Evening star., 1941-07-30

SpOnSlblllty. But
David Lawrence. it is nevertheless
true that the President will by one
way or another keep the selectees
in service beyond the one year
originally planned.
Thus the word has gone about
Capitol Hill that the administration
does not at the moment have the
votes to pass the bill extending the
service period This is only par
TALLY true. What has happened Is
that members of Congress up for
election in 1942-and all of the
House membership and one-third
of the Senate must face the polls
are worrying about the way their
votes will be used against them.
If, for example, the situation has
changed in such way by November,
1912. that the extension of the Sc
lective Service Act will have proved
unpopular. the members want to
protect themselves now against such
q contingency. The favorite device
is to pass the buck to the President
and place upon him the responsible
" for the step. This is why some
members of Congress are saying the
President already has the power TO
keep the SeleCtees in the Army any
way. Others are saying that SIM
pie resolution declaring a limited
national emergency will make un-
necessary any specific reference to
draft extension because the present
law says the one-year term is di-
rectly conditioned on the proclama-
ton of an emergency by Congress.
Senate May Act First.
Mr.. Roosevelt, meanwhile, is we'll
aware of. the opposition being mobl-
lized against his proposal by pres
sure groups. 1t accounts for the
outburst by cabinet members who
feel irritated at the attempted fruS-
tration of what they regard as SIM
pie military requirements.
Inasmuch as Gen. Marshall, the
able Army Chief of Staff, says the
sclectees must be kept in service lest
the Army be tWo-thirds demobillzed
at a critical time. most members OF
the House and Senate accept the |
proposition To handle it legis- |
latively, however, is something else
again. Some members are suggest |
ing that the Senate, which has only |
one-third of its membership up for
election in 1912, should act first and |
then the House might adopt a
milder version of the bill and the
whole matter could be phrased in
manner satisfactory to the adminis-
tration when a conference report is
written between both houses. Con-
ference reports are usually adopted
by oral votes without roll call and
this is one of the customary ways
of avoiding a record that may prove
politically troublesome in the future
1t is regrettable that these politi-
cal maneuvers are even being dis
cussed at time of national crisis.
for they reveal an unaWareneSS of
the nature of the national emer-
Eencv which is not reaSsuring to
national security. DemOCracies have
bickered before and delayed vital
Eteps, while autocracies, which have
o single leadership, move quickly
and decisively. The very hesitation
by the Congress in the face of
minority pressure groups is discon- |.
certlng because it may give the i'm
preston that the Presidents hold on
Congress is somehow impaired, |.
which is simply not true. /
Wins on ShOwdOwnS.
Mr.. Roosevelt's experiences with
Congress since the fall of France
O year ago have been on the whole
satisfactory. The legislative, body |
has granted every major request he
has made but there have been some
delays which have emphasized an
opposition which has not later been
reflected in the size of the roll call
of opponents.
The President has made some mis-
takes in handling the Congress and |
his opponents have been quick to
seize the advantages gained by such |
errors, but on the whole Mr.. Roose-
velt can be said to command an
overwhelming majority on any issue /
he chooses to select for showdown. |
In many respects Mr.. RooSevelt's |
power in Congress during the pres
ent emergency is far stronger than
the hold the late President Wilson |
had on Congress during the World |
War. The present period is hardly
comparable to the World War emer-
Eency, because Mr.. Wilson had the !
benefit of an outright declaration |
of war, whereas Mr.. Roosevelt is !
struggling to prepare the national
defense for sudden undeClared war. |
There are many steps necessary Tor !
efficiency and for protection of
American interests in various parts
of the world which our Government !
cannot take as yet. Mr.. Roosevelt
Is steering a delicate course but /
thus far Congress, while rot admit T
ting it in so many words. is really .
ready to support him on major
measures related to defense.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)