The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-05
Confirmation

The fanatical internationalists,
as extreme in their attitudes as the
! fanatical isolationists, distrust the
wisdom and justice OF the Amer
| ian people. AS the war approaches
peace they are in a frenzy to have
all questions solved and all prob
lens settled even before an arms
tice provides an opportunity TO look
around 10 see what this misery has
done to the human race. They
would bind shackles of decision
upon us even before We are told
and know for sure what commit
ments have been made in our
name, what engagements have been
arranged without our knowledge
and consent, what the boundaries
of the new world are to be, what
suppressions OF liberty have clan
destinely agreed to support. They
are in fearful hurry.
These fanatics seek TO change
the rules of the game while IL is in
the seventh inning. They would
alter our system of confirmation
from a two-thirds TO a majority
vote in the Senate. They feel that
a majority is more democratic"
than a two-thirds vote, but what
has frightened them is the posi-.
bility of treaty being blocked by
a minority Of slightly over one
third.
Ordinarily this might be sound
argument because II 1t is correct
for majority vote to tax us into
penury, why it is incorrect for a
majority to limit the sovereignty
OF the American people? The doc
trine OF majority rule is we'll
grounded in American tradition.
But these are not ordinary times.
The foreign rolicy OF the United
States has been conducted with
rare and deceptive secrecy. The
press has had no opportunity to
report adequately and freely the
arrangements entered upon by our
government with other govern
ments. Conferences officially con-
ducter have been held to rigid Sc
crecy, the press being limited TO
official handouts. most OF which
give the obvious impression OF be-
ing designed to confuse rather than
to inform. When fuller reports are
issued-after an elapse of time
such as the Gretton Woods conclu-
sions or the Resolutions Of the Con-
ference of Commissions OF Inter
American Development - 1t be-
comes clear that this country Is not
only Santa Claus but a sucker as
we'll Before the American peo-
pie agree TO any OF the current ar
rangements, they should have the
whole picture of the new world,
not little cut-outs.
Whether Dewey or Roosevelt is
elected president. whether the next
Congress is Republican or Demo
cratic, whether the Senate is DOM
mated by the fanatical information
alists or not, all secret agreements,
arrangements, promises and pied
ges must be brought into the open.
Those who pirate so much about
democracy" must recognize that
that is the soundest democratic
doctrine; that anything else will
be resented and resisted by the
American people.
The value of the two-thirds con.
frmation is that IL delays action.
Suppose the Treaty of Versailles
had been accepted by viva voca
vote in the Senate on the rush
order procedure advocated by the
frenzied fanatics of international
ism, the Japanese would have been
in a position in 1920 to establish
themselves permanently, with the
approval by treaty of the United
States and the Allies in the Chinese
province OF Shantung and using
that as a base, TO conquer by infll-
tration North China long before
anyone thought OF Fascism, Hitler
ism or any other reasons for the
present war. Shantung was one
OF the principal reasons for the
rejection OF that treaty by the Sen