Evening star., 1949-02-16
u, ). Position on Wal
Commitments Is Still
Being Misunderstood
British Fail to Learn
America Can't Make
Specific Pledges
Bv David Laurence

curious spectacle before other na-
tions-a clumsy, bungling kind of
power which doesn't seem to make
sense in q troubled world. The
negotiations over the North At
lantic Pact, for example, have
aroused a significant comment in
The Manchester Guardian. one
of the leading liberal newspapers
of Great Britain. It says, in an
editorial entitled THE Wrong
Way:
THE United States can hardly
be proud of some recent pas
sages in its diplomacy. Negotia-
tions on the North Atlantic Pact
have obviously been bungled
The apparent retreat behind the
shelter of the Senate's authority
should have been avoidable and
much misunderstanding and
heart-searching in Europe could
have been prevented. The United
States should not have forced the
pace if it were not able to de-
liver the goods. Now a more
sober and less spectacular ap-
proach to problems of mutual aid
must be attempted.
But misunderstanding about
the Atlantic Pact IS as nothing
compared with antics of the high
military authority who in a
Tokyo press conference has been
cutting ground from all American
policy in the Far East, fouting
all inter Allied arrangements and
generally giving the Russians
magnificent aid for their propa-
ganda.
u. S. Seen "Welshing"
"Is there no kind of cohesion
or responsibility among American
officials? Must they always be
chattering to press conferences?
Do they seriously weigh the con-
sequences of their words? Have
they an intelligent understanding
of what words mean? 1t looks as
though some of them have not. "
Other British newspapers put
headlines on the comments of
Senators Vandenberg and Connal-
ly and said America is "welshing"
on it's obligations to Europe in
connection with the military al
lance.
Someone on this side of the
Atlantic might write an editorial
entitled when. Oh, When?" 1t
might ask when the British will
begin to understand the American
constitutional system. Certainly
there have been ample opportuni-
ties for the British to learn that
no executive and no Secretary of
State can make q commitment
whereby the United States would
automatically go to war.
Likewise, even If a treaty were
signed which said, as the Pan
American defense treaty does,
that the United States would con-
slider an attack on the other ma
tions as an act of aggression and
would consult with other nations
as to measures to be taken, this
would not be a specific commit
ment to go to war.
Only Congress Can Act.
In the United States only the
Congress can declare war, and
there cannot, under the Constitu-
ton, be any delegation Of power
to the Executive to go to war. 1t
would be very easy for the Execu-
tive to take prompt measures
without waiting for congressional
action If the United States is at
tackled, for the Constitution gives
the President vast powers to repel
invasion. It Is a far different
thing for the United States to
agree to 60 to war if an invasion
of Sweden or Norway or Denmark
is involved.
Senators Connally and Vanden-
berg, representing both political
parties, united in saying publicly
that no treaty could be signed
which would commit the United
States to go to war. 1t would be
necessary, they said, for the action
to be taken by Congress.
Now, instead of criticizing the
two senator's for making this
statement, the British might have
better understood that fear was
expressed on this side that the
American position would again
be misunderstood abroad as it was
in 1919.
Should Study U. S. History.
In that year. President Wilson
signed the Versailles Treaty and
most Europeans did not realize
that it was necessary to get q
two-thirds vote of the Senate to
make it effective. This was never
obtained and another kind OF
treaty subsequently had to be
negotiated. Europeans might ex-
anime the history of the United
States in treaty-making, and they
would discover that there is nc
constitutional basis for an often.
sive and defensive alliance.
AS a practical matter, however
II an act of aggression occurs ir
Europe and the United States
feels a moral obligation to sup
port the victim or victims Of ag'
gression, there can be no doub
that Congress would vote thu
necessary authorization.
The proposed treaty goes far
ther than the Kellogg Pact II
promising consideration of mill
tary assistance. 1t will creat'
moral obligations. But 1t Is tn
American custom to consider
and not to pledge such assistance
That is something which man,
Europeans never seem to hav
learned about the constitutions
system of the United States.
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