Evening star. [volume], May 07, 1940, Image 1

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Weather Forecast SIllP^ **■ ■■*» ■» i '4&> '
*Wr tonight, followed by mostly cloudy ^nfrlM to HonH /
tomorrow; somewhat cooler; lowest to- fe'C- V3. IS . . „ ' j
night about 54 degrees. Temperatures v >v «Wif1lll» fn# Hour I
today—Highest, 83, at 2 pm.; lowest, * vV '* r’ ^ I
66, at 5 am Most P*®P*« ,n Washington have The /
From the United States Weather Bureau report. ®‘*r. their hom« eVW7 I
Full details on Pate A-2. evening and Sunday morning/ I
Closing N. Y. Morkets-Sales, Page 16.____ >*> Mean, Associated Pr,.,
88th YEAR. No. 35,070. V WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, MAY 7, 1940—FORTY-FOUR PAGES. *** THREE CENTS.
Opposition Demands New Chiefs
As Chamberlain Defends Failure
In Norway and Calls for Unity
~ . ■ - ■ , ▲ - ▲
Warning of Violent Attack
By Nazis Given; Churchill
To Head Military Action
By the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 7.—An angry opposition cried out in
the House of Commons today for “different people at the
helm” after Prime Minister jChamberlain, frankly admit
ting failure of Britain’s Central Norwegian military adven
ture, had defended its start and result with the plea, “I
believe it was right.”
In the most violent parliamentary debate since the war began
the old Prime Minister and his war cabinet were branded as
“failures” by Clement R. Attlee, the Labor opposition leader. He
said they had been “missing buses since 1931.”
Mr. Chamberlain, who is expected to keep his grip on the
government despite the storm of parliamentary abuse, confessed
the allied troops had to be withdrawn from mid-Norway because
they could not get airdromes for fighting planes and because the
German reinforcements came up too fast.
Must' Be Ready for Attack, He Warns.
He warned again that Britain must be prepared even for
attack “in the most violent form” against Britain herself, and
he announced the appointment of First Lord of the Admiralty
Winston Churchill to supervise military operations from day to day.
Previously Mr. Churchill had been head of a committee of
defense ministers in the cabinet. Now he will work directly with
the chiefs of staffs of army, navy and air force themselves.
After Mr. Attlee had expiodecu
his attack, Sir Archibald Sin
clair, the Liberal opposition
leader, assailed the situation “in
which we had to accept defeat in
Norway’’ and attacked the gov
ernment’s “ill-founded boasting.”
It was the first day of a two
day debate on the Norwegian re
verse.
Churchill’s Powers Extended.
The designatin of new powers for
Mr. Churchill, merely an extension
of the ones he had before, was the
only definite proposal Mr. Cham
berlain made to alter the course
of war policy—aside from his re
iterated determination to prevent
dispersal of Britain's armed forces
at a time when the war may spread
to any front.
When Mr. Chamberlain started
his speech, members of the govern
ment majority showed by their
cheering that they intended to
support him. But by the time he
had finished the cheering had
waned perceptibly, and the speaker
frequently had to call the House
to order.
Once Mr. Chamberlain had to
tit down for a moment.
Even some of the government
members cheered when Sir Archi
bald declared Britain was failing to
drive forward with “ruthless and
war-minded energy” in all depart
ments and said:
“Time is not on our side! Hitler
has seized the old gentleman by the
beard!”
"Economically, politically and to
A lesser extent militarily we have
suffered a grave reverse.”
Declares Losses Not Negligible.
To the Prime Minister’s assertion
that military chiefs had cautioned
against this war debate, the Liberal
firebrand shouted:
“Our debates must be absolutely
free from any suggestion of military
advisers. * * *
“We must face the facts and not
hide our heads in the sand.
“Casualties werj not negligible.
Loss of material was not negligible
either. We lost warships of which
our prospective supply is insuf
ficient. • • •
“We have lost all our supplies
from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and
all the Baltic countries.
“Diplomatically, our position is
weakened in every country in the
world. The complacent and ill
founded boastings of ministers con
trast pitifully with the hard, swift
blows of the German forces.”
Churchill Stays at Admiralty.
Mr. Churchill will give "guidance
and direction” to the chiefs of staffs
of the three fighting services, the
Prime Minister announced. He will
remain as Pirst Lord of the Ad
miralty.
