Milford chronicle., 1952-03-07

voice.
There can be no question that the
executive departments have claimed
more and more power over the field
OF foreign policy at the same time
that the Importance Of foreign pol
icy and its effect on every feature
OF American life has steadily in
creased.
II the present trend continues it
seems to me obvious that the Presi.
dent will become a complete dicta-
tor in the entire field Of foreign pol
icy and thereby acquire power to
force upon Congress all kinds of
domestic policies which must nee
esSarily follow.
The fundamental issue in the
great debate" was, and is, whether
the President shall decide when the
United States shall go to war or
whether the people Of the United
states themselves shall make that
decision.
Action by Executive Agreement
Also. for many years the State
Department has been developing a
theory that almost any action can
be taken by executive agreement,
which does not absolutely REQUIRE
any congressional approval at all,
instead Of by the treaty method pre-.
scribed in the Constitution. Undoubt-
edly, the necessity Of obtaining a
tWo-thirds vote in the Senate is very
difficult and has encouraged many
people to think that this develop
ment was necessary. But if the
treaty method is not satisfactory,
then the Constitution should be
amended to provide for the approval
OF all executive agreements and to
define the scope Of and effect of
such agreements much more clear
ly than at present.
More and more the State De-
partment has assumed to do many
things which are beyond its power
in the field Of trade, by an execu-
tive agreement known as the Cen
eral Agreement on Tariff and Trade
(GATT). It has insisted that the
: Executive have the power to raise
and lower tariffs. through recipro-
cal trade agreements, within con-
stantly widening limits and without
the slightest shadow Of a standard
prescribed by law Political agree
ments as important as those made
at Yalta have never been submitted
to Congress at all.
I think it is fair to say that the
State Department has adopted an
attitude of hostility toward Congress
and an unwiuingness to submit any
matter to Congress if it thinks it
can possibly carry it through with
out such submission. 1t shows a COM
plete distrust Of the opinion of the
people, unless carefully nursed by
State Department propaganda.
A Serious Issue
The matter was brought to an
issue by the Intervention Of the Pres
ident in the Korean War without
even telling Congress what he was
doing for several weeks. And it was
brought still further to the fore by
the proposal that we commit troops
to an international army under the
control Of a council of IL nations. I
= not think that the American peo-
have ever faced a more serious
titutional issue or one which in
II may present a greater threat
lolr freedom.
If the President has unlimited
power to involve US in war, then
believe that the consensus Of
opinion is that war Is more likely.
History shows that when the peo-
pie have the opportunity to speak
they as a rule decide for peace If
possible.
On Jan. 4. 1851 President Truman,
commenting on the Coudert reso-
luton to bar him from sending more
troops to Europe without the con-
sent Of Congress, said emphatically
that he did not need the permission
of Congress to take such action.
On January II. at a press inter-
view, according to the Washington
Post:
'Mr. Truman, whose right to
send troops to Europe recently was
challenged by Senator Taft. said he
had the power to send them any
place in the world. This, he said,s
had been repeatedly recognized by
Congress and the Supreme Court.
"a reporter asked Mr.. Truman in
effect what would happen If Con-
gress tried to tie his hands by
putting restrictions in the appro-
priation bills for the forces to be
sent to Europe.
CIoimed Clear Authority
'That, said the President, was
up to Congress. II they wanted to !
go to the country about it, he said, |
he would go with them-and he re-
called that he licked them once"
At the Presidents conference a
week later. on January 18, accord
ing to the press:
HE repeated that his constitu-
tional authority to send American
forces to Europe to take up their
positions in an integrated European
army was clear and did not depend
upon the consent of Congress. What
he would be glad to have. he said !
in substance. was a Senate expires.
sion that affirmed his constitutional
authority"