Truman Says He Has Power to Send Troops to Palestine Without Congressional Approval

President Truman today told his press conference that as commander-in-chief of the United States armed forces he has the power to send U.S. troops to Palestine without prior Congressional approval.

He pointed out that the U.S. had offered to send troops to Palestine as part of an international police force, not unilaterally. The President’s statement came in reply to criticism in the House yesterday of Sen. Warren Austin’s announcement to the U.N. that the U.S. was prepared to supply troops for a Palestine police force.

At almost the same moment, Sen. Arthur H. Vandenberg, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was telling the Senate that he had not been consulted before Austin made his commitment of U.S. troops to the U.N. Tuesday. Vandenberg replied to questions raised by Sen. Owen Brewster of Maine, who there any “competent” member of Congress had been consulted and whether in Vandenberg’s opinion Congressional authorization was required before troops could be sent.

Vandenberg declined to state definitely whether sending American troops to Palestine either expressly to protect. American lives and property or whether as part of a U.N. force, would require prior authorization by Congress. He pointed out that the President had sent American troops abroad in over 100 cases during the last 150 years and that the limit of Presidential authority in this field had never been clearly defined.

Both Senators Brewster and Claude pepper of Florida criticized the Administration for reversing its Palestine policy. while Brewster pointed out that “several thousand” young men had volunteered to co to Palestine as part of a special U.N. police force but that Truman had never seen fit to take up this offer of voluntary assistance, pepper called on the government to recognize the Jewish Provisional Government.

Meanwhile, Rep. Andrew Somers of New York introduced a resolution into the House calling for U.S. recognition of the new Jewish state. The resolution asks the U.S. to make available economic and military supplies to the Jewish state and to press for its admission to the U.N.