The Wilmington morning star., 1943-04-03
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER

Observation-Disclosures filters out
that President Roosevelt hopes to
bring the Senate, and members of
the House, into closer play regard
ing preparations for after the war;
We may see some rather mark
ed changes in practice in that re-
spect, as the United Nations dis
cussions become more frequent.
It would not be surprising to
see the President make it habit
to place members of the Senate,
or House, or both, on American
delegations to future United Ma
tions conferences. There will be
many such conferences. Already
in mind, as President Roosevelt
has indicated, is the food confer
ence-to be followed, he hopes, by
a conference on relief, another on
finances, and perhaps still another
on minerals, metals and oil.
He has discussed with his close
friends the desirability of finding
senators and representatives who
would be willing to serve in such
conferences, and who would feel
free to devote the time that would
be required by the complicated ma
tur of these meetings.
First of all, Mr.. Roosevelt is
sharply conscious of the failure of
Woodrow Wilson. He recognizes
that the failure of President Wilson
was primarily in his relations with
the Senate
Woodrow Wilson was an excep-
tiona1ly astute student of the Amer
lean congressional sy te m. He
wrote one of the standard works
on it in bis earlier days. Yet,
! as President, he seemed to over
look completely the Senate's role
in foreign relations.
Woodrow Wilson had sufficient
popular support in the country to
have sustained him through the
League of Nations controversy I'M
der normal conditions. Publ c
pressure in the beginning was pre-
ponderantly on the side of tn e
League. Even Senator Lodge, the
Republican chairman of the Sen
ate Foreign Relations Committee,
and Later the bitter foe of Wilson,
had advocated League of Nations
with police powers two years be-
fore Versailles. In 1916 he was
for the League to Enforce Peace.
But Wilson ignored the Senate.
He forgot TO take any senators to
Paris with him. He had recog-
nized the Republicans only by
placing one diplomat on the dele
cation, Henry White, who had only
a faint Republican Party tradition
behind him. White was not an &C.
tive Republican. He was not con.
sidercd by Republican senators tc
represent their viewpoint in any
sense but rather to be only a nom.
inal captive Republican. The ap.
pointnlent only incensed them, for
they regarded it as trick al
their expense.
That deadlv opposition of frus.
trated and offended Senate, and
nothing else, beat Woodrow vii.
son. After a years battle, the
treaty lost by only seven votes
short cf the necessary two-thirds.
All Of that President Roosevelt
has thought about a great deal.
1t has been so much in his mind
that it may have deferred him
from moving as directly as he
otherwise might have moved. He
has wished to use extreme care
to avoid any misstep that might
bring similar disaster from the
Senate
He was nervous about the Ball
resolution chiefly because of the
damage that would result if the
Senate failed to cast a tWo-thirds
vote for it or for some strong
substitute
In other words. it is recognized
around the White House that Amer.
ica's future place in the world will
be determined. not only by what