Evening star., 1945-03-16
Letters to The Star
Favors Majority Support Rule for
Cooperation in Senate

TO the Editor OF The Star:
Many Of us deeply are disturbed by
current criticism Of Britain and Russia.
For we realize:
(a) That each major ally is depend
ent on the others to win either the war
or the peace; (b) that distrust, one OF
another, will lengthen the war and jeop-
ardize future peace; Co that perma-
nent peace is the one and only possible
compensation for this devastating Sec
ond World War; (d) that another global
war. with implements of destruction Inn
mensely increased, will end what re-
mains of civilization; (e) that the only
alternative to such collective suicide
by war is collective security against war:
yet reckless and ignorant criticism Of
Great Britain and Russia finally Is
drawing bitter response.
Surely the mass folly Of mankind
(Which has caused or permitted two
World Wars in one generation) pro-
yides difficulties enough without this
pouring of sand into the gears Of Allied
cooperation. Such harm invites the
inquiry: Have you forgotten that we
are fighting the Germans and the Japs
and not the British and the Russians2"
For Hitler's motto was and still is:
Divide and Conquer!"
Although the above considerations
are obvious. their danger to permanent
peace is not realized fully-because the
dangerous possibilities Of the treaty
powers now vested in the Senate are
not yet understood.
So constructive commentator as
Fulton Lewis, jr., on December 10 de-
nounced "the loudly touted but only
half-thought proposal to end the re-
quirements Of two-thirds vote by the
Senate for ratification of treaties and
to substitute simple majority vote of
both houses of Congress-" and declared,
IF drastic extremes in international
policy cannot command two-thirds sup
port by the people. the program had
better be modified into some form that
can command that support"
Even Homer mods occasionally, and
Mr.. Lewis was in dreamland when he
thought that our treaties now COM
mand two-thirds support by the people"
for a citizen of Nevada has 120 times
the senatorial representation OF citizen
of New York.
Simple arithmetic reaches the follow
ing conclusions: Cd Since 81 Senators
(when all vote are needed for treaty
making, maximum of 80 plus SEN
ators can prevent any and all treaties,
and thus negatively control our major
foreign policy; (2) the last II least pop
ulous States, providing "a Senators, con-
tanned in 1910 per cent of the
national population; 90 but only one
third OF the population votes, so the
voters of these II States are 22s per
cent Of our national population; "a
with two political parties ana one party
winning by bare majority, the "a
Senators from these II States would be
chosen by Ia per cent of the national
population-a far cry from 'two-thirds
support by the people!'
The illusory "two-thirds support by
the people" easily may shrink-not as
theoretical possibility, but as a prac-
tical fact-to such proportion that
chronic irreconcilables, supported by un-
suspected subversive elements, mega
lively could control our foreign policy.
While eliminating such danger, treaty
ratification by majority Of both Houses
Of Congress would bring the united
wisdom OF Congress to the conduct OF
our foreign affairs and be an essential
stride toward government of the people,
by the people, for the people.
ARTHUR GRAHAM GLASGOW.