The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1943-04-03
By RAYMOND CLAPPER

By RAYMOND CLAPPER
WASHINGTON - Word filters
nuf that President Roosevelt hopes
to bring the senate. and members
Of the house. into closer play re-
garding preparations for after the
var
We may see some rather marked
changes IN practice IN that re-
speet as the United Nations dis
cussions become more frequent.
L would not be surprising 10
see the president make II a habit
to place members of the senate.
or house. or both. on American
delegations 10 future United Ma
tons conferences There viii 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 desirahility OF
finding senators and represen-
fafives 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
nature of these meetings.
First of all, Mr. Roosevelt Is
sharply conscious of the failure OF
Woodrow Wilson. He recognizes
that the failure of President Will
son was primarily in his relations
with the senate.
Woodrow Wilson was an excep-
tionally astute student of the
American congressional system.
He wrote one of the standard
works on ii in his earlier days.
Yet as president he seemed to
overlook completely the senate's
role in foreign relations,
Woodrow Wilson had suf-
ficient popular support in the
country to have sustained him
through the League of Nations
controversy under normal con-
ditions. Public pressure IN
the beginning was preponder-
antIy on the side of the league.
Even Senator Lodge, the Re-
publican chairman of the SEN
ate foreign relations commit
tee. and later the bitter foe
of Wilson, had advocated
League of Nations with police
powers two years before Yer
sailles.
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 faint Republican party ira
dition behind him. White was
not an active Republican, he was
not considered by Republican sem
ators to represent their viewpoint
in any sense, but rather to be a
nominal captive Republican. The
appointment only incensed them,
for they regarded it as trick at
their expense.
That deadly opposition of a
frustrated and offended sem
ate. and nothing else, beat
Woodrow Wilson. After
years battle, the treaty lost
BY only seven votes short of
the necessary two-thirds.
All of that President Roosevelt
has thought about great deal
II has been so much in his mind
that it may have deferred him
from moving as directly as ne
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 q two-thirds
vote for It or for some strong
substitute.
In other words, II il recog-
nized around the white House
that Americas future place
in the world will be deter
mined, not only by what this
government and other govern
ments can agree upon, but by
what tNo-thirds of the Ameri-
can senate will agree to.
In practical terms, that means
that the administration must have
a program that will have the sup
port Of senators like George Of
Georgia, Tydings of Maryland and
Yandenberg of Miehigan-to sug-
gest types that I have heard
mentioned by some friends Of the
administration. You have to find
something that viii carry them
along.
The great value OF the Ball
Burton-Hateh Hill resolution
is that il brings that fanda-
mental question to a head.
We had been getting the cart
somewhat before the horse.
What will twO-thirds of the
senate vote for In the Way
Of recommendation nows
That Is the important thing
for everybody TO know, both
here and abroad.