Evening star., 1952-11-11
The Problem of the Interreqnum

me FTOOIem OF the InIeETeQnum
It is a weakness Of our constitutional
system that the Nation must live, as at present,
through a months-long presidential nterregnum.
Under the Twentieth Amendment this period Is
not so protracted as it used to be- but it still
tends from election day in November to the fol-
lowing January 2O What it adds up to now--the
more so because the incumbent Democratic ad-
ministration is to be replaced by brand-new
Republican administrations stretch Of time
in which our Federal governing authority tends
to founder in cloudy atmosphere Of uncertainty
and indecision.
To meet this situation President Truman and
President-elect Eisenhower are working together
for change-over cooperation of an even more
extensive kind than that offered by President
Hoover and declined by President-elect Roose-
velt in 1882. This effort is particularly important
today-much more so than 20 years ago-because
of the peculiarly difficult grave and pressing
nature of many of the national and international
problems that the new Chief Executive will have
to deal with after he formally takes Office. Yet
though altogether laudable, the arrangements he
has made with the White House to cover the
present period of transition constitute mere i'm
provisations. True enough, they are far better
than nothing but they are nevertheless inade-
quate as measures designed to eliminate the
uncertain basis of Federal policy making and
decision making between now and January 20.
This is nobodys fault. After all, under the
Constitution as it stands, Mr. Truman lacks the
power to yield his authority to General Eisen-
hover until Inauguration day, and General
Eisenhower, by the same token, lacks the power
to accept it before that day. Hence, not having
the authority, it is only natural-and perhaps
wholly necessary as practical and legal matter
that the President-elect should decline, as he
has, to join in any Federal decisions during the
interregnum or to assume any responsibility for
any action that the outgoing administration may
take prior to its departure. Thus, as far as the
next national budget is concerned, he has made
clear that his liaison man-Joseph Dodge,
Detroit banker-will serve merely as his repre-
sentative gathering information and making no
commitments, and Senator Lodge will serve him
similarly in relation to the State Department.
the Defense Department and other key agencies
These arrangements, together with his pro-
jected personal conference with Mr.. Truman
undoubtedly will be of considerable help to
President-elect Eisenhower in preparing himself
for the heavy responsibilities he will assume on
January 90 But that does not alter the fact that
they are deficient arrangements in the sense
that they fail to do away with the interregnum'S
uncertainties as regards our Governments posi-
tion on several highly important issues especially
in the international field. Quite obviously this is
situation that has complicated the Korean
question. Moreover, it has raised numerous diff
culties for us-and for our friends as well-in
connection with other significant matters. It
may be that these matters can be allowed to
hang fire with safety, and certainly our country
and will act decisively in case of some sudden
great crisis, but there is nonetheless an atmos-
phere of doubt and uneasiness everywhere in
the present period-a state of affairs that is
plainly not good.
Looked at in this light, and given the kind OF
world we have, it seems clear that the problem
of the interregnum ought to be dealt with more
affrmatively than heretofore. OF course there
probably will always be time lapse between our
election days and Inauguration days-and a sub
stantial time lapse may in fact be most desirable.
But that does not mean that we cannot set up
machinery to effect smooth administrative tram
sitions and reduce the sort of uncertainty that
now troubles us. We may need such machinery
very badly in some future year-so much SO that
the new Congress- acting possibly through
commission of outstanding constitutional ex-
perts 4hight well investigate the subject with
view to taking corrective action.