Aside from this, Mr. Chamberlain
rejected any other immediate
changes in the personnel of his
government, but said changes “in
the form of government or the
functions of individuals” might be
needed.
Mr. Chamberlain’s speech in gen
eral was an anxious appeal for unity,
both in Paarliament and among the
people, in the face of dangers which,
he said, the nation did not yet ap
preciate.
He said the campaign was not
yet finished in Norway, but he
warned the country to remember:
•There are other fronts which may
at any moment blaze into a confla
gration.”
"We want to be ready to meet the
attack whenever it may come,” he
said.
"This is not the time for quarrels
among ourselves,” he declared dra
matically. “In this debate we are
giving hostages to fortune.” ,
•‘Beware,” the Prime Minister
(See CHAMBERLAIN, Page A-4.)
2 Hurt as French Fire
On Planes Over Paris
By the Associated Press.
PARIS, May 7.—Two persons were
injured by fragments from an anti
aircraft shell which was fired at two
German planes flying over the Paris
region last night.
Tearing through a suburban home,
the shell exploded and injured Jean
Bouchart, 43, and his son, Jacques,
id. Jacques’ larynx was pierced.
P k
Late Bulletins
RARER, Yugoslavia UP).—
Guarding her German and
Italian frontiers with 3M.0M vet
eran troops, Yugoslavia tonight
called additional conscripts to the
colors. Crowded troop trains
rolled into this frontier region
throughout the day. .The main
concentration points are Ljubl
jana for the Italian region and
Maribur for the German.
PASTO, Colombia CP).—Ninety
five persons were reported burned
to death last night In a Are
which destroyed the city hall of
the village of. Sandona, near
Pasto. The fire occurred during
an observance of the 180th anni
versary of the death of Gen.
Santander, one of the founders of
Colombia.
LONDON, (A*).—George Lans
bury, 81, veteran British political
leader and apostle of peace, died
today.
Ralph T. Carey of 1236 C street
N.E. appeared at the morgue this
afternoon to identify the body of
a woman killed in an accident
in nearby Maryland as that of
his wife, Martha.
Mrs. Carey, who was 46 years
old, was brought to the morgue
early yesterday after dying in
Casualty Hospital of Injuries re
ceived when she was run over on
Central avenue about 1 mile from
the District line.
Allies Planning War
For Near East by
May 15, Nazis Say
Alleged Phone Talk of
Chamberlain and
Reynaud Reported
By LOUIS P. LOCHNER,
Associated Press Foreign Correspondent.
BERLIN, May 7.—Charges, that
the allies would be prepared tor
“ordered action’’ in the Near East
about May 15 thundered in the Ger
man press today on the basis of an
account of a purported telephone
conversation between British Prime
Minister Chamberlain and French
Premier Reynaud.
(Official circles in London
called the story fantastic and a
French communique said it con
tained "purely lying allegations”
both of the reported telephone
conversations “which never took
place” and the intentions at
tributed to the allies.)
New Triumphs Reported.
The German high command,
meanwhile, reported land, sea and
air triumphs for the Nazi forces in
Norway.
Its communique said German
bombers had hit another British
cruiser and a big Sunderland flying
boat off Narvik, Norwegian iron ore
port in which a German garrison is
besieged. German pursuit planes
shot down two British craft, in "an
attempt by the British to fly over
the German (Helgoland) Bight,” it
said.
The communique reported an
enemy submarine sunk in the Skag
errak by "a flotilla of submarine
chasers.”
Advancing on Narvik.
Its announcement that German
troops have reached Mosjoen in a
northward drive from Namsos and
Grong, meant that the Germans
have covered about one-third of
the 300 miles to Narvik, supposedly
on the heels of allied detachments
cut off from the main expeditionary
force withdrawn last week from
Central Norway.
King Gustaf of Sweden has in
formed Adolf Hitler by letter of his
country’s determination to remain
strictly neutral and the Fuehrer,
in response, has assured the King
that Germany is respecting the
Swedish attitude, DNB. official Ger
man news agency, said.
This amplified its disclosure yes
terday that the Swedish King and
(See BERLIN, page A-5.)
Bailey Fatally Injured
In Speedway Practice
By the AssocUted Press.
INDIANAPOLIS, May 7.—George
Bailey, 38, Detroit race driver, died
today in a hospital soon after he
was injured in the wreck of a car
in which he was practicing for the
annual 500-mile rdfce at the In
dianapolis Motor Speedway.
