Evening star., 1947-02-06
Presidency
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that the real issue before the House
was the submission to the people
of this Constitutional question.
IT do not believe any member
would oppose doing this" he said.
1--WE are not checking the people, We
are merely asking them to pass upon
this question. It is not a political
question in any sense of the word
and T hope it will not be SO treated
by any members"
president Doesn't Fight War"
Mr.. Mccormack interrupted to ask
whether Mr.. Springer thought the
people should be allowed to retain a
President beyond the second term in
case the country was engaged in a
desperate war.
IF the country Is at war;" re-
piled Mr.. Springer, "our President
does not fight the war. The war is
fought by the Chief of Staff, and the
generals and the admirals and the
President takes their advice"
Meanwhile some House Repub-
licans said privately that President
Truman has put them on the spot
by repeating his recommendation
for law to make the Speaker of
the House and the president pro
tempore of the Senate next in the
presidential line of succession.
Mr.. Truman addressed his new
request yesterday to Speaker Mar
tin and Senate President Vanden-
berg, both Republicans.
He said the same need for revi-
sion of the 60-year-old succession
law exists now as when he first
proposed 1t June 10, 1945.
The House passed such a bill 10
days later, but 1t got stalled in"the
Senate. az-l-az=a-zalss-,-.
The President said he should not
have the power to name his potential
successor-as he has under present
law by selecting his own Secretary
Of State. It is the Secretary of State
now Gen. George C. Marshall
who leads the line of succession
when there is no Vice President, as
at present.
Mr.. Truman said he wants only
elective officers eligible to fill a
White House vacancy.
Republicans said there are so many
of their party in Congress aiming
for the 1948 nomination that Mr..
Martin might get the inside track
If by a stroke of fate he succeeded
President Truman.
On the other hand, they asserted,
if they do nothing about the ques-
ton and Gen. Marshall meanwhile
took over the White House, he would
be hard man to beat despite his
definite statement that he could not
be drafted for the presidency.
Mr.. Martin would not comment.
Senator Taft of Ohio, a likely
presidential contender in 1948, said
his Republican Policy Committee
already had agreed to take early
action on some kind of succession
legislation.
Saying he did not think per-
sonalities were involved, Senator
Taft added he personally has
"wavered between different theor-
ies." One, he said, is that the sue
cession line ought to be confined
to the same party as the President.
The other is the view that MIR. Mar
tin has a fresher mandate from the
people, since he was reelected last
November.
Senator Bricker, Republican, of
Ohio, another possible candidate,
called the Truman proposal CON
structive," and said he would be
inclined to vote for it.
Senator Ives, Republican, of New
York, a supporter of Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey, another likely contender
in 194S, said he favors putting an
elective official first in line, as Mr..
Truman proposed, but believes the
line should start with the President
of the Senate rather than the
Speaker.
Chairman Michener of the House
Judiciary Committee promised early
hearings on the question whenever
a bill Is introduced.