The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-05-26
Tho Senate and the Peace

TO uC"UJ
, ~ position in foreign affairs
-Tsdor the two-thirds rule if Sena
~ Nve is against and Senator
.ustin is far a treaty, Senate:
yvecasts the equivalent of 2 year,
:. Senator Austin's one vote. More
,or under the Senate rules a mi
u uo, can obstruct treaty from
Nv or,ine to a vote by insisting or
r ,uu1inifed debate, and this obstruc'
t aI, ran be removed only by clio
t .,u which also requires a two.
. W. majority. So if Senator Ny;
sl TO filibuster he has two votes
W favor Of the continuation of the
. =, to Senator Austin's one
vote , in favor of closing the debate
AZ things stand now, thirty-two
conotors can veto the will of sixty
tonr Senator's, of 435 Representa-
ives and of the President.
There is growing awareness
among the people that this special
nrivilege has been abused, and il
+ seems likely that it is going to
he abused at the end of this war a
wav will be found to end the priv
Ieged position only by proving to
The country that it will not abuse
If Otherwise it will lose the privi-
Ieae by constitutional amend
ment by resort to the ratification
# agreements by majority votes
in both houses or by the two meth
DDS combined.
The country will not permit the
settlement of the war and the fu-
lure peace of the world to depend
1pon one-third of one branch OF
he government of the United
States.
In the coming election both par
lies would do well to declare their
position on this question. That in
Itself should be sufficient to insure
HE country against the abuse of
the privilege.
Provided it is not going to be
abused, there is much to be said,
I think, for retaining a system
under which irrevocable commit
ments effecting the vital interests
Of the country cannot be made
without more than majority con-
sent, without substantial una
ain1ity among the people. Our Con.
stitution is formed on the princi-
pie that in very great matters
for example, the structure of gov
eminent itself-changes shall not
be made unless more than one ma
jority vote has been taken.
The question is how to preserve
this basic principle without open
ing the way to grave abuses. May
it not be that the answer to this
question is in whether the terms
Of the treaty are or are not ir.
revocable?
Suppose, for example, that the
treaty called for the cession OF
American territory to foreign
power or for the annexation OF
new territory by the United States.
Treaties of this sort call for ir-
revocable commitments, and we
might argue that they ought not
to be ratified until they have been
exhaustively debated and have the
approval of much more than a
majority.
Now suppose, on the other hand,
that there is a treaty calling for
United States participation-to USE
the excellent word which Mrs.
Luce has recently suggested-in a
world council. Suppose, as ought
to be the case, that our participa-
ton rests on an agreement to ex-
change information and to consult
with the other nations on all mat
tiers which may affect the peace
Of the world. Since participation
ie a continuing operation which
Congress has to support and ap.
prove by repeated votes appro-
priating money and confirming ap-
pointments, the agreement which
initiates the whole business is not
an irrevocable commitment. Be
cause the first vote of ratification
is not the one, the only, and the
final vote on the question, an
agreement of this sort would surely
conform to the essential principles
of the Constitution if it were ap-
proved by simple majorities Of
both houses of Congress.
1t seems to me that in the set.
tlement of this war, there ought
not to be, as there was after the
last war, one omnibus treaty COW
ering everything. There will need
to be specific treaties Of settlement
with Germany and with Japan. II
would be better if these particular
treaties, which must carry pledges
to enforce them, can be ratified
IN the customary way by two
thlrd vote of the Senate, so thai
no shadow of doubt shall clout
their validity. For when a grave
oeclslon is to be taken, it is nevel
desirable, if it can be avoided, tt
use new procedure. The old pro
ceoure, which every one acknowl
cages, is the best if it can be mad'
to work.
But when We come to the agree
ments to continue our collabora
uon with the United Nations, t.
preserve the great advantages o