Mr. Bailey, driving a rear-motor
speedster designed by Harry Miller
of Los Angeles, had just finished
four laps on the 2I/2-mile track, the
last at 128 miles an hour, when the
car hit a wall and caught fire.
■
Pytlak Ruled Eligible
To Play for Indians
By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, May 7.—The request
of Catcher Frankie Pytlak to be
placed on the Cleveland Indian’s
eligible list was granted today by
Will Harridge, president of the
American League.
Pytlak, who came to terms with
Cleveland last week after the major
league season’s longest holdout, au
tomatically went on the ineligible
list for failure to sign a contract
within 10 days after the opening of
the season April lg. Pytlak re-,
portedly took a $3,000 cut from his
1939 salary. I
Depth Charges Used
By Troops to Cover
Retreat in Norway
Lack of Ammunition
Revealed as Soldiers
Land in England
B.t the Associated Press.
A NORTHERN PORT, England.
May 7.—Battle-weary aided .troops
disclosed today they were so short
of explosives as they retreated up
the Gudbrands Valley in Central
Norway that they used depth charges
from warships to blow up the bridges
behind them and slow the German
advance.
This sidelight on “the road back”
was unfolded as the thousands of
soldiers who clattered ashore here
from transports yesterday settled
down in temporary quarters after a
proyd welcome from Gen. Sir
Edmund Ironside, chief of the im
perial defense staff.
After four days’ rest and good food
at sea, the morale of the men ap
peared good and there were no out
ward signs of recent terror even on
the downy faces of the youngest
troopers, some of whom are Just out
of their teens.
Faced Massacre.
They all were cheerful and some
were even a bit cocky, but one shook
his head and said that the battle at
Otta, below Dombas in the Gud
brands Valley, “would have been a
massacre if we had stayed there.”
As the men changed into fresh
uniforms in the huge dockshed their
general attitude, however, seemed
to be:
“If we'd had more guns, more
shells and more planes we'd be
there yet.”
The rank and file apparently did
not know the withdrawal from Nor
way was on until they were almost
ready to pile out of trains and into
homeward-bound ships at Andalsnes.
“We thought we were just luring
the Germans into range of the
navy’s guns,” said one trooper.
One soldier said he saw six Ger
man bombers shot down with rifles
at Dombas. Sometimes the bomb
ers, which did most of their work
by day, swooped down to within 20
feet of the ground, he declared.
A gangling youth of 21 said that
only seven or eight houses' out of
(See TROOPS, Page A-5.)
Narvik Is Cleared
Of German §hips#
London Claims
By the AnaocUted Press.
LONDON, May 7.—Heavy losses by
Germany’s merchant marine in the
Norwegian campaign were reported
today hy the British Admiralty while
naval sources indicated the British
Navy had driven all German war
ships from the waters around the
besieged Norwegian port of Narvik.
The Admiralty declared that Nazi
merchant shipping had lost 300,000
tons since April 1. most of it in the
operations around Norway. This
figure includes transport and supply
ships used by Germany to reinforce
shock troops rushed to Norway by
huge planes. Another source esti
mated Germany has lost over 600,
000 gross tons of merchant shipping
since the war's start.
In the first announcement under
its new policy of disclosing only the
total ships lost each week and giv
ing no names or details, the Ad
miralty said seven British, allied and
neutral merchant ships, totaling
8.445 tons, were sunk by enemy ac
tion in the week ending April 28.
While there was no authoritative
announcement of naval operations
around Narvik, one British source
said there were no German warships
remaining in Narvik Fjord or in the
waters to the north.
Battle Taking Shape.
Between 3,000 and 4.000 Germans
are reported besieged by allied
troops at the Norwegian ore port.
With the Germans rushing help
overland and concentrating their air
operations in that area, a battle for
possession of the Norwegian outlet
for Swedish iron ore is rapidly tak
ing shape.
A British naval source quoted
Rotterdam reports that the 27.288
ton German "strength through joy"
cruise ship Robert Ley had been
sunk in the Skagerrak on the night
of April 12.
(Authorized sources in Berlin
said the Rotterdam report was
“an old story cropping up again.”
They said the Robert Ley was
operating between German and
Norwegian ports as a transport
a week after she was first re
ported sunk, April 12, and still
was intaet. Her present where
abouts were kept a military
secret.)
