Evening star., 1955-10-30

m9neions MS Official RESIDENCE.
q. One q Tie recurring criticisms
0f you. M. President. b that you
are dictatorial. Long experience In
the United States has acquainted
yOu with American democracy and
you know the situation In Korea.
Would you please contrast the two
forms Of government and explain
Why at times different sechniaues
are necessary In Korea than are
used in the United States?
A. I appreciate the opportunity
TO clear up this matter. have poll
tical opponents and Korea has
many enemies who call me o despot.
dictator, antt-American warmonger
and autocrat, or contradictory, an
American puppet. know my many
friends are aware Of the truth and
Others are eager for facts to dispel
their confusion.
When / first became acquainted
with American history ID 1885. ]
began to study constitutional de-
velopment. I Immediately accepted
as basically sound the principle Of
. constitutional government cperat-
ing through its executive. legisla-
tive and judicial branches. ! spent
40 years in the United States and
my major ambition all these years
has been to give my country gov
ernment Of similar features and
ideals. American democracy is
based on the principle that the
President and other ofiicials are
servants. not rulers. and the people
govern. 5.
believe q nation is q democracy
II its President acts In accordance
with the viii Of the people. Com
stitutions differ In the amount Of
power given the Chief Executive,
but so long as he acts within the
Constitution, the Chief Executive
should not be called q dictator. A
dictator imposes his win without
respecting the win Of the people,
his power being based on his con-
troll Of the Army or police. MY sup
port comes not from such sources
but from the freely cast votes Of
the people and their loyalty. And
my political opponents know this.
Q. What about your clashes with
the National Assembly?
A. What differences ] have had
with the National Assembly resulted
from no personal usurpati0n Of It's
power, but from my efforts TO wrest
from this unicameral chamber GER
tain powers that belonged to the
people by rights. You see, the Gov
ernment Of the Republic OF Korea
was not created entirely on the pat
tern Of the United States Govern
ment. The constitutional committee
adopted many parts Of the Ameri-
can Constitution. Some Of the
members thought they could inn
prove on the American system by
combining features Of the British
French parliamentary system. The
ONCE Of Prime Minister was estab-
lshed. But the President was given
more powers than those held by the
President Of France or the British
monarch. But they forgot that
power really rests with the people.
They set up q one-house Con-
gress and gave 1t the right to elect
the President and approve selection
OF the Prime Minister. This might
have been excusable while the peo-
pie were learning about self-gov-
ernnent. But there Ii separation
OF the executive and legislative
branches Of government for q
proper balance with the judiciary.
q. Do ron think the Republic Of
Korea Government ID the future
win more closely reasonable the
United States Government? or VIII
II develop uniquely 70 ~ the cul-
ture, temperament and conditions
ef Korea?
A. Now The once Of Prime Min