PROCEDURE FOR REACHING UNANIMITY The Chair would like to say, if you are going away, Mr. Wadsworth, that we would like to have suggestions to fix this resolution up the way you would like to have it and then send it around to the different members who are not present here today, and we will call a meeting next Tuesday with the understanding that they either be here or give their proxies, if that is satisfactory to the committee, so we can vote it out unanimously. Here you have the two ranking members not present today and we would like to let them know just what is going to be acted upon. Several members are not here-Mr. Rogers and Mr. Gerlach and others. Thus we can say it is the unanimous vote of the full committee. If there is no objection to that the Chair would like to act in that manner with respect to considering this resolution next Tuesday. Mr. VORYS. Mr. Chairman, will it be possible to have a meeting, say Thursday morning, at which we would attempt to get our minds together on the form of resolution, with the thought then that we would still leave it over to Tuesday for final action but again get together Thursday upon the text of any such resolution? Mr. KEE. I beg your pardon, but would you try to formulate a resolution and get it in good shape at the meeting before it was introduced in the House? Chairman BLOOM. Yes. Mr. KEE. Let the committee get it ready. Mr. VORYS. My suggestion would be to let Mr. Fulbright, getting informally the suggestions of members would get it on a piece of paper and it would not be introduced; it would be in his pocket, to bring it here Thursday, with copies for us so we can go over it and not have it introduced or anything else until Mr. KEE. Until it is satisfactory to the committee. Mr. VORYS. So we do not have amendments showing up in the text of the thing. Chairman BLOOM. We could have a confidential committee print for the committee. But I will say this, Thursday morning we are going to have the President of Paraguay here and we could not sit the same as we are sitting here now. He is going to be on the floor. Do you want to make it Friday morning? Mr. VORYS. I just thought some time before Tuesday would be satisfactory. Chairman BLOOM. Suppose Mr. Kee and Mr. Wadsworth and Mr. Fulbright get together and draft some kind of resolution, leaving "concurrent" and all that out of it, just a resolution, and have it printed and sent around to the different members, and we will meet Friday morning if that is satisfactory? QUESTION OF PROXIES May I ask this while we have the committee here: Is there any objection to having proxies for this when we vote on it? Mrs. BOLTON. Cant we decide that Friday? Chairman BLOOM. Some members will be out of town. It doesn't mean anything if they do not want to vote; they won't want to leave their proxies, but I would like to have the full committee vote on it. Mr. JARMAN. That will make it unanimous. Chairman BLOOM. It does not make any difference to me. Mr. WADSWORTH. As long as the proxies are in the chairman's hands and the member knows it. Chairman BLOOM. The Chair will ask them. Mr. KEE. I think it is very advisable to have proxies. Chairman BLOOM. That is, if we want a full vote on it, because someone may object. Mr.VORYS. You can ask if there is objection. Chairman BLOOM. Let us meet Friday morning at 10 o'clock. [Whereupon the committee adjourned, to reconvene at 10 a.m., Friday, June 11, 1943.] PREVENTION OF FUTURE AGGRESSION AND THE MAINTENANCE OF PEACE (H. Con. Res. 25 and Related Resolutions, 78th Cong., 1st Sess.) FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 1943 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D.C. The committee met in executive session at 10 a.m., Hon. Sol Bloom (chairman) presiding. HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 24 AS SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE RESOLUTION 200 Chairman BLOOM. The committee will kindly come to order. When the committee recessed last Tuesday, it appointed a committee of three to go over the resolutions and decide and report back to the committee with reference to what kind of a resolution they would suggest to introduce. And, of course, the committee has already practically reported. Mr. Fulbright has already introduced a resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 24. I do not think that was the sense of the committee at that time, because we were to hear the report and suggestions of the subcommittee and then take it up further for debate and at the same time take up the other resolutions that we have not touched on. But we have here now House Concurrent Resolution 24, which Mr. Fulbright introduced and which is before you for suggestions and consideration. And then after that, I would like to take up Judge Kee's resolution, House Joint Resolution 70, which we have had before us for some time also, if it is the pleasure of the committee. The Chairman will state that this resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 24 was sent to the State Department for a report on it and, of course, have not got it yet and will not be able to get it for several days. But it is open for debate. STATE DEPARTMENT ENDORSEMENT Mr. FULBRIGHT. Mr. Chairman, I would like to read the letter which I referred to several days ago, which was in response to my inquiry on 1 At the committee's executive session on June 8, 1943, which had focused on Congressman Fulbright's resolution, H.J. Res. 200, Chairman Bloom asked Congressman Kee, Wadsworth, and Fulbright to draft a suitable version. "leaving 'concurrent' and all that out of it," and to circulate it among the members before the present meeting of June 11. See the preceding hearing, p. 41. Mr. Fulbright nonetheless introduced H. Con. Res. 24 2 days before the committee met. For the texts of the resolutions, see appendix