Evening star., 1942-05-26
The Political Mill
Tex Bill May DeIoy Until September the Wor-Peoee
Exploration Visit Of Congressional Leaders
By GOULD LINCOLN.

Oy 0OOAO AAANSOA4N
The proposed visit Of congress
sional leaders to Ensland-stiu
to be worked out--is emphatically
not for the purpose Of writing .
program for peace after the war
shall have been won, nor q peace
treaty. It Is, however, to give
members Of the American Con-
gress an opportunity to confer
with members OF the British
Parliament, with representatives
OF the other Allied nations re-
garding the prosecution Of the
war, and to discuss the problems
that will arise In the postwar
era To use q phrase coined by q
proponent Of the plan, the meet
ings will be both informative
and informal"
Obviously no group Of con-
gressional leaders could pledge
this country to the terms Of any
peace treaty League Of Nations,
or any other form Of organization
for cooperation among the ma
tions after the conclusion OF the
war. They could, however,
through personal visit to the war
area-the European war area, in
this case-get much first-hand
Information which would be
valuable in connection with the
war effort of this country and its
Allies. They also could become
more conversant with the issues
which necessarily have to be
settled after war has ceased.
Congress-especially the Senate
will have q great deal to do
with the peace terms when the
time comes. 1t is the part Of the
President, under the Constitu-
ton, to handle all such negotia-
tions. Once, however. . treaty
shall have been negotiated, 1t
must be ratified by a two-thirds
vote Of the Senate before tho
adherence Of this country can be
had. During the last war, men,
bers OF Congress visited England.
singly and in groups. They went
merely as individual observers.
When the peace treaty-includ-
ing the Covenant of the League
Of Nations-was written, Con-
gress had no representatives at
the council table. President
Woodrow Wilson and his execu-
tive assistants handled the whole
affair 50 far as this country was
concerned. The result was that
Congress, and again particularly
the Senate, was without init
mate contact with the peace
negotiations. It took what was
handed to 1t, and turned 1t down.
Unpfepare0 I0f fe2ces
When the conflict came 70 an
end November II, 1918, with the
signing Of the armistice, the Al
lied nations were wholly together,
fighting against q common enc
my. Too little had been done,
however, looking to unity after
the end of hostilities. Members
OF the legislative branch Of the
American Government were nom
conversant with the issues which
had still to be settled-almost to
the point Of ignorance. Further
more. with the enemy defeated,
the Allies began to consider their
own peculiar interests, rather
than the interests OF the whole
group Of nations.
The projected visit now Of
American congressional leaders
to London would bring them into
contact not only with the parlia-
mentary leaders OF Britain, but
also with those representing the
parliamentary bodies Of the va
rious sections of the British En-
pire-Canada, South Africa, Aus
tralia and the rest. In addition.
they would have opportunities to
confer with the representatives
of the countries in Europe now
oyerrun by Hitler. Further, the
plan for these informal confer
ences oontemplates the presence