WAR REFERENDUM WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 1939 UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., in the committee room, Capitol. Hon. Carl A. Hatch (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Hatch (chairman), Miller, and Wiley. Present also: Senator William E. Borah and Senator Robert M. La Follette. Jr. Mr. HATCH. The committee will come to order. We have under consideration this morning Senate Joint Resolution 84, proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States for a referendum on war. The resolution will be incorporated into the record at this point. (The resolution referred to is as follows:) [S. J. RES. 84, 76th Cong., 1st sess.] JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States for a referendum on war Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as a part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States: "SECTION 1. Except in case of attack by armed forces, actual or immediately threatened, upon the United States or its Territorial possessions, or by any nonAmerican nation against any country in the Western Hemisphere, the people shall have the sole power by a national referendum to declare war or to engage in warfare overseas. Congress, when it deems a national crisis to exist in conformance with this article, shall by concurrent resolution refer the question to the people. "SEC. 2. Congress shall by law provide for the enforcement of this section. "SEC. 3. This article shall become operative when ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by conventions in the several States, as provided in the Constitution." Senator HATCH. We have as witnesses this morning Senator La Follette and Mr. Morris Ernst, and the committee will be glad to hear them now. Senator La Follette, are you ready to proceed? |