454 WRIGHT— CONTROL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS. 



ident should often invite such committees to discuss with him.^* 

 Thus, without limiting the President's power in foreign relations, 

 or in any way impairing his capacity to take speedy action when 

 necessary, we might develop conventions which would show him 

 how he ought to exercise his discretion — conventions sanctioned in 

 last analysis by the possibility of Senate or congressional veto of 

 his measures, defeat of his party in the next election, or even im- 

 peachment. 



Though this essay has dealt with constitutional law and consti- 

 tutional conventions, it must be emphasized that the system is not 

 the most important part of government. Any system will work 

 with big men.'^^ It is the merit of the British system that it throws 

 big men to the top. The United States must develop political tradi- 

 tions and methods that will do the same.*" The people and parties 

 must insist on men of experience and tried capacity as candidates. 

 For the conduct of foreign relations, the personnel of the Presidency, 

 the Secretaryship of State and the Senate are especially important. 

 The Senate might well have more members with executive and ad- 

 ministrative experience as did the Senate of ancient Rome. Why 

 not retain the services of ex-Presidents and Secretaries by electing 

 •them to the Senate ? *^ Conversely, Secretaries of State might well 

 tbe chosen from men of legislative, especially senatorial, experience.*^ 



^^ Supra, sec. 176. A recent illustration is President Wilson's offer to 

 discuss the treaty of Versailles with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 

 an offer which resulted in several conferences in the White House during the 

 summer of 1919. See 66th Cong., ist sess., Sen. Doc. 106, p. 499 et seq. 



39 " Constitute government how you please, infinitely the greater part of 

 it must depend upon the exercise of powers which are left at large to the 

 prudence and uprightness of ministers of state. Even all the use and potency 

 of the laws depends upon them. Without them your Commonwealth is no 

 better than a scheme upon paper ; and not a living, active, effective organiza- 

 tion." Edmund Burke. 



^ Reinsch, World Politics, pp. 340-346. 



*i There have been some notable examples of this in recent years, such as 

 Senators Root and Knox. 



42 " From Monroe's Secretaryship of State in 1811, down to the resigna- 

 tion of Mr. Blaine, that position was held constantly by men who had been 

 United States Senators, with the exception of brief interregna, covering alto- 

 gether less than one and a half years, and with the exception of William M. 

 Evarts, who became a Senator later in his career. Since the resignation of 



