Evening star., 1948-10-13
Truman-vinson Affair
Increases Worry Of
Official Washington
Russions, Aware of U. S.
Disunity Until Election,
See Siqn of Weakness
By David Laurence

fiasco, but it can't be done. In the
State Department and elsewhere
the nervousness over what may
happen in the next three weeks be-
fore election grows as the interna-
tional situation becomes more COM
plicated.
What has developed as a source
OF worry is not that President Tru-
man may step of the. deep end
again with fantastic plan to get
attention in his political campaign
but that Soviet Russia may take
the recent episode as encourage
ment to adopt an even more ex-
treme attitude in Berlin.
The tragedy of the Vinson af-
fair is that the Chief Justice of the
United States was an innocent party
to a political stunt. The idea of
sending the Chief Justice and tax
ing 1t up with him and the radio
networks before the matter had
been fully thrashed out with the
Secretary of State indicates loose
ness in administration which the
public will charge merely to Mr..
Truman's ineptitude. But the So
viets will not be so charitable.
Sign of Weakness.
The Russians now are looking at
the American position to determine
how far it can be strained without
going to war. The United Nations
has before it the Berlin blockade.
At the moment when Mr.. Vishinsky
was being told that the situation
had reached grave point and
that Russia must lift the blockade
II there were to be four-power ne
gotiations, a rift occurs behind the
American front. If it was not a
rift, 1t was surely a sign OF weak
ness-of readiness to cut behind the
stern attitude being taken by the
ma jor powers of the Western group
at Paris.
The Russians are we'll aware
that the United States is in state
of governmental disunity, no mat
ter how much each candidate may
profess his belief in the bipartisan
foreign policy. The disunity comes
about from the virtual certainty
that Mr.. Truman will be replaced
with another President in January
and because, under the American
system, there is no way to bring i'm
mediately into power the new ad-
ministration.
The "interregnum" - the period
between election day, November 2
and January 20 next, when new
President rs inaugurated-is difn-
cult one, but the Constitution pro-
vides for it in order to give the
incoming President time to select
his cabinet and adjust himself to
the requirements Of his new post.
In parliamentary systems the new
administration can take office over
night, and it does in both the execu-
tive and legislative branches Of gov
eminent.
1888 Crisis Recalled.
The last "interregnum" that caused
severe damage was that between
election day in November, 1882, and
the inauguration Of FDR on March
4. 1888. Rumors of what MIR. Roose-
welt planned to do about deyaluation
of gold and other economic measures
helped to bring on the crisis that
closed all the banks on the day be-
fore the Inauguration.
Certainly, there is at present no
effective system Of transition under
the American Constitution, espe-
cially In time Of international crisis.
Some day, when streamlining OF
Government is undertaken on a
comprehensive basis, provision might
be made for the appointment of new
cabinet officers to take office imme-
diately after the election.
II, for instance, Mr.. Truman, after
election day, would appoint as Sec
retary of State the man Gov. Dewey
may have in mind for that office,
the country would be assured of
continuity. 1t would be formaliz-
ing of the present informal arrange
ment where Secretary Marshall
keeps in touch with Gov. Dewey
through John Foster Dulles.
It will be recalled that Mr.. Hoover
tried to get Mr.. Roosevelt to Coop
crate in the "interregnum" after
November, 1882, but Mr.. Roosevelt
shied away and scorned Mr. Hoover's
offer of cooperation. 1t was only
the patriotic work Of the men in
office who stayed on for few weeks
during the Roosevelt administration
which prevented a worse debacle
than that which occurred.
AS the time for election and in
auguration approaches, the matter
of a working arrangement between
the outgoing and incoming admins
trations will become of increasing
Importance.
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