Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-09-04
Usurpation


Great Britain whereby the United
States acquires a string Of island
properties all along Our Atlantic
coast for naval and air bases pro-
videS this country with facilities
that are OF vital significance in its
defense program. As one common
tstor said. the leases are so valuable
10 us as a defense system that we
could not compute this value in
terms Of money.
Every true American must rejoice
at the acquisition. Rights in New
toundIand and Bermuda, the PreSl-
dent told Congress. are gifts-gen-
erouSly given and gladly received.
The other bases have been acquired
in exchange Tor fifty of our over
age deStroyerS.%
Sentiment of the country. as we
read it. is definitely in favor OF the
transfer of the fifty deStroyerS in
volved in this agreement. a good
deal OF il ready even to make Brit
ain a donation Of the deSuoyerS
without any payment at all, If there
were assurance the war would be
won thereby. There is no fault to
be found anywhere with values and
considerations in the exchange.
But action of the President IN
concentrating the arrangement
completely and in its entirety is
plain uSurpation Of authority not
rightfully his. but function re-
serted Tor Congress. It is an act
modelled on the patterns followed by
dictators in their vaulting to totall-
tartan power. Little by little they
take unto themselves one function,
then another, each time a larger
chunk. until their entertainment is
sufficient to make the last and IL
nal grab TO complete the process.
That is the road on which the
President OF the United States is
travelling. and already he is long,
long way from the beginning.
For months this matter of eNchang-
ing desuoyers to Great Britain for
naval and air bases along Our east
ern coasts has been under discus
sion. Never has there been the
slightest hint that the President in
tended to act without the consent or
advice OF Congress. Suddenly he
sends word to Capitol Hill that he
has already done it.
The chief executive excuses or
justifies his action by saying At
torney General Robert Jackson had
ruled he had the authority already
to carry out such an exchange as
this. All Of which means exactly
nothing for d left-Winger OF the type
OF Jackson, appointed to office by
the President, and one of the latter's
idol worshiperS, might be expected
TO give Mr.. Roosevelt the green light
on anything he knew his master
wanted.
II the President were so certain Of
his authority. in the light of jack
sons ruling. why did he even ad-
wise Congress of what he had done?
He doesn't tell senator's and repre-
scntativeS about all the other exec
utivc moves he makes. Why did he
do it in this case?
Yet American citizens pass this
event by with scarcely a batting Of
the eye. Here and there disSldent
congressman lifts his voice in oppo-
sition. but most such are of the op-
posjtjOn paytv, a circumstance which
discounts the weight of the protest.
Shrewd politician that he is, the
President long ago discovered this
psychology OF indifference on the
part of the people, and he never loses
an opportunity to capitalize on 1t to
his own advantage. He is DONG 1t
in this deal with Great Britain, a
thing which is wholly and highly