Evening star., 1951-01-06
Excerpts From Taft Speech in Senate

organization to secure action against
aggreSsors ..
Those who are blaming the United
Nations should much more blame
the limitations of the charter and
our own Government for forcing
United Nations action beyond its
permanent powers.
-. The President incorrectly as
sumed that the United Nations was
an operating organization with
power to call on us for troops which
we could supply. AS matter OF
fact, he had no authority whatever
to commit American troops to Korea
without consulting Congress and
without congressional approval.
Terms of Act Interpreted.
He could not commit our Armed
Forces to support the United Ma
tions under the terms Of the act
which was passed by Congress, for
that act only recognized the COM
mitment of troops in the event OF
the negotiation of a special military
agreement with the Security Coun-
Gil which shall be subject to the
approval of the Congress by an
appropriate act or joint resolution" T"
The Russians have prevented the
conclusion of any such agreements.
Congress has therefore never acted.
The President simply usurped au-
thority when he sent troops to
Korea to carry out the resolution of
the United Nations in an undeclared
war. It may now be argued that
Congress, by appropriating money
for additional Korean action, has
ratified the act, but the war was on
and we had no choice but to back
up wholeheartedly the boys who
were fighting in Korea. ...
U. N. as Diplomatic Weapon.
:. For the present we must make
use OF the United Nations as best
we may, as diplomatic weapon
and through it we may hope that
more friendly relations can be estab-
lished with Russia. But as far as
military policy is concerned, I see
no choice except to develop our own
military policy, and our own policy
OF alliances, without regard to the
non-exiStent power of the United
Nations to prevent aggression.
;. Our first consideration must
be defense of America. 1t seems
obvious that the immediate problem
of defending this country depends
upon control of the sea and control
of the air. -.
Protection BY Sea, Air Power.
Whether war can be ended by
air power alone may be open to
question, but certainly sea and air
power can achieve a complete pro-
lection while other forces are being
developed to meet whatever goals
may seem to be desirable in third
world war. OF course an army of
reasonable size has a place in the
defense Of the American continent
and for such occasional extern
sions of action into Europe or Asia
as promise success in selected areas.
But it need not be anything like
as large an army as would be neces-
sary for a land war on the con-
tinent of Europe or the continent
of Asia =.
While defense of this country Is
Our first consideration, I do not
agree with those who think we can
completely abandon the rest of
the world and rely solely upon the
defense of this continent. In fact
the very thesis of an effective con-
troll of sea and air by the free
nations requires that we do interest
ourselves in Europe and the Nea,
East and India and the Far East
so that Communist influence may
not extend to areas from which II
Is still possible to exclude it By
many methods other than lano
armies. OF course. Mr.. Hoover's
recent speech was completely mis-.
represented by the Administration
press in this regard. He did not
advocate retirement to the Ameri-
can continent. He only urged that
emphasis be placed on our defense
of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans
as it should be particularly if all OF
our allies should abandon us ..
Power For Peace.
:. there is no need for a specific
line of defense, but we can exer-
else a power for peace over a vast
area. If the Russians realize that
power cannot be challenged, ano
can do real damage to their OWL
nation with the atomic bomb ano
otherwise, their purpose of mill.
tary aggression may we'll wither
and gradually peaceful relations ir
Europe may grow again. -.
I do not believe that this sea and
air power should be used for ag-
gressive purposes, but I do believe
it should be available to assist those
nations which ask for assistance
to defend themselves against Com
munist aggression. to the extent