Evening star., 1938-10-09

ate SnGH appoint AWOdSSddOTS, Othef
public ministers and consuls -. Art.
2, Sec. 2. U. S. Constitution.
The course followed by the United States
in foreign policy municipalities leading
toward peace or war-are not determined
by the White House and State Department
alone. To an extent that is unique among
nations. the ultimate foreign policies of the
United States are controlled by the Senate.
The Executive may propose: the Senate dis
poses.
Although it has often embarrassed and
restrained the executive department of the
Government in its dealings with foreign
nations, the veto power Of the Senate was
written into the Constitution by the
Founding Fathers" and seems likely to
remain there. As Woodrow Wilson found
to his sorrow, the Senate may wreck the
in world affairs Senate opinion Is force
with which each President must reckon in
plotting his diplomatic course abroad.
Senate opinion-and hence Senate votes
on foreign issues is determined largely
by the reports on legislation Of its powerful
Foreign Relations Committee. at whose
helm, and exercising 4 preponderant ef-
feet on its actions, is the chairman.
Hence. Key Pittman of Nevada, who now
holds that post, wields more power over
Americas foreign policies than any one
in the Nation save President Roosevelt
and Secretary Of State Cordel Hull.
SO a brief sketch of his personality and
record in the Senate is timely.
Like his famous predecessor who so
largely influenced the course of American
foreign policy after the World War, Sem
ator William E. Borah of Idaho, Senator
Pittman is from q Far Western State
Nevada Sentiment in the West has always
been deeply isolationist as compared with
the internationalism Of the urban East It
is interesting to speculate on the extent
to which matter of geography may have
Influenced the thinking of these men and
hence American policy abroad.
Heard Call Of Yukon.
A tall, lanky red-faced man with q mar
row, intelligent face and thinning gray
hair Mr.. Pittman was born Mssissippian.
but left his native State in early man
hood to take Horace Greeley's advice and
seek his fortune in the West After five
years of desultory law practice in Seattle
he heard the call OF the Yukon and in
1897 left his law books to search for gold
in the Klondike.
He went there in search of precious metal
and upon this both his personal and politi-
cal fortune in latter years has largely been
based. For two years the Seattle lawyer
panned gold as a common miner. But law
and politics were in his blood and his in
terest, in time shifted from the mining
creeks to the courthouse. He became active
in Alaskan affairs, aided in drafting the
consent form of government and became
first district attorney OF the Territory.
In 1907, however, he shook OF the spell
of Alaska and returned to the United
States, settling in Nevada, also a great
mining territory. Opening law office in
Tenepah, still his home, Mr.. Pittman be-
came interested in politics and in 1912 was
sent by the State to the United States Sen
ate
He soon became a member of the Foreign
Relations Committee and, when the Demo-
Gratis gained clear cut control of the Senate
in the elections of 1882, he, by virtue Of
seniority, succeeded Mr.. Borah as its chair
man.
Hardly had he taken the chairmans seat
before he was placed in the spotlight and
achieved modest diplomatic success as
delegate to the World Economic Confer
ence in London in 1888. Despite the best
efforts of Mr.. Hull, chief OF the United
States delegation, to save it, the conference
wilted into a monumental fiasco. But one
of its few tangible accomplishments was an
agreement among the great silver-producing
and using regions Of the world to boost the
value and use of the white metal
As the representative of q silver-produc-
ing State, Mr.. Pittman took a keen interest
in monetary questions throughout the con-
ference. And the silver agreement among
the United States, Australia, Canada, Mex
ico Peru, China, India and Spain, by which
they agreed to prohibit dumping and which
provided for the purchase Of new silver or
the withdrawal of fixed amounts from the
market, was one Of the conferences few
real results.
A Good Party Man."
After returning from London, Mr.. Pitt
man continued his battle for silver and as
the result of the Silver Purchase Act Of
June, 1884, he saw the metal rise in price
from 45.2 cents to 7ls cents, an increase
of 50 per cent, within one year.
In larger matters Of foreign policy, Mr.
Pittman has been good party man." On
virtually every major issue Of the last 20
years he has voted with the Democratic
bloc. Where party lines were not closely
drawn, he has tended toward isolationism
and the nationalist point Of view.
Thus, in the heated Senate battle over
acceptance of the Versailles treaty and
American membership in the League Of Ma
tions, the Senator supported the Underwood
resolution for ratification. He voted against
the Lodge substitute resolution--a skilled
parliamentary naneuvsf ~ lsfeat the