Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-21
NELSON AT THE HEAD
Probable Chairman of Bal
Iinger-Pinchot Committee.
PLANS FOR THE INQUIRY
Variance of Views Regarding the
Declination of Representative
Lloyd-Caucus Tonight.

The joint congressional committee ap-
pointed to investigate the Ballinger-P Pin
chOt controversy will hold a preliminary
meeting tomorrow in Senator Nelson 8
office 1t is likely that Senator Nelson
will be elected chairman and that plans
for conducting the inquiry will be con-
sdered
Indications today were that there would
be no further effort to change the person
mel of the House membership of the COM
mittee-at least not until after the demo-
cratic caucus tonight.
The attitude of Representative Lloyd
of Missouri is that his duties as chair
man of the democratic congressional
committee are so heavy that he is very
desirous of being relieved of service on
the committee. If, however, the House
maintains that he must serve he will
make no attempt to be relieved.
Privileges of Members.
1t is understood from statements by
several democratic leaders that they con-
slider the investigating committee to be a
full-f1edged government commission, cre-
ated by law, and that if Mr.. Lloyd or any
other member wished to retire from 1t
he would only have to rise in the House
ana. SenQ III MS TeSISHdtlOu u l0>
Speakers desk. No acceptance by the
House would be necessary to make 1t
Yalid, it is claimed.
On the other hand some of the repub-
iican leaders indicated that there existed
in their minds a doubt whether any of the
six members chosen by the House could
escape service on the committee.
Democrats Take Firm Stand.
The democrats of the House were pa
iavering among themselves the greater
part Of the day, anticipating the caucus
to be held tonight, over their further ac-
tion in regard to the membership of the
minority on the Ballinger-Pinchot COM
naittee. 1t was the consensus of opinion
that Representative Lloyd cannot be pre-
vented from resigning from the appoint
ment forced upon him by the majority,
and the democrats are determined to
have him resign and demand the right
10 select their man on the committee and
not allow the majority to do it.
Several names are mentioned as the
successor to Mr.. Lloyd, among them
Slayden of Texas. Borland of Missouri.
Beall of Texas, Kitchin of North Caro-
lima and Palmer of Pennsylvania. The
main object OF the democrats is to force
adoption of their contention that they
shall name their own members of the
committee and that the republicans sha II
not name them.
1t is not thought likely that the repub-
licans will raise much of an issue over
that branch of the question. They have
put Rainey out and any other democrat.
it is said. Is likely to be acceptable If
Lloyd insists on retiring.
On that point the democratic conten-
tion. as stated by Mr.. Underwood of Ala
bama. one of the democratic leaders, Is
that the committee is created by law, the
members of it appointed by law. and that
ii is absurd to say that he can be forced
to serve against his will any more than
a federal Judge could be coerced
The prevailing feeling among republic
cans of the House Is that the insurgent
republicans made a pretty mess of their
combination with the democrats to force
the selection of the committee by the
House 1T is pointed out that the in
surgents had to come back into caucus.
after all. and act with their party, or be
disqualified as republicans, and that all
they succeeded in doing was to open the
way for the democrats to make possible
political capital out of the necessity which
the majority confronted of keeping off
of the cOmmittee democrat whom they
claimed would have turned the inveStiga-
ton into a democratic political side show.
1t is declared. however. that the net re-
suit of the incident is to leave the regular
republican organization in stronger posi-
tiop than before by demonstrating the
necessity of republicans standing by their
caucus action and to minimize the pros
pects of future insurrecto1s