Evening star., 1948-10-06
Unity at the Waters Edge

Senator VanQenDeTg Qlo al cASe1ieA'
lob for his party and for Governor Dewey
on Monday evening He struck that note
of magnanimity toward his political foes
that, in contrast with the Presidents own
method of give EN- hell' attack, has be-
come most effective. It has somehow
reserved to the important Republican
spokesmen, like Senator Vandenberg, Gov
ernor Warren and Governor Dewey, the
position of lofty craftsmanship, far above
the level of soapbox ranting
For Senator Vandenberg, he was in the
right spot. His own record in the Eightieth
Congress has given him unique distinction
in the field of foreign relations. When ne
speaks now, people listen to him and his
words carry authority. And as for ma
tional unity "at the waters edge" no man
has played a more conspicuous part in
making that policy living, constructive
force than Senator Vandenberg. His cita-
ton of the record of his own committee,
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
Is evidence there. Here was committee
composed of seven Republicans and six
Democrats. Yet in reporting out twenty
treaties submitted to the committee by
the President, the committees vote on
nineteen of them was unanimous. There
was a unanimous vote on the thirty-one
bills and resolutions which the committee
reported during the term of the Eightieth
Congress.
This policy of national unity on foreign
relations, reflected in bipartisan co-opera-
ton in all matters in that field, depends,
as Senator Vandenberg carefully noted,
on the attitude of those "at the top" He
graciously credits Senator Tom Connally
of Texas, his predecessor as Chairman OF
the Foreign Relations Committee, with
having originated it informally in the
committee He recalls Governor Dewey'S
own contributions in that respect four
years ago, when, as a presidential candi-
date, he refrained from raising issues that
would embarrass the conduct of the war
With that background, Governor Dewey
he implied, may be counted on to see that
the policy remains.
But he is careful to distinguish between
bipartisan cooperation, through full and
frank discussion In the formation OF
foreign policy, and rubber stamp acquies-
cence by the minority in all matters relat-
ing to foreign policy. He mentions specific
instances where unilateral decision by the
Democratic President, without consulting
the loyal opposition, has produced situa-
tions now for which the Democratic ad-
ministration must be held accountable.
What has made the bipartisan foreign
policy something more than a pleasant
phrase has been the fact that consultation
and mutual decision began in the forma-
tion of policy-the Marshall Plan, for ex-
ample-so that the policy that finally came
before Congress was shaped by the men
who were responsible for obtaining con-
gressional approval.
1t may be that such policy works most
effectively when a President, in charge
of foreign policy, is faced by the realistic
circumstance of not having control of
Congress. For the President, the BIZ
partisan approach then becomes matter
of practical expediency. But even in that
case, it works only when there are men
In Congress like Senator Vandenberg and
Representative Eaton, big enough to put
aside partisan considerations when we
leave "the waters edge" At any rate,
no campaign speech to date has more
effectively disposed of the issue that Mr..
Truman tried to make-the record of the
"do-nothing' Eightieth Congress-than
Senator Vandenberg's contribution on
Monday night
Ar | aMie s. erunfe