Evening star., 1947-09-26

: ] appreciate the invitation which
you have extended to me to talk to
the World Affairs Council of Ia
coma. The council has provided one
Of the greatest forums for discus
sion Of foreign policy in the North
west.
During this trip to the West,
have been interested primarily in
discussing the record Of the first
Republican Congress in 1e years.
The Republican Party has shown its
ability to formulate a program in
Rccordance with It's principles, and
20 carry that program through over
the strenuous opposition of many
special interest groups, and in spite
of the New Deal propaganda which
has been built up so strongly for so
many years.
3 In the domestic field, the people
elected Congress for the purpose
of eliminating wartime controls,
reducing Government regimentation,
expense and taxation, and eliminat-
ing injustices which had developed
In labor relations. I have shown
that the Republican Party has kept
ts promises and done its job.
Cites Presidents Power.
I'm the field of foreign policy, the
Republicans have not had the same
responsibility, because the Demo
Gratis still control the Presidency
The people do not realize to what
q, large extent the field Of foreign
policy Is controlled by the President
and how little Congress has to say
about 1t. Under the Constitution
the President is given the power
to initiate all negotiations with
foreign nations and carry them on
in every field up to the point where
a treaty Is entered into. He has
power to make executive agreements
with foreign nations without the
approval Of Congress, and more
and more this power has been de-
veloped, often, I think, in deroga-
ton OF the right Of Congress te
insist upon treaty ratification. The
Presidents power was also ire.
mendously enlarged by the state OF
war by war legislation. Much Of the
war legislation has been repealed
but the state of war exists until
the peace Is signed or declared.
u. N. Power Delegated.
In the field Of the United Nations
we have delegated complete power
to the President to direct the &C
tions Of our representatives in the
Security Council and the Assembly
10 that the President may actually
involve us in war without q decla-
ration Of war by Congress. In the
Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act
we have temporarily delegated te
the President the power to reduce
tariffs by rs per cent from the
statutory rate without the approva,
Of Congress.
The truth Is, that unless the
President needs money to carry out
the agreements or arrangements he
may make with foreign nations, he
practically does not have to ask
Congress for approval Of any i'm
portant item Of his foreign policy
Just at the present time, however
1t is true that much of our deal
ings with foreign nations seem to
require cash from the United States
Treasury, and so we have had to
pass on the British loan, the ap-
propriations for relief, and the
Greek and Turkish loans; and the
Marshall Plan, II developed, must
be submitted to Congress. Even II,
this field, however, 1t is difficult
for Congress to repudiate agree
ments made by the President with
out at least bringing charges OF
bad faith on the part Of this
Nation.
In. general, I believe Congress
should hesitate to interfere with
the Presidents foreign policy. un-
less 1t involves us in the danger
Of an unnecessary war, or pro-
poses to drain to an unreasonable
degree the resources of our tax
payers and the product Of our labor.
I believe 1t is a field where Con-
gress should not, except with great
provocation, give foreign countries
q picture of a divided America.
Bipartisan Policy.
The Republican Congress has
done its best to cooperate with the
President. Much has been made
Of the so-called bipartisan foreign
policy, but most people do not real
ize that it has covered very limited
field. 1t has really extended only
to Senator Vandenberg's partici-
patton in the formulation Of the
United Nations Charter, in negoti-
ations with European nations re-
garding peace in Europe, and in the
regional agreement with South
American nations. In these fields
Seantor Vandenberg has taken the
lead and accomplished results
which could never have been reach
ed without his sound Judgment and
force. But In most other fields OF
foreign policy even he was not con-
suited until the policy itself had
been formulated and was ready
to be announced.
Thus in the matter of the Greek
loan and the Marshall Plan, the
Republicans were called in only to
be asked to go along with policy
already adopted. The Republicans
were not invited to have any part in
the policy in China, the policy in
Germany, or the policy in the Ar
gentine. Nor, Of course, was any Re-
publican in any way responsible for
the fatal mistakes made earlier at
Teheran, Yalta and Potsdam.
In spite of the lack Of co-opera-
ton on the part Of the President
and the State Department, the Re-
publicans, since they have controlled
Congress, have tried not to rock
the boat or upset any reasonable ef-
fort to correct past errors. They
have supported the United Nations.
Since the Russians indicated their
unwillingness to accept the spirit Of
the United Nations, and their inter-
ton to veto all important actions,
the Republicans have opposed any
concessions to Soviet Russia.
Function Of Opposition.
In my opinion, current foreign
a.