Evening star., 1950-04-11
Joint Committee Vital
To Act as Consu|tant
On Bipartisan Policy
Dulles ond Cooper Naming
FoIIs Short Of ACHIEVING
Substantial PROGRESS
Bv David Laurence

By David Laurence
No real solution of the problem
Of getting cooperation on foreign
policy between the Republicans
and Democrats in Congress has
yet been put into effect.
Appointment of former Senator
Cooper of Kentucky and former
Senator John Foster Dulles o1
New York, both Republicans, tc
act as consultants to Secretary OF
State Acheson helps the spirit o1
Together somewhat, but il
falls short Of actually achieving
any substantial progress.
This is because, under the
Constitution, responsibility for the
conduct Of foreign policy is vestec
in the President alone. When he
hears all the advice that may be
channeled to him through the
Secretary of State or his con.
sultants, the decision is that Of
the President and nobody else.
What has been attempted. oi
course. in bringing Messrs. Cooper
and Dulles into the picture is tx
give the impression that the Re-
publican Party in Congress is be-
ing consulted in the making OF
foreign policy and that this some
how binds Republicans in Con-
gress. But under the American
constitutional system, nobody can
represent senators or repre-
sentatives-they alone are re-
sponsible to the people for the
votes they cast on pending legis-
lation and for their action in rati-
Tying or rejecting treaties with
foreign governments.
Called Advertising Phrase.
The so-called Bipartisan" CO.
operation in foreign policy is a
phrase introduced primarily to
advertise abroad that both our
political parties are united at the
waters edge. Actually the two
parties as such have never par
ticipated in the making of major
decisions of foreign policy. There
has been, of course, an "un-
partisan" approach in the sense
that Senator Vandenberg has tried
to keep partisan politics from in
f1uencing his colleagues who
normally might oppose admins
tration decisions as they do on
domestic affairs. To this end he
has been consulted often in the
past by Secretaries of State.
The bipartisan" scheme, on the
other hand, has made it seem un-
patriotic for the Republicans or
other dlssenters to express their
protests or to vote against the
administration. Senator Vanden-
berg never intended it to work out
that way-he has tried always to
bring about full debate and dis
cussion.
But as practical matter, some
thing more must be done now be-
sides enlisting the aid of MeSsrs.
Cooper and Dulles or the active
support in the Senate Of Mr.. VAN
denberg whenever. foreign policy
is up for consideration. The step
that remains is a simple one. It
relates to the legislative rather
than the executive branch of the
Government. First of all, it be-
comes necessary for a joint COM
mittee to be organized, composed
Of ranking neutrality-suspicious.
and Democrats-of the Foreign
Affairs Committees of both Houses
of Congress. Such a subcommit-
tee. derived from the two large
committees, would be expected to
meet periodically with the Secre-
tary of State or his deputies for
consideration of specific problems
of major Importance.
Agreement Vital To Plan.
Unless it was agreed in advance
that no commitments of a far
reaching nature would be made by
the Secretary of State without an
opportunity for the members of
the subcommittee to express their
opinions, the plan would be un-
successful. In such a program, Mr..
Dulles and Mr.. Cooper would be
very useful-they could keep men,
bers of Congress constantly in
formed of what the trend of cur
rent policies happened to be.
This is not to imply that details
of day-by-day operations would
be sent to Capitol Hill for the sub
committee to ponder but that the
outlines of broad policy would be
transmitted to them.
If such a system were set up
1t would be the duty of the mem
bers of the subcommittee to try to
keep their colleagues in both
parties in line and also to defend
on the floor of Congress in debate
any decisions which might come
In for attack. The catch-as-catch-
can consultation method of the
past has not been accepted as
effective. 1t has put too great q
burden on one man-Senator Van
denberg.
If the Republican Party is tC
have a real voice in policy making
it will have to accept full re-
sponsibility before the public fol-
making policy. But unless mem
bers of the legislative branch OF
the Government do actually par
ticipate, in something more than
q window dressing manner, in
making foreign policy, there will
be little chance for the unity that
everybody wants but which thus
far this year has not been
achieved.
Reproduction Rights Reserved)
..R