European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 14, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By James Marlow a staff writer if president Johnson thinks he Hasit bad he should have seen what happened to the first president. George Washington got so fed up with abuse not for getting the country into a War but for trying to keep it out of one he said he d rather be  was the Start of the All american game of heckling presidents Over foreign policy but few have been hit harder than Johnson for the War in Vietnam. His critics Are a mixed lot of doves who want a softer War or none and Hawk who want a tougher one. One of the most critical doves . W. Fulbright has come up with a plan for clipping Johnson s wings Al though he says it in t meant to. But the Resolution the Arkansas Democrat proposed in the Senate Speaks for itself. It would give the Senate a lot More say in foreign affairs than the Constitution provides and therefore Johnson less. If the Senate approves the Resolution Johnson can ignore it and Proba Bly will since it does not have the effect of Law. But ignoring it would irritate the critics even More. While Fulbright s move reflects dissatisfaction with John son s role in the dragged out War in Vietnam it s just one More ploy in theold and endless struggle Between the White House and Congress Over which has the right to do what in foreign affairs. Its roots Are in the founding fathers vagueness. They were muddle headed inexperienced and superficial i foreign affairs when they Laid Down the rules for the new government in the Constitution of 1787. After their resentments and frustrations with the British Royal governors in colonial Days they were Bent on separating the Powers of the various branches of the new government through checks and balances. But while they were almost four months debating everything else they spent Only a Small part of three Dayson future foreign problems and then did t seem to think any further than treaty making. The result was one of the most loosely drawn sections in the Constitution. J. His is about All it said while Only Congress can declare War the presidents commander in chief of the armed forces and can make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate provided two thirds of the senator agree. The struggle has been going on Ever since Over All the things left  founders did t raise or answer questions like these can a president make a decision in foreign affairs with out first consulting Congress president shave done so. Can a president Send troops into War in a foreign country without a formal declaration of War by Congress As Johnson did in Vietnam other presidents besides Johnson have done so. Washington was the first to run into the rumpus Over questions like those because he was the first president who Felt he had to make a foreign decision without consulting Congress this was in 1793 when France and England went to War and he wanted to keep Heyoung and feeble United states out of it. Congress was not in session yet rethought he needed to act fast. But did he have a right to since the Constitution was silent on such a problem he took a Chance consulted his Cabinet and announced the United states would stay Neutral. The roof fell in. He was denounced reviled and ridiculed for doing what some thought Only Congress had a right to do although the Constitution did t say the right be longed to Congress either. Pro English Page 12 a hwmhmhmmhhphhhkpb5hmmmbmblimitolbhhhihnhh3hhnmubk7 of \ 9f � George Washington Here shown in British caricature was first president to become involved in fight with Congress not put a limit on  with the korean War later he did not ask direct congressional approval but Congress backed him by voting the Money for men weapons and goods. Heaved Greece and Turkey. Juster president d Wight d. Eisenhower like Johnson but unlike Truman asked and got congressional approval in Advance for what he might want to do with the . Armed forces to Stop communism. Congress gave him a go ahead wit the Middle East and Formosa resolutions. And then he used the armed forces in both places. Eisenhower did not get any Backwash for what he Didin those cases just As Truman got none for what he did for Greece and Turkey. Truman and Johnson began to get their clobbering on a big scale Only after the korean and vietnamese War began to drag out. It was president Thomas Jefferson who made the most sensational do it yourself Deal. That was in 1803, whence bought Louisiana As big As the United states at the time for $15 Mil lion three cents an acre from Napo Leon. Nothing in the Constitution said he could do anything like that. And he knew it was an act beyond the Constitution but he had to move fast be cause Napoleon was in a hurry. Thence told a delighted Senate which approved the Deal with treaties. While the Constitution says the pres ident is commander in chief it also says Congress alone can declare War. It does t say who can use the armed forces without a declaration. It presidents All the Way Back to George Washington thought they could do so when they Felt they should. It be came a custom not always followed to ask Congress for approval or authorization. These were five declared wars 1812war with England 1846mexican War 1898 Spanish american War 1917 americans wanted to line up with the British pro French americans wanted to Una up with the French. Johnson has been plagued and besieged by anti War in Vietnam demonstrators. Washington got the same treat ment from anti neutrality demonstrators bul worse. Vice president John Adams wrote later that mobs by the thousands stormed through Philadelphia threatening to drag Washington out of his House and Start a new revolution. It was at this time Washington said he d rather