INSTRUMENTALITIES FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS. 421 



For meeting the ordinary responsibilities and exercising the 

 ordinary powers of states in the family of nations, guided by inter- 

 national law, the President alone is competent, and his powers, being 

 in the main derived from the Constitution itself, he is not subject 

 to the detailed direction of Congress, as he is in exercising his 

 powers in domestic administration. For departures from the nor- 

 mal, whether by way of international agreement or national policy, 

 though the President initiates, the Senate or Congress must consent. 

 While the powers upon which these organs are able to insist go little 

 beyond a discretionary veto upon consummations, yet the Pres- 

 ident ought to understand that to avoid the possibility of this contin- 

 gency he should consider their advice during the course of nego- 

 tiations and diplomacy. 



The dominating position of tlie President in foreign relations 

 results from his initiative, and this is a necessary consequence of 

 the position he occupies as the representative authority of the United 

 States under international law. His ofifice is the only door through 

 which foreign nations can approach the United States. His voice 

 is the only medium through which the United States can speak to 

 foreign nations. Moreover the fathers appear to have intended him 

 to occupy this position and subsequent history has shown his exer- 

 cise of the initiative and essential control. On occasions when 

 foreign affairs have not pressed he has subordinated his initiative 

 to congressional policies but always when crises have arisen he has 

 met them with a prompt decision and adequate resources of power. 

 Only rarely has the veto of coordinate departments destroyed his 

 achievements. 



PART V. 



The Understandings of the Constitution. 



CHAPTER XVHI. 



Understandings Concerning the Relations of the 

 Independent Departments. 



244. Reason for Constitutional Understandings. 



The various organs of the national government are together 

 vested with sufficient power to conduct foreign affairs and meet in- 