In the air, the failure of one Brit
ish plane to return from a recon
naissance flight over the North Sea
was reported by the Air Ministry.
On the diplomatic front, sources
close to the Foreign Office said Sir
Percy Loraine, British Ambassador
to Italy, probably would see the Ital
ian Foreign Minister in Rome within
the next 48 hours.
Sir Percy’s return last night to his
post after a visit in England coin
cided with revived British-Italian
tension, with Britain watching
(See LONDON, Page A-5.)
Iowan Hanged for Slaying
Wife With Dynamite
Sr the Associated Press.
PORT MADISON, Iowa, May 7.—
A frown creasing his brow as he
held himself tensely to keep from
breaking, Walter H. Rhodes. 32. of
Iowa City was hanged in the Iowa
State Penitentiary stockade here at
7:15 a.m. for the 1937 dynamite
shotgun slaying of his wife Mabel.
The former quarry worker, whose
unsuccessful legal fight for life was
carried to the United States Su
preme Court, was pronounced dead
14 minutes later. A crowd of 150
witnessed the execution.
Rhodes last night issued a 500
word statement pleading for the
elimination of capital punishment
in Iowa.
The condemned man, who was
the father of two daughters, was
found guilty of loading a shotgun
with dynamite before tricking his
wife into pulling the trigger. Tes
timony in the trial brought out his
friendship for "another woman”
from whom he had borrowed $5,000
and whom he had promised to
marry.
Summary of Today's Star
Page.
Amuse
ments B-6
Comics_C-8-9
Editorials .. A-8
Finance_A-15
Lost, Found..C-4
Obituary ...A-10
Page.
Radio-C-8
Serial Story. C-4
Society .B-3
Sports__C»l-4
Woman’s
Page _B-15
Foreign
Allied deadline for Near East war is
May 15, Nazis charge. Page A-l
Narvik is cleared of Nazi ships,
British claim. Page A-l
Troops blame lack of munitions for
Norway withdrawal.. Page A-l
Soviet claims Finns wrecked plants
in ceded areas. Page A-2
Allies’ failure in Norway laid to lack
of co-ordination. Page A-2
Rumania bolsters defenses as Bal
kan tension grows. Page A-3
Italy adds second of four 35,000-ton
battleships to fleet. Page A-3
Notional
Edison holds British fleet not im
periled by Nazi planes. Page A-l
Rouse Jydiciary Comn^lttee revives
Hatch bill. Page A-l
Relief funds only "must” legislation,
leaders say. Page A-l
Washington and Vicinity
Johnson holds dim lend in G. O. P.
race for Congress. Page A-l
4
Four of six Maryland Representa
tives renominated. Page A-2
Radcllfle and Nice victors m Mary
land primaries. Page A-2
Editorial and Comment
This and That. Page A-S
Answers to Questions. Page A-8
Letters to The Star. Page A-8
David Lawrence. Page A-9
Alsop and Kintner. Page A-9
G. Gould Lincoln. Page A-9
Constantine Brown. Page A-9
-J*y Franklin. Page A-9
Sports _
Cubs' Hank Leiber nearest approach
to a one-man team. Page C-l
Sandlot brand of hurling drops Nats
to seventh place. Page C-l
Preakness candidates get test today
in Survivor Stakes. Page C-2
Springer is hope of Terps for two
wins over Hoyas. Page C-3
Columbia girls roll 1,717 score as
tourney ends. Page C-4
Miscellany
Service Orders. PageB-14
Vital Statistics. PageB-14
Nature’s Children. PageB-19
Bedtime Story. Page C-S
Crossword Pusele. Page C-9
Letter-Out. Page C-8
WinhiiM Contract. Page C-8
, Unde Roy’s Comer. Page C-8
\
now,why\
DIDN'T l
THINK OF
Radcliffe and Nice
Score Smashing
Vote in Maryland
Senator Overwhelms
O'Conor-Bruce Forces;
Dewey Gets 16 Votes
By JACK ALLEN.
Senator Radcliffe and former
Gov. Harry W. Nice will carry the
; standards of the Democratic and
| Republican parties into Maryland's
i senatorial election next November.
