United States Elections

Northern Advocate, 5 November 1942, Page 2

United States Elections

THE polling for the election of members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, which took place during the present week, has revealed a decided turnover to the Republican Party, which has made serious inroads into the strength of the Democrats, hitherto dominant in Congress. To those who have not had personal knowledge of current American political feelings, the Republicans’ victory will cause surprise and a certain amount of disappointment, for it may appear to mark the nation’s disapproval of the all-out war policy of President Roosevelt and the Democratic Party, of which he is the elect. That, however, is not a correct interpretation of the meaning of the election results. It will more likely be found that domestic questions, introduced during the unsettled conditions of a world war in which America is deeply engaged, constituted the issue of the elections.

So far as the war is concerned, Republicans, equally with Democrats, are wholeheartedly pledged to see through to a successful conclusion a war which was thrust upon them by the treacherous action of Japan as a member of the Axis Powers. There are still to be found in the United States a few Isolationists who hold that America should not interfere in wars outside-her own boundaries, but their arguments have been badly shaken by recollection of Pearl Harbour and Japan’s obvious plans to dominate the Pacific preparatory to an attack upon United States territory itself at a future date.

There need be no fear that the return of Republicans in numbers superior to those of the Democrats will alter in any way the United States’ war effort, but it must nevertheless be disappointing to President Roosevelt that the country should have given a verdict which will doubtless be fully exploited by enemy propagandists.

The President, as is well known, has been invested with emergency powers of veto outweighing those normally possessed by the,head of the United States Administration. In this connection it is interesting to recall that the legislative power of Congress is vested in two Houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives, the President having a veto power, which may be overcome by a two-thirds vote of each House. The Senate is composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof for the term of six years, and each Senator has one vote. Members of the House of Representatives are chosen in each State by popular vote for two years. Their number is allotted in proportion w the population of the State, the basis being one for 281,000. ' A President thus possesses wide power under any circumstances, but the right of veto granted to Mr Roosevelt as a national emergency measure gives him almost dictatorial power. For that reason, President Roosevelt occupies a position different from that of the late President Woodrow Wilson, who, although the moving spirit behind the League of Nations, was unable to secure its ratification by the United States owing to the Republican Opposition having been strengthened in the same way as has been done at this week’s elections. Had the United States become a member of the League and acted in accordance with the high idealism of President Wilson, the world would probably have escaped the blood bath into which millions have been plunged during the past four years. However, the American people have revealed determination that after the victory which will come to the United Nations there shall be no mistake about the conditions of peace and post-war order generally. Democrats and Republicans are adamant on that issue.