II, pp. 273 and 277. this resolution, House Resolution 200, as to whether or not he [Under Secretary of State Welles] approved it when it was introduced, and this was in reply to my inquiry whether or not that was agreeable to them, if I may at this time. Chairman BLOOM. Please do. LETTER BY HON. SUMNER WELLES, UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE Mr. FULBRIGHT [reading]: The Honorable J. W. FULBRIGHT, House of Representatives Washington, D.C. [Washington, April 13, 1943.] MY DEAR CONGRESSMAN: I have given very careful thought to your letter of April 9, with which you were kind enough to enclose a copy of the resolution submitted by you on April 5. I have discussed the matter with Secretary Hull and he has asked me to let you know that both the President and he are in full accord with the principles contained in your resolution and in any other resolutions of the same character, especially those now pending in the Senate. However, with regard to the particular draft which may be finally agreed upon in the Senate and the House, or in either body which may take action, Secretary Hull feels that this is not a matter which the Executive branch of the Government should suggest. He feels that the question involved is rather one for the members of the Congress who are sympathetic to the principles set forth to agree upon after full and probably protracted conference to the extent necessary to work out an understanding of absolutely unity-bearing very much in mind the desirability that any particular form of resolution agreed upon should have sufficient strength in it and should at the same time command the maximum number of votes. With my kindest personal regards, believe me (signed) SUMNER WELLES. I would interpret that letter to mean that they were in sympathy with that resolution. Of course, there is this distinction, it was then a House resolution and we have now proposed a concurrent resolution in view of the discussion of last Tuesday. Since that time Mr. Vorys has suggested that perhaps it should be a joint resolution. That was suggested the other day. Mr. KEE. I have always felt it should be a joint resolution. Chairman BLOOM. Mr. Fulbright, in that letter which you just read, Mr. Welles, of course, is apparently in sympathy with the idea but they do not give you the green light on it, do they? Mr. FULBRIGHT. I do not know what constitutes a green light. STATE DEPARTMENT ENDORSEMENT LIMITED ONLY GENERAL PRINCIPLE Chairman BLOOM. They are in sympathy with the idea. Of course, everyone is in sympathy with the idea but could you go to the floor of the House and say that it has the approval of the State Department? Mr. FULBRIGHT. It says here both the President and the Secretary are in full accord with the principles contained in your resolution. I will confess I do not always understand the language of diplomacy, but that is the way I would read that particular expression. Mr. VORYS. If you were called upon to read on further to the part of it in which the Secretary very carefully disclaims any desire to dictate or even make suggestions as to the precise wording Mr. FULBRIGHT. Yes; that is what he says: This is not a matter which the executive branch of the Government should suggest, that is, with reference to the particular language. He is in accord with the principle and wants nothing to do with the particular words or expression. In my very simple understanding I would say that it was an approval. ANNOUNCEMENT OF UNRRA DRAFT AGREEMENT Chairman BLOOM. Did the members of the committee see the release of the State Department issued on June 10? If not, I will have the secretary read part of it and give you an idea of it.2 Mr. RICHARDS. Mr. Chairman, may I ask Mr. Fulbright a question? Chairman BLOOM. Yes. COMPARISON OF FULBRIGHT RESOLUTIONS Mr. RICHARDS. Mr. Fulbright, the letter you had from Mr. Welles was in April. That was prior to the introduction of this particular resolution. Mr. FULBRIGHT. It was just after the introduction of the first resolution. This is essentially the same. Mr. RICHARDS. I was not here the other day. This resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 24 is dated June 9. What is the difference? Mr. FULBRIGHT. The two words "law and order" are inserted and that is the only difference between it and the one House Resolution 200 which was introduced on April 5, and that was the result of the discussion here last Tuesday, to put "law and order" in. Mr. RICHARDS. Oh, it was? Mr. FULBRIGHT. I discussed this with Mr. Wadsworth and Mr. Kee, and while the discussion here in the committee was with regard to "law and order" being appropriate in the next to the last sentence, this letter was in response to my inquiry. I did not consult them before I introduced the first resolution House Resolution 200 but after I introduced it I sent it there to Mr. Welles to see what they [the State Department] thought about it. Mr. RICHARDS. It is substantially the same except for the two words? Mr. FULBRIGHT. Except for the two word "law and order". Mr. RICHARDS. That may be a little better. Mr. FULBRIGHT. It is exactly the same. You have the other one there? Mr. RICHARDS. I had, but I was looking at your present one and I had not compared it. Mr. FULBRIGHT. That is the only change in the wording. Mr. KEE. Mr. Chairman. Chairman BLOOM. Mr. Kee. CLARIFYING DETAILS DESIRED IN RESOLUTION Mr. KEE. As I said at our last meeting, I think the resolution of Mr. Fulbright is all right as far as it goes, but I believe if we are going to make an announcement upon this subject, we should have a 2 At this point the clerk of the committee, Mr. Boyd Crawford read the release referred to above. The release, together with the draft agreement for the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration may be found in appendix III, p. 281. |