The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-01-14
May Face
Critical Test
In Congress
Brieker's Attempt
To Limit Presidents
Treaty-Making Powers
Creates Difficulty

u r. *
Eisenhower's efforts to tone down
Sen. Brokers amendmeut to limi.
treaty-making powers pointed him
today toward > critical test Of his
strength n Congress.
The weight Of political opinion
here seemed to be that II Essen.
hover fails to convince enough
COP lawmakers that the Ohio Re.
publican's proposal Is bad, he may
suffer defeat that would dilute
his prestige and perhaps threaten
major segmeuts Of his legislative
program. Bricker at one time had
enough avowed support in the Sen
ate to put his amendment across.
Democrats said privately they
intend to sit out, II the time be.
ing, the backstage battle over
Brokers proposal TO amend the
Constitution TO ~ spell out that
treaties should not override domes.
tic law and t2) give Congress pow.
er to regulate executive agree.
ments not submitted to the Senate
for ratification.
An influential Democratic sena.
cor, who asked not TO be quoted
by name, said he Is not averse Ia
letting the Republicans cut each
other UP politically on the issue.
He said 1t seemed obvious the
Bricker amendment had been
aimed originally at Democratic
president and that some COP
members were embarrassed now
that q Republican was IN the White
House, adding:
"If Atty. Gen. Brownell and Sec.
rotary Of State Dulles can't keep
the Republicans lined up on the
Presidents side, then maybe we
Democrats viii have to step into
the breach later to save Essen.
hover and the country
BrOwnell and Dulles have been
negotiating with Bricker in an eff
fort to get the Ohioan TO modif,
his amendment, adoption Of which
they contend would hamstring the
Presidents authority to deal with
other nations.
Bricker has stuck to his guns
aided by strong backing from TIKI
American Bar Assn. and q write
in campaign. Some senator's said
they are receiving as many a:
200 letters a day urging approval
Of his proposal.
Eminent lawyers disagree as ia
whether ii is true. as Bricker con.
tends, that basic guarantees in the
u. S. Constitution could be whit
led away by international treaties.
Some lawmakers say there Is a
good chance for an agreement be-
tween Bricker and the administra.
ton on the amendment, listed as
the Senate's next major business
after current debate on the st.
Lawrence seaway.
The Bricker proposal thus APP
parently will provide the first test
Of the Presidents Capitol Hill
strength within his own party and
as well as gauge to the amount
of Democratic support he might
expect on some other issues.
Eisenhower told his news con-
ference yesterday the Founding
Fathers wisely had provided that
when a treaty was properly rati-
fled it should take precedence over
any state law, including state con-
stitntionS. When he deals with 9TH
er nations, he said, he must speak
for one government and not be
involved IN representing - states.
He said he was glad TO agree
that any treaty or executive agree.
menA that contravened the federal
Constitution was void. But he
said he wouldn't 90 back 20 the
system under the Articles Of Con-
federation before the Constitution
was adopted - where individual
states could reject treaties.
Bricker, in q statement, said he
disagreed with Eisenhower and he
added:
He believes that the federal gov
ernmens, merely by making a
promise 10 another country, should
be able 10 clothe itself With au.
thority inconsistent with he Con-
sitution Of the Unied States
Sen. George (D-Ga) said d an
interview:
81 am going to vote for the sub
stantial parts of the Bricker
amendment, although ! am not
prepared to 60 as far as Bricker
o. ia giving Congress the power
% regulate executive agreements. =
George said he and some other
Southern Democrats fear treaties
which would impose civil rights
measures on the states might sin
through the Senate unnoticed.
There were some indications
Bricker might have difficulty get.
ding the required approval Of two
thirds Of the senators voting.
Three Of the original 81 senator's
who joined in offering the Bricker
proposal have died, reducing his
public hackers to 81. Some Of the
latter are reported wavering.
Withdrawal ODuOsed