! They were returned victors in
yesterday’s primaries in which
Thomas E. Dewey, the New York
racket buster, annexed the 16 presi
dential preferential votes the Free
State delegation is to cast at the
G. O. P. National Convention.
Senator Radcliffe, perhaps the
least-talkative man on Capitol Hill,
scored a smashing triumph in the
Democratic senatorial content, burv
ing National Committeeman How
ard Bruce beneath a plurality which
today had topped 73.000 votes.
Winn 92 Convention Votes.
With the results in four counties
still in doubt, he seemed assured
of 99 of the 149 State convention
votes—17 more than the 75 required
for nomination—while it appeared
that he might capture more.
On the basis of somewhat sketchy
returns from the Republican race
! it was indicated that Mr. Nice, who
| defeated the late Gov. Albert Ritch
: ie's seemingly invincible machine to
win Maryland's highest office in
1934. would emerge a rather easy
winner over William F. Broening,
one-time Mayor of Baltimore.
Defeats State Organization.
In beating Mr. Bruce, multi-mil
lionaire Baltimore banker and
sportsman, Senator Radclifle. whose
rival frequently chided him for
making only one speech in the Sen
ate in live and a half years, wrecked
the Maryland political picture.
He defeated the State administra
tion. including Gov. O’Conor and
many officeholders, who joined
forces in support of Mr. Bruce.
The Radclifle triumph likewise
left hanging in the balance the po
litical status of the Democratic ma
chines in Western Maryland, includ
ing Montgomery, Frederick, Wash
ington, Allegany and Garrett Coun
ties, which likewise backed the loser.
Soaring to new power with the
victor went his colleague in the Sen
ate, Millard E. Tydings, and Mayor
Howard W. Jackson of Baltimore,
long-time foe of the Bruce-O’Conor
forces, both of whom rallied to the
support of Senator Radclifle despite
the great odds he appeared to face
in his campaign.
Tydings in Convention spotlight.
The victory of the 62-year-old
Senator whose cause they cham
pioned probably will have its re
ward in the forthcoming Demo
cratic National Convention and the
1942 gubernatorial race.
With Senator Radclifle carrying
a majority of the delegates into
the State convention, where rep
resentatives to the national parley
are to be chosen, Senator Tydings
no doubt will be indorsed as a
favorite-son candidate.
Mayor Jackson, whose city ma
chine swept all six Baltimore City
legislative districts and their 42
convention votes for Mr. Radclifle,
strengthened his hopes of becoming
Maryland’s next chief executive,
an honor denied him when Gov.
O'Conor nosed him out in the 1938
primary.
It is a virtual certainty another
(See MARYIiAND7Page A-2.)
Man's Body Found
In Tidal Basin
The body of a man, which had
apparently been in the water for
some time, was taken from the Tidal
Basin about 8:15 a.m. today by park
police.
From papers found in the pockets,
the body was tentatively identified
as that of Nicholas Lazar, 24, of the
800 block of H street N.W., a traffic
checker for the Capital Transit Co.
Detectives said that Mr. Lazar had
been missing for about three weeks.
Friends said he had been worrying
about his family, whose Pennsyl
vania home was in the path of a
recent flood.
The body was discovered floating
between the inlet gates and the
Jefferson Memorial by Park Police
man R. I. Bartmess. He removed
the body from the water and it
was taken to the District Morgue.
A
Johnson Takes 413-Vote Lead
In G. O. P. Race for Congress
'Big Train' Virtually
Assured of Victory
Over Frostburg Man
Walter P. Johnson, former idol of
millions of baseball fans, this after
noon appeared certain of success in
his quest for the Republican nom
ination for the House of Represen
tatives from the 6th Maryland dis
trict.
Although the one-time Washing
ton pitching ace was leading his
chief rival. A. Charles Stewart,
Frostburg merchant, by a margin
of 413 votes, with 52 precincts still
unaccounted for, the major portion
of those unreported were expected
to boost his margin.
Only five precincts are out in the
territory where Mr. Stewart has
displayed his main strength, two in
Allegany County and the remaining
three in Garrett County.
In the Johnson strongholds of
Washington. Frederick and Mont
gomery there are 47 precincts where
complete returns have not been
tabulated and their reports are ex
pected to more than oSaet any
gains Mr. Stewart may make in Al
legany and Garrett.
Johnson Ahead in Frederick.
Sixteen of the precincts are In
Frederick and 26 in Washington,
in which communities the “Big
Train” has been running ahead by
approximately 2 to 1, while there
are three precincts out In Mont
gomery, where he has polled a
popular vote averaging more than
10 to 1.
