Evening star., 1945-04-05
U.S.. Seen Committed
On 3 Votes for Russia

- -
On 3 Votes for Russia
President Within Constitutional
Rights on Pact, Says Observer
By David Laurence
The American delegation to the San
Francisco Conference stands committed
to uphold President Roosevelt's agree
ment at Yalta to give Russia three
votes in the assembly Of the new
United Nations organization.
Although the American delegation
contains members of the United States
Senate, they do not act in their capacity
as Senators but merely as members for
the time being Of an executive commits
sion which is engaged In negotiating a
treaty. 1t is important to bear this
distinction In mind, because members
of the House and Senate who are n1em-
bers of the delegation to the San Fran
cisco Conference may be criticized for
doing something over which they have
absolutely no control.
otliNtiy oHCdhlliS, IlCoiuCIlb 10
we'll within his constitutional rights in
insisting that the American delegation
support the agreement that he made
at Yalta. AS head of the executive
branch of the Government, which alone
is empowered to negotiate treaties. the
President could 60 to San Francisco
alone and record the viewpoint of the
American Government with respect to
the agreements he made at Yalta.
Assurances Given.
1t is true that the members of the
United States Senate have the power
under the Constitution to ratify or re-
ject any treaty negotiated in San Fran
cisco, but that is separate proceed
ing. Senators Connally and Vanden-
berg, for instance, could express their
dissent inside the American delegation,
and yet be obliged to support the
majority view on any matter that
comes up in the United Nations Con-
ference.
Assurances have been given, however,
that no such discipline will be enforced
on members of the delegation, with
| the possible exception of the three
votes-for-R Russia problem - now con-
strued to be a commitment by the
! United States Government.
| 1t is probable that an opportunity
will be afforded to all members of the
! American delegation to express them
selves when appearing before COM
| mittees of the San Francisco Conference,
| but it is understood that this does not
| in any way affect the vote of the Amer
! lean delegation when it is finally cast
| on any specific matter. The United
| States will cast only one vote, and this
! will be determined by the delegation
| itself
There is tendency on Capitol Hill to
believe that the question of three votes
to Russia will not be a difficult obstacle
| to overcome. President Roosevelt, by
abandoning his request that America
have three votes, has opened the way for
Russia to do likewise. 1t may be that
the whole purpose of Marshal Stain
was not to press for three votes in the
assembly at all, but to focus attention on
that issue rather than on the veto power
which Russia insisted on maintaining in
! the Security Council.
Recent public discussion has almost
entirely obscured the fact that the place
where Russia's vote is to count the most
is in the Security Council rather than
in the assembly, and it would not be
surprising II Marshal Stain had in the
back of his mind that he would recede
from his request for three votes in the
assembly on being assured that the veto
power which Russia holds in the Security
Council is to be granted.
Lesson of History.
Senator Vandenberg has suggested a
series of amendments to the charter of
published and have received consider
able support. The Baltimore Sun, a
Democratic newspaper. in a long edi-
torial analyzes these amendments and is
sympathetic to their adoption.
1t is gratifying to find the Michigan
Senator undeterred by those observers
who insist that the duty of American
delegates is to refrain from airing their
views at all prior to the conference.
History proves that when public discus
sion precedes an important international
conference. the way is open to the crys-
tallization of views into harmonious
agreement. whereas when controversies
spring up in the conference itself there
is little opportunity for public opinion
to express itself.
The great virtue of holding the United
Nations Conference in this country is
that free press and delegates who are
free to express themselves without fear
of censorship can bring to bear the
corrective processes of public opinion in
order to get desirable result.
The 'Klieg Lights" of the American
press are an invaluable instrument of
free democracy.