Evening star., 1941-01-21

Jay Fra nklin. dents critics
complained that he ought TO have
asked for authority from Congress.
Now that he is asking for authority
from Congress to make similar ar
his opponents are max
ing wild charges, causing needless
delays and otherwise showing that
it would have been stupid and dan
gerous for Mr.. Roosevelt ever to
have referred the destroyer-bases
deal to the national Legislature.
Then there is the parrot-cry Of
dictatorship" Mr.. Mark Sullivan
Is solemnly arguing that the powers
proposed to be transferred to the
President ought to be administered
by three-man board. Centraliza-
ton seems to Mr.. Sullivan TO be
terribly dangerous. Yet only few
week ago, this same foe of central
iZation was arguing most emphatic
ally in favor Of having Mr.. Knudsen
set up as defense czar, a virtual
industrial commissar of the sort
long dreaded by Mark Sullivan IN
all Of his many, many writings con-
cerning Communism and the Amer
lean way.
What this all amounts to is the
argument that it is wrong to entrust
centralized power to man elected
by majority of the American peo-
pie but perfectly all right TO entrust
similar power to a man who has
never been elected by his fellow
citizens TO the presidency or an
other position Of public responsibility
and authority.
Already Has the Powers.
The third irony which confront
the opposition is the fact that Pres
dent Roosevelt already possesses Fl.
Constitutional authority 70 Go viz
tually everything enumerated in the
aid-to-England bill He is CON-
mander in chief of the Army srd
the Navy and he is granted sole
control over the conduct OF ou-
foreign relations. Under the wa
powers which are inherent in any
defense crisis, it is not only within
his legal powers but within MS SIM
pie duty to do whatever is neceS-
sary for the defense of the United
States.
During the Civil War. Abraham
Lincoln freely ignored the Constitu-
ton and the bill of rights when
they interfered with his duties as
constitutional commander in chief.
During the World War, woodrow
Wilson proposed an armed ship bill
to Congress. 1t was talked to death
by a deliberate fllibuster in the Sen
ate. Whereupon the President, un-
der advice, decided that he had the
power anyway to arm our merchant
men against the German submarine
menace, and he did so in his own
authority, without asking for further
cooperation from Legislature
which refused to cooperate.
Congress May Hurt Itself.
As a result of this filibuster, the
Senate rules were amended so as to
provide gag" for free-wheeling
debate. and if in this urgent crisis,
the opposition succeeds in danger
Gus delays and Illustrations Of the
public will, it cannot be doubted
that the public will approve a
further sharp limitation on the
power of "a little group OF willful
men" to sabotage the processes of
government.
II the Senate refuses to adopt this
bill in time for it to be effective, 1t
will certainly force the President to
act without its permission. 1t is
possible that this Is the deliberate
purpose of some of the isolationists,
in order that they may subsequently
raise the CRY OF dictatorship!
against him.
I saw the parliamentary govern
ment fall in Italy and in Germany,
and I saw it strangled in France
and limited in England, as a result
direct result-of tricky political
tactics such as these. So the crown
ing irony of all in the opposition
to the aid-to-England program is
the fact that thereby the self-an-
nounced friends of democracy may
be actually discrediting and destroy
ing the very thing which they wish
to preserve. Win or lose, whatever
Congress does to the bill should be
done quickly or America will hnd
ways to get along without the help
of Congress.
(Release by Consolidated News Features.
Inc.)