Mr. Johnsson. informed that he
was forging into what appeared to
be a commanding lead over his chief
contender, said with characteristic
modesty he was “greatly cheered”
but that he "didn't feel the race
was over, not until the final bal
lots are counted.”
"However,” he added, “I do want
to thank my friends all over the
i See JOHNSON, Page A-2. F
WALTER JOHNSON
„A. CHARLES STEWART
Slraus Says President
Wants Housing Plank,
Favors Pending Bill
Relief Appropriations
Declared to Be Key
To Adjournment
By JOHN C. HENRY.
The 1940 Democratic platform
definitely will contain a plank for
extension of the New Deal housing
program, it was predicted by Nathan
Straus, head of the United States
Housing Authority, after a confer
ence with President Roosevelt at
the White House today.
Mr. Straus told reporters that the
President had authorized him to
make this statement after they had
discussed various phases of the pro
gram now under direction of the
U. S. H. A.
The administrator also said that
Mr. Roosevelt had classified the
pending Wagner-Steagal bill for
extension of the present housing
program as "must” legislation at the
present session. Although the meas
ure as it is now before the House
would Involve an added $800,000,000,
Mr. Straus said the President indi
cated his willingness for Congress
to reduce this figure. The bill al
ready has passed the Senate.
Relief Is Adjournment Key.
Earlier, it was indicated after the
weekly conference of the President
with the “Big Pour” congressional
leaders that relief appropriation leg
islation holds the real key to ad
journment of the Congress.
With this important supply bill
still before the House Appropriations
Committee, Senate Majority Leader
Barkley told reporters that in his
judgment “when the relief measure
is passed it will be hard to keep the
Congress in session.”
Although holding to his guess that
adjournment will come by the end
of the first week in June, Senator
Barkley said he had no first-hand
information on how much longer
the relief bill will be held in com
mittee. Hearings on the measure
ended more than a week ago.
Of the Walter-Logan bill for
broadened judicial review of admin
istrative actions, Senator Barkley
said it was discussed only as one
of the things in the offlng, hasten
i ing to add that It was not In any
(8m LEGISLATION, Page A-3.)
i
Edison Scouts Theory
Nazi Planes Peril
British Fleet
Tells Senate Committee
English Failed to Use
Aircraft to Advantage
By the Associated Press.
United States naval experts were
said by Secretary Edison today to
believe that Germany will not be
able to destroy or even “seriously
damage’’ the British fleet by aerial
bonibardment despite her superi
ority in the air.
The chief of the Navy Depart
ment also told the Senate Naval
Committee that co-operation be
tween aircraft and surface vessels
of the American Fleet was much
closer than had been displayed by
British aircraft and ships in the
Scandinavian campaign.
If the British fleet had received
more support from aircraft, he as
serted, it would have been able to
cover allied landing operations in
Norway much more effectively. But
it appeared, he continued, that the
British had lacked either sufficient
planes or planes of the right type.
Advances in Tactics Expected.
Despite the advancement made in
aircraft. Secretary Edison declared,
the Navy expects the battleships to
remain "the backbone of our first
line of defense” for many years to
come, and he predicted that im
(See DEFENSE, Page A-3.)
Kirk Will Leave Berlin
For Conference With Hull
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, May 7.—Alexander Kirk,
American Charge d’Affaires, will
leave for Rome this week end en
route to the United States for what
he described as a strictly routine
visit.
Mr. Kirk probably will make the
trans-Atlantic crossing by air clip
per and spend a week in Washing
ton, during which he will confer with
Secretary of State Hull. He is ex
pected to return to Berlin in about
three weeks .
While in the United States Mr.
Kirk plans to see his sister, Mrs. Al
bert B. Ruddock of Pasadena, Calif.,
who now is visiting in Virginia.
-
Judiciary Group
Saves Hatch Bill
In 14-11 Ballot
Measure Still Must
Be Reported; Vote
Reverses Tabling
By J. A. O’LEARY.
By a vote of 14 to 11, the House
Judiciary Committee today reversed
its action of last week in tabling
the Hatch clean politics bill.
In contrast to the secret ballot by
which it sidetracked the measure
last Wednesday, 14 to 10, the com
mittee today made public the roll
call.
