Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-04-21
Immediate Succession
To Presidency Urged

To Presidency Urged
Continuity in Office Would End
Misunderstanding, Says Writer
By David Laurence
The Nation has had q week to size
up what happens when there Is change
Of administration in the midst of Q
world war.
The change tends to prove and dis
prove certainly previously held concep-
tions. Those who believed such q change
of leadership would affect the conduct
Of the war have been proved wrong.
Those who believed that continuity of
administration is essential to prevent
widespread misunderstanding of for.
eign policy and uncertainties have been
proved right.
In the last presidential campaign the
argument was made that change might
be disastrous, would slow up the war
and create uncertainty abroad. The
change last week cannot be compared
really to a change brought about by an
election. For it is the two-and-a-half-
month interval between election and in
auguration which produces the uncer-
tainty. If anything has been proved
conclusively about the transition that
has just been made from the Roosevelt
to Truman administrations it Is that
the American people ought never again
be subjected to that interval between
election and inauguration.
Recalls November, 1892.
When President Herbert Hoover was
defeated in November, 1882, this corre-
spondent suggested that he ought to
appoint Mr.. Roosevelt Secretary of
State and then resign, along with Vice
President Curtis, SO that succession
could be immediate Whether America
could have been spared the economic
agony OF that bank holiday on inaugu-
ration day by placing the Roosevelt ad-
ministration into power promptly In
November, 1882, can be argued rather
persuasively when one examines the rec
ord Of rumors Of forthcoming gold de-
valuation and other disturbing reports
current in the financial markets and
among the banks between November,
1882, and March 4, 1933-something that
may have led to the undermining Of
public confidence which broughe on runs
on the banks in February, 1898.
The parliamentary system of govern
nf ttnN L. -,
Canada and Australia and the United
Kingdom, makes possible an immediate
overnight transition. When Prime Min
lister Chamberlain's ministry lost the
confidence of the British Parliament in
the spring of 1910, Winston Churchill
came into Office even while the British
forces were being evacuated from
France and Belgium. There was no
hiatus.
Except when a President of the
United States dies there is no immediate
transfer of power and yet the clear
advantages of overnight assumption OF
presidential duties were never more
clearly demonstrated than when on
April IL last the death of Mr.. Roosevelt
was flashed at 5:48 pm. and Harry
Truman took the oath of office at TOO
pm. of the same day. In "a hours the
world learned that the San Francisco
Conference would 60 on, that leader
ship of our armed forces would remain
unchanged and that in a broad sense
the Roosevelt policies-both foreign and
domestic-would be fulfilled.
Any one can judge for himself how re,
markedly effective the transition has
been. And public opinion outside of
Washington has rallied as have both
parties in Congress to the new Presi-
dents support-a remarkable exhibition
of national unity.
No Amendment Required.
1t would not require a constitutional
amendment to make succession i'm
mediate. The Congress has already
provided that when vacancy in the
Office of President and Vice President
occurs the Secretary of State becomes
President. Hence by appointing the
newly elected President to be Secretary
of State, transition can be effected
within "a hours of election day. Inci-
dentally, Congress has the power to pro-
vide by law how to fill vacancy that
occurs in the Office of both President
and Vice President.
Thus, as the law now reads, the Sec
rotary of State would become President
but Congress could next week pass q
statute specifying that the successor to
a President shall be chosen by a ma.
Jority vote of both houses of Con.
gress-each State delegation voting as q
unit-which is along the lines of the
method stipulated in the Constitution
when there Is contest in which no
candidate receives a majority of the
electoral votes.
There is no sound reason why the
Secretary Of State shall be the Successes
If the Vice President has become pres.
ident and then he dies or is disabled,
1t would be better If Congress had the
opportunity to select President for the
unexpired term. If Congress sets up
that arrangement, it will be the people Q
representatives who will pick the sue
cessor, and then the national executive
power will not suddenly be exercised by
some one who happens to be Secretary
OF state-familiar with foreign policies
but perhaps not domestic AFFAIRS
man who has not been elected by the
people or even by their representatives
in Congress.
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