The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-03-30
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
By FRANK P. LITSCHERT

BY FRANh L. LII 0CaEh1
Just how far the present Congress,
and especially the Senate, which is not
bound by iron clad rules as is the
House, intends to go in comforting
dictatorial powers on the President,
will probably be disclosed in the not
distant future. Such powers were
given to Mr.. Roosevelt in the matter
of budget balancing and reorganiza-
tion of the government, because it was
generally realized by Republicans and
Democrats alike that a crisis had
arisen and the job could be only done
by the chief executive. President
Hoover had sought the right to re-
organize the government but was
blocked by Democratic Congress.
But now we are told there is to be
another request for a grant of au-
thority to the President by Congress,
and especially by the Senate. 1t was
announced the other day by the State
Department that congressional author
ity would be sought by the President
before he started out on the more or
less long and winding road of ne
gotiating trade treaties. The reason
for this was said to be that European
nations do not like the idea of making
negotiations with the executive arm
of our government when they know
that the agreement is apt to be upset
because the Senate fails to ratify it.
In this respect it was pointed out that
after President Wilson had gone to
France and taken part in the negotia-
ton, of the Treaty of Versailles and
the League of Nations, the Senate re-
fused to ratify the document and af-
terward negotiated a separate treaty
with the defeated powers. The Euro
pean powers, it is said felt that they
had bought pig in poke" because
the Senate refused to ratify what
President Wilson had agreed to.
1t is true that European politicians
were very critical of this action of
the Senate for many years afterward,
and that they do not yet like our
method of negotiating international
agreements, through the President
with the advice and consent of the
Senate as provided for by the Consti-
tuition. But it must be remembered
that at the time of the Versailles ne
gotiations, the powers of Europe had
ample notice that the Senate, as rep
resentative of the American people
was not in accord with Mr.. Wilson's
ideas OF putting our country into the
League of Nations. So they really
had no cause for complaint. The fact
is that the European nations conduct
their treaties through representatives
accredited to the government in power
and the people are never consulted
about the merits or defects of the
treaties. Europe is unable therefore
to understand our constitutional pro-
vision for the ratification by the Sem
ate, an independent arm of the gov
eminent, responsible, not to the Presi-
dent, or the Secretary of State, but to
the American people.
The argument tnat the President is
always handicapped in treaty making
because the Senate is apt to upset
the pact will not hold water. There
is never any misrepresentation, when
the negotiation of an international
pact is in progress, as to how the
American Senate stands on the pro-
ject. The senators of all political par
ties at such critical times do not hest
tate to express their opinion either at
the White House or on the floor of the
Senate. If the President takes the
wishes Of the Senate, as representa-
tives of the people of the various
states, into consideration-and there
is no reason to believe that Mr.. Roose-
welt would not do so-then there need
be no hesitation or embarrassment
about foreign negotiations as tradi-
tionally conducted.
The Senate has always been Jealous
of its treaty control power and there
is no reason to believe that it will now
surrender any constitutional rights.
There will be no crisis like the bank
ing situation to be dealt with when
these international negotiations are
taken up, and there will be plenty of
time for discussion and consultation
with Congress. At any rate, this ul-
tra-modern tendency of clothing the
chief executive with dictatorial powers
will receive a real test when the pro-
posal outlined above comes up in the
Senate, if it ever does come up.
AVHTON