Evening star., 1944-10-13
Boil Three Questions
On Security AnoIyzed

On Security Anulyzed
Both Roosevelt and Dewey Able
to Answer Yes Says Observer
By David Laurence
Senator Ball, Republican, of Minnesota
has posed three questions to both presi-
Dental candidates on the subject Of
world security organization. Fortunately
the three questions are 50 worded that
they can all be answered in the afirma-
tive by both Gov. Dewey and President
Roosevelt. They do not by any means
afford . clear-cut issue between those
who favor international cooperation
versus those who favor isolationism.
The first question, which asks whether
the candidates will support "the earliest
possible formation of the United Ma
tions security organization and United
States entry therein before any final
peace settlements are made either in
Europe or ASIA" Is an easy one. The
mere fact that Gov. Dewey and Presi-
dent Roosevelt indorse the processes al
ready in operation to get the world Sc
curtty league going is an indication that
neither nominee will have any difficulty
saying "yes."
As for the second question-whether
the candidate, IL elected, would oppose
any reservations which would weaken
the power of the organization to act to
maintain the peace"-here, too, both
nominees can say "yes," because reser-
vations of that nature are not being
offered now by anybody of power or
influence in either party and usually
when reservation Is offered its spon-
sor insists it will not weaken but will
strengthen the instrument. So an af-
firmative answer is easy here, too.
Third Not So Simple.
Now as to the third, the matter Is not
so simple but again both nominees can
answer in the Affirmative. The ques-
ton is whether "the vote of the United
States representative on the United Ma
tions security council should commit an
agreed-on quota of our military forces
to action ordered by the council to
maintain peace without requiring fur
ther congressional approval"
Certainly the vote of the American
representative will never be cast ex-
cept in pursuance to an instruction by
the President and the Congress. Once
the American representative is ordered
to vote, there will be no need for fur
ther congressional approval. A better
way to phrase that question would have
been to ask whether the vote Of the
American representative should be cast
without further approval by Congress
once both houses have agreed on the
machinery and process whereby the
American representative shall act. For
plainly no one man sitting in any world
organization can have power to commit
us to the use Of force. That is a power
which Congress alone can delegate to
the Executive and the Executive can
in turn delegate to the American am
bassador or representative, who carries
out those instructions.
What the public has not known Off
cially until the last "a hours, though it
has been outlined in these dispatches
before, is that joint resolution Is to
be sought which would require approval
by both houses of Congress. In this
resolution, which Is planned to be
adopted either concurrently with the
ratification of the treaty relating to
American entry into the new League or
Immediately thereafter, a program for
the handling of the vote of the
American representative In the new
League is to be stipulated as the law
of the land.
Expected to Pass.
Senator Austin. Republican, of YER
mont and Senator Connally, Democrat
of Texas, chairman Of the Senate For
eign Relations Committee, have Just
made it known that such q resolution is
expected to be passed. 1t will require
much care in the wording of that resolu-
tion so as to make it conform to the
constitutional requirement that Con-
gress alone may authorize the use of
our armed forces in any conflict equiva-
lent to war between nations
But it is to be assumed that Gov.
Dewey, through John Foster Dulles, is
thoroughly familiar with that plan for
joint resolution, and all he needs to
do now is to say that he favors such
congressional action. Obviously nobody
can commit any future Congress which
may want to amend or repeal that
resolution, but Gov. Dewey favors the
enabling resolution or else there would
have been some dissent expressed by
Mr.. Dulles long before this, and all the
word that has come is one of agreement
with Republican leaders like Senators
Austin and Vandenberg.
Mr.. Dewey can answer all three ques-
tons in the Affirmative and yet Con-
gress can undo all three. The ques-
tions which Senator Ball propounds
ought better be addressed to members
of the House and Senate who are
running for office. The future President
can do much to influence them but the
primary responsibility for anything re-
quiring congressional action rests with
Congress.
(Reproduction Riahts HaaerysdN