Evening star., 1947-01-20

haFOiu Il. Ackes. Al Cll6 IIlOUlcLlt,
I have In mind those like Senators
Moore, Republican, of Oklahoma;
Knowland, Republican, of Califor-
mia, and McCarran, Democrat, OF
Nevada. These three gentlemen
jointly have introduced in the Sem
ate of the United States bill which,
If enacted, would Quit-claim to the
State of California and other Coastal
States all right, title and interest
in and to rich oil-bearing lands
lying seaward of the ordinary low
water mark and extending seaward
nautical miles.
Now, while these three gentlemen
were elected as Senators from their
respective States, they are officers
of the United States. In other words,
Senator Knowland may be correctly
described as "a Senator of the
United States from the State Of
California" He is not an ambas-
sador from his State; he is not even
a Senator of the State Of California.
Paid by Country, Not State.
AS an officer of the United States,
he is paid a salary out Of the Fed
eral Treasury and receives such
emoluments as may be due to a
United States Senator. This salary
and these emoluments derive from
the United States itself, and not
from the State Of California.
When Mr.. Knowland presented
himself to take his oath Of Office, he
swore to protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States
not the constitution of the State OF
California. BY implication at least,
he undertook to place the interests
of all the people of the United
States above those of any one State.
including California. He was not
employed by California to come to
Washington to huckster for the
benefit of his State, at the expense
of the interests of all of the people
of the United States. ..
# he had a stricter regard for
his duties and his obligations as an
officer of the United States, and a
keener realization than he appears
to have that personal and State in
terests must give way to the ma
tional welfare, he would disqualify
himself from taking part in any de-
cision involving a conflict between
his State and the Government OF
the United States, to the latter Of
which he owes his primary ale
glance '1'N .,,,., -.
one would' not expect Senator
McCarran to disqualify himself
even in such circumstances. But
With his legal background, one Won
ders why Senator Moore does not
refrain from taking a position IA
vorable to the oil interests Of Cali
fornia, on the ground that his own
concern as to oil has been such
that he would take no position that
might be subject to misinterpreta-
tion. In short, a Senator from an
oil State ought to lean backward,
if necessary, to negative any idea
that he is a special pleader for the
petroleum interests.
Fight Over California Tidelands.
From the very beginning, this
whole fight really has been over
the rich oil of the California Tide
lands, 1t has been based upon a
misconcept;on of the facts that
have been deliberately built up by
former Attorney General Robert w.
Kenny of California, with the active
help and financial support Of the
California oil interests.
In his campaign to grab these
tidelands for his own State, he has
not scrupled to indulge in fragrant
Misrepresentation At that, no one
would question either the right or
the duty Of the Attorney General
of California to safeguard and pro-
tect every legitimate interest of his
State, including its oil companies,
even against the United States itself.
After all, he was serving as the
attorney of his State. He was not
an officer of the United States as is
Senator Knowland.
BY the expenditure Of a good deal
of money, most Of it furnished by
interested oil companies, which of
itself was a high improperly, Mr..
Kenny put on a lively and insinu-
ating campaign to persuade As other
attorneys-general that the suit
filed by the Federal Government to
determine whether the Coastal
.~..s a....