be dead. But just then a yellow fever epidemic swept Philadel phia and Adams thought later this was the Only thing that saved washing ton. In the end Congress a year later backed up the new president by passing neutrality act. Taking a look at our own Era once again president Harry s. Truman neither asked nor got congressional authorization for going into the korean War. But Congress fully backed him by voting what he needed for the  set in As the War dragged on and debt increased. Clubbing Truman then became a Hobby particularly in Congress where Republican sen. Rob Ert a. Taft complained Truman had no right under the Constitution to do what he did. Now Johnson is getting the Truman treatment for the War in Vietnam Al though unlike Truman he asked and go congressional approval ahead of time for using troops there to Stop aggression. From the earliest Days presidents have submitted 1,427 treaties to the Senate which approved 1,247 and rejected 16. Another 141 were withdraw because they could t get a two thirds vote or for other reasons. At present,23 treaties Are pending. Some of the rejects like the Versailles treaty after world War i changed history. But since trying to get major treaties through is a tortuous journey and the Constitution does not say presi dents can t try other devices presidents have. They turned Early to  Washington was the first to take this Road with a postal agree ment. Most agreements later had con Gressional approval but by a simple majority vote since they were not treaties avoiding the painful two third process. And presidents have tried something else National commitments or promises which became american foreign policy. The first big one of its kind was president James Monroe s  buried deep in a few paragraphs in his annual message to Congress it Sim ply warned european Powers to keep their paws off latin America. For years it was ignored by europeans who Vio lated it and by americans who forgot it. It did not become fixed american policy until the 1860s. Another doctrine issued 124years later by Truman changed Ameri can history. With Greece and Turkey under Desper ate soviet pressure in 1947, Truman declared it would now be american policy to Stop communist expansion. He the stars and stripes Daniel Webster right led congressional attacks on Polk left on mexican War. Saturday october 14, 1967 world War i 1941world War  Days before Congress declared War in 1812 England had yielded to american demands but Congress did t know it there were no transatlantic Ca Bles or telephones. In 1898 Spain yielded to american demands two Days before president Wil Liam Mckinley sent his War message to Congress. He was informed of it but went ahead because he was weak an yielded to the country s War fever. And president James k. Polk baited the mexicans into War in 1846 by sending troops into territory claimed by  wanted California from them and As a result of the War got it. Here Are the six undeclared wars 1798-1800naval War with France 1801 1805war with Tripoli pirates 1815brief War with Barbary pirates 1916-1917 War with Mexico 1950-53 Korea War and now the vietnamese War. In 1798 Congress approved the naval War authorizing . Ships to seize French vessels which had been preying on american shipping. Sentiment for this boiled when it was Learned the French foreign minister Talleyrand asked for a $250,000 bribe. Later the Public Moo changed and helped wreck president John Adams politically. Presidents Adams and Washington had already paid almost $2 million in Black mail to North african pirates not to Pickon american ships and to release american captives. But Tripoli go greedy and rough. Congress authorized action. It did the same against the bar Bary pirates in 1815. When Pancho Villa a mexican rebel massacred americans on both sides of the Border there was great american indignation and demand for action president Woodrow Wilson sent almost6,000 men into Mexico with Congress Okay. The mood changed to wanting outs full War with the mexican govern ment got closer. Wilson was glad to pull out. A president Franklin d. Roose velt is still being criticized for some thing he did when Germany had Britain on the ropes just before world War ii he gave the British 50 old destroyers without consulting Congress. Or did president John f. Kenned Yin 1962 ask congressional endorsement when in his showdown with Moscow he forced the soviet Union to take 175 missiles out of Cuba. One trouble with National commitment is its vagueness. What does it mean Fulbright explained it As to often turning out to be statements previously made by someone saying that we pledge ourselves to some undertake  but in Congress Over the years commitment could be interpreted As meaning All kinds of presidential action which Congress had t approved. Thirteen years ago in the last great Effort to drag the country Back into its ancient isolationism sen. John w Bricker an Ohio Republican offered something More powerful than a Resolution. He called for a constitutional amendment. His proposal would have Hamstrung president even More than Fulbright s Fulbright at that time opposed to tying any More strings to a president called Bricker s idea a Retreat from the world. The Senate killed the proposal. The next Day a substitute proposal Little Milder than Bricker s but still an interference with the president s for eign affairs Powers was also killed. Ironically while Fulbright vote against that too Johnson then demo cratic Leader in the Senate when re publican Dwight d. Eisenhower was president voted for it. Mad mad Tom Jefferson fought with Congress Over limits to Federal Powers was target of federalist ridicule such As cartoon Here. William h. Taft passes Pancho Villa problem to Woodrow Wilson. The stars and stripes Page 13