The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-29
Observations
Both President,
Vice President
Absent at Once
BY Charles p. Stewart

IF A PRESIDENT OF the United
States dies. the chap who has held
the vice presidential post in his
administration succeeds him. That
IS we'll established. II the President
IS temporarily absent from the
country and an emergency arises
which requires the immediate pres
hnce Of a chief executive, it natur'
Illy would be the Vice Presidents
business to pinch hit for him. Prob
ably the boss would get in immedI'
ate touch with his subordinate and
the latter would act in accordance
With his instructions. This is a sic
uation that never has arisen hereto
fore. but it seems obvious that that
would be the proper method Of soI'-
ing the problem.
Suppose, however during the
Presidents absence beyond our Dor
ders. there was a demand for the
immediate exercise OF his author
ity here at home, aud suppose there
was not the presence OF any vice
executive anywhere in the United
States, TO act as his understudy,
That is the complication which
would have presented itself II such
an emergency had developed few
days ago while President Roosevelt,
was visiting With President Manuel
Ayila Camacho Of Mexico a short
distance on the other side of the
neighboring republics northern bor-
der.
It DIDN'T develop, but it COULD
have.
F. D. T. was beyond our national
border He was not SO FAR beyond
that he could not have streaked 1t
back in pretty short order, but
s -metimes he takes decidedly long
foreign trips-as TO Casablanca.
The only thing lacking this time
was-no emergency.
For Vice President Henry 4. Wal
lace was away south OF the equator
gabfesting with the more southerly
Latins.
Technically, though the mixup
could have been fierce.
Furthermore, at a critical time, 1t
might involve a serious disputation
concerning the authenticity Of or
ders.
There would have been no vran-
Cling as TO war orders. The next
commander under the presidential
commander-in-chi would naturally
gralitate into complete control,
pending a formal readjustment.
Still there would uuavoidably have
been a period Of confusion in the
interim.
That is evident from talk in Con.
gress.
Vice President Wallace has not
been legislatively panned for being
away from first base at the june
ture. II is recognized that he has
done good work as a Pan.American
missionary. F. d. r. is the one who
is criticized. Sine critics claim he
is out OF Washington less to con-
solidate folk like Mexican Presi-
dent Camacho than to look after his
own fourth.term fences.
on the war proposition FD.R.s
support has been non-parusanly
solid enough.
The congressional yoTl has been
based on charges that the Admin
istration has needlessly employed
wartime necessities in promotion
of New Deal policies,
The Justice Department a account
is that the issue OF an "acting presi-
dent" never has been settled. There
IS no dispute as to the succession
Of new president to dying or re-
firing one. That is the vices pre-
But next in line after him?
The secretary OF state is senior In
cabinet in order-as to the CAB
met, but that does not necessarily
mean he is also sort OF second
vice president.
Suppose a president and vice
president die at the same time.
Then what? Who would be acting
president?
1t would take a law by Congress,
or an election, 10 settle the ques-
ton. And this is an inconvenient
time for such an election.
The order Of succession should
have been established long ago.