Action came on the heels of an
other indorsement of the bill by
President Roosevelt, given to re
porters late yesterday as his train
sped back to Washington from Hyde
Park. The President previously was
on record in favor of the bill, but
his latest statement that he hoped
the House would pass it strength
ened a move that had been growing
daily since the committee laid it
aside.
Although today's vote brought the
bill back to life, it still awaits com
mittee action. The committee took
it from the table, but had no time
left before adjournment at noon to
consider reporting it to the House.
The Roll Call Vote.,
Those who voted for reconsider
ing the bill were; Democrats—Celler,
New York; Healey, Massachusetts;
McLaughlin, Nebraska; Murdock,
Utah; Tolan, California; Byrne, New
York: Massengale, Oklahoma.
Republicans — Guyer, Kansas'
Hancock, New York; Michener,
Michigan; Robsion, Kentucky,
Gwynne. Iowa; Monkiewdcz, Connec
ticut: Springer. Indiana.
Those who voted against recon
sideration were:
Democrats—Weaver. North Caro
lina; Walter, Pennsylvania; Hobbs,
Alabama; Creal. Kentucky; Satter
field, Virginia; Barnes. Illinois;
Gibbs, Georgia; Kefauver, Ten
nessee.
Republicans—Reed, Illinois: Gra
ham, Pennsylvania; Vreeland, In
diana.
Chairman Sumners presided at
today s meeting, but did not vote,
announcing that “the chairman will
vote this afternoon,” presumably
referring to the fact that he plans
to address the House later in the
day.
The committee is scheduled to
, meet again Thursday, but it was not
| definitely stated whether the bill
will be taken up tpr amendments
and final action at that time. Having
succeeded in rescuing the measure
from the pigeon hole, it is expected
that its supporters will press for a
favorable report and a special rule
to bring it up before adjournment.
Dempsey to Keep Petition Going.
Representative Dempsey, leading
the House fight for the bill, ex
pressed gratification at the com
mittee's decision, but intends to
leave on the clerks desk the peti
tion to discharge the committee
which he filed last Friday. Up to
noon today 115 House members had
signed. If 218 signatures are ob
tained it would bring the bill auto
matically from committee and place
it in a position to be called up on
the second or fourth Mondays of
the month.
Now that the committee has taken
up the bill again, Mr. Dempsey does
not expect as many signatures as
he otherwise would have obtained,
but he predicted the committee will
report the bill out later by sub
stantially the same vote that took it
from the table today.
One committee member. Repre
sentative Gibbs, issued a formal
statement, explaining that although
he previously had voted twice
against tabling the bill, he refused
to vote to reconsider today, because
he felt it would be reflecting on his
fellow committee members.
Gibbs' Statement.
Mr. Gibbs said:
“Up to this time I have refrained
from making any statement in re
gard to how I voted on this bill.
I was on the subcommittee that
reported the bill favorably, Mr.
Walter being chairman, and, since
during the deliberations it seemed
Mr. Walter was disposed to favor
ably report the bill to the floor
of the House for consideration, I
felt when the motion came to ta
ble the bill that it was my duty
to follow the course which I pur
sued in t^ie subcommittee, and I
voted tgainst tabling it twice. But
there have been so many attacks
upon the Judiciary Committee, all
of whom I considered the high
est types of men, I felt 1 would
be casting reflection on 26 of the
finest gentlemen with whom I have
ever been associated. Therefore, I
desire to change my position along
with the chairman of the sub
committee and vote no as to re
considering.’’
Murdock Made Motion.
The motion to reconsider was
made by Representative Murdock,
who decided several days ago to take
that step as individual members of
the committee began to make known
that they were against the earlier
decision to table.
In some quarters the view was
expressed that the committee would
have reconsidered today, regardless
of the President’s latest indorsement
of the bill, but the renewed support
of Mr. Roosevelt is expected to im
prove the chances for House passage
before adjournment.
The basic principle of this Hatch
bill was suggested originally by the
President in the statement issued a
year ago when he signed the original
Hatch Act barring Federal employes
from active participation in politics.
The President at that time cited as
one of the weaknesses of the act the
fact that it restricted the activity of
Federal employes while leaving State
employes free to take active part in
campaigning.
The pending bill applies to all
State employes paid in whole or in
part from Federal funds the same
restrictions already imposed on Fed*
eral personnel. It also carries a
Senate amendment limiting the
campaign contributions of any pri
vate Individual to $5,000.
a