Evening star., 1943-10-30
Explains Senate Votes
On International Problems.

VII
To the Editor of Tn. Star:
In view Of what appears to be the
tration and senatorial leaders to COL
laborate in order to avoid repetition
of the unfortunate situation which ex-
listed in 1890, it seems unfortunate
to revive the political myth that be-
cause of the constitutional requirement
Of tWo-thrds vote of the Senate in
favor of the ratification of treaties, a
minority of the Senate prevented the
United States from Joining the League
of Nations. The charge is untrue un-
less those who make it include in the
obstructlonist minority those Senators
who voted against the ratification OF
the League Of Nations Covenant at
President Wilson'S request AS David
Lawrence stated in his column en-
titled Senate Power on Treaties
Should End printed in The Star of
October 27. the vote in the Senate in
March, 1920, was 40 for ratification to
35 against ratifcation but of the 35
negative votes, % were cast by Presi-
dent Wilson's obedient supporters Had
they voted in the affirmative, the Sem
ate would have advised and consented
to the ratification of the treaty con-
tanning the Covenant of the League of
Nations by the overwhelming majority
of II to 13. The vote referred to by
Mr.. Lawrence was on the ratification of
the covenant with the reservations
appended by the Senate Had the
Senate on that occasion voted unani-
mously in favor of ratification, there
seems little likelihood that President
Wilson, in view of his rejection of the
Senates reservations, would have de-
posted the instrument of ratification
necessary to make the treaty binding
on the United States and complete
this Governments membership in the
League In November, 1919. the Senate
had voted on the treaty without reser-
vations, but it was defeated by the
overwhelming vote of 38 yeas to 50
nays. or only seven votes less than
two-thrds against the ratification of
the treaty.
The reservations voted by the Sem
ate could not be adopted by minority
vote. Each was separately passed by
a substantial majority, in some Of
which President Wilson's supporters
joined, notably in the vote on Reserva-
ton No. IA, which provided for equality
of voting power of the United States
with any member of the League and
its self governing dominions. Most Of
the reservations were designed to pre-
serve the power of the Congress of the
United States mot of the Senate alope)
over matters for which it is responsible
under the Constitution of the United
States. No one had any right to pre-
sumo, had these reservations been ac-
cepted by the President, that the
Congress would not pass appropriate
legislation to enable the United States
to do its part as member of the
League of Nations. For example, Res
ervation No. 13 withheld the assent Of
the United States to membership in
the International Labor Organization
unless Congress by act or joint reso-
luton should thereafter so provide.
In 1884, Congress did exactly as this
reservation provided and passed joint
resolution providing for membership
of the United States in the Interna-
tional Labor Organization and this
Government is now full cooperating
member. 1t was the opinion of the
great ma ajority of the Senators who
voted for the reservations to the COW
enant of the League of Nations that
they would not detract from the ef-
fectiveness of the membership of the
United States and some of President
Wilson's ardent supporters subse-
quently expressed their belief that
he should have accepted tho reserva-