Evening star., 1944-09-02
Letters to The Star
Sees Sovereignty or Federation
As World Issue

AS WOflo issue
30 the Editor Of The Star:
In The Star of August 26, David
Lawrence refers to "a practical plan
to avert war" and then goes on to
say: 1.-THE representative OF the United
States I" shall not cast his vote
until he shall be given the required
authority by the President after both
Houses Of Congress have 50 voted"
It's the old League Of Nations theme
song. Just how practical is 1t?
Leagle history Is over 1000 years old,
50 we need not speculate as to how
leagues OPERATOR fail to operate. AS
Al Smith used to say: Lets look at
the record" The above-quoted words of
MIR. Lawrence are merely slight varia-
ton of the necessity for ratification by
the states of the league vote: in Mr..
Lawrence's league. the United States
must ratify the vote before 1t is taken,
instead Of after as Is the usual league
method. In Chapter VII Of Union
Now" Clarence Streit, reporter Of the
Geneva League, writes: Then there
Is the difnculty Of ratification. To get
the agreement needed for action in q
league one must persuade not only all
the delegates but the governments be-
hind them, and, tn democracies, the
legislative authority, too. After one
has persuaded a delegate his govern
ment may drop him, or after he has
persuaded his government it may be
overthrown-perhaps on this very issue,
perhaps on something quite unrelated
to it. Even If the delegate remains at
the league he may be unable to persuade
the new government. While the league
statesman is bringing one government
ir line another may break loose-for
time is passing and conditions chang
ing. When all sorts OF delicate adjust
ments have made agreement finally
seem possible, conditions may have
changed so that this delicate balance
has to be readjusted to meet new facts:
One must start this heartbreaking work
again. If the treaty does reach sig
nature 1t must then be ratified by all
the governments whose unanimity was
practically required in negotiating 1t,
and this may take years The failure
of only one or a few states to ratify
their delegates signature has crippled
ol killed many a treaty. None. of this
Is theory, 1t is all the history of the
League Of Nations, of the League of
Friendship among the Thirteen Ameri-
can States, of the international con-
ference method"
note Mr.. Lawrence's reverence for
national constitutions in his statement
that the new" league answers all the
valid objections that could be raised on
constitutional grounds" In Thomas
Jefferson, World Citizen" Senator El-
bert Thomas quotes Jefferson as saying:
Some men look at constitutions with
sanctimonious reverence. and deem them
like the ark of the covenant, too sacred
to be touched" (Chapter VI) The
same sort of reverence marked the oppo-
sition to our own Federal constitution
In 1877 and 1913. In other words, the
same constitution which is now revered
oy Mr.. Lawrence was violently opposed
by the league advocates of that time
because 1t violated the State constitu-
tlons.
1E the New York Journal for October
18. 1887, Brutus wrote: 1T appears
from these articles (Article I, Section
& and Article VD that there is no need
of any Intervention of the State govern
ments, between the Congress and the
people, to execute any one power vested
In the general government, and that
the constitution and laws Of every State
are nullified and declared void. so far
as they are or shall be inconsistent with
this constitution, or the laws made in
pursuance of it. or with treaties made
under the authority of the United
States" In the January 8, 1913, issue
OF the Massachusetts, Centinel, an anti
federalist wrote: And will not such
a subsection of the Constitution of this
Commonwealth. not only to the Consti-
tuition, but to the laws Of the Union. and
to treaties that are or may be made
under the authority of Congress, be in
effect dissolution of the government
of Massachusetts? Surely it will"
Again in the New York Journal, No
vember 8, 1887: Thus this new system,
with one sweeping clause, tears down
every constitution in the Union -"
tSigned Cincinnatus0
Our Federal Constitution is mans
greatest contribution to political science,
and can be q great instrument in inter-
national peace and justice, but only If
we are willing to apply it on an inter-
national basis; we gain nothing by
sitting 1t under wet blanket of ma
tional sovereignty. Indeed, we may
thereby even lose all we have gained
under 1t in little over $50 years, If
b, refusing to apply federal union
internationally we lose our civilization
through constantly recurring world
wars. JOHN F. SCHMIDT,
Captain, U. S. A.
UrSes Board of Managers