealths will raise
no voice in protest, because their own
State governments have been memc1ent
stupid and negligent"
n X n X
The popularity Of the situation re-
gardine the eighteenth amendment to
the Constitution is that it is product
not of Congress, but of the several
States. Congress cannot amend the
Constitution: 1t must he done by the
people of the States, and in this IN
stance every State but two ratified the
en1enQme0G, so IIdb lb UcCdHC n A"A'
danental part of the Constitution not
by Federal action, but by the exercise
of state rights. 46 to @ And one oil
those two was the smallest State In the
Union.
OF course, the enormous majority
which "2'' constitutes over as (When
for Illustration in a personal way, "2'
means you and mel had been nearly
paralleled in Congress when the amend.
ment was submitted to the people
of the several States, for in the House
of Representatives it passed by TIT
marrow margin" of 1872 to 1913 Cat leas
2 to u and In the Senate by IS to q
g to -.
Ever since its adoption the free anc
untrammeled wet press confesses tina
this Is "the rule Of the few over thu
many" and Furthermore. that sinci
the amendment provides that 'th'
Congress and the several States shal
have concurrent power"-not divtde'