The Washington herald., 1920-01-22
HOUSE COP.
SPLITON ROCK /,
OF Big ARMY
Naming Of Harreld Of Okla
homa for Military Com
mittee Starts Fight.
MAY RECONSIDER VOTE
Choice Declared Victory for
Opponents Of Universal
Military Training.
MAY RECONSIDER VOTE

Open warfare broke out among the
Republicans in the House yesterday
when the Committee on Committees
selected Representative John w
Harreld, OF Oklahoma, 20 an the
vacancy on the Military Affairs Com
Imittee.
The charge was frequently mads
that Harreld's selection was a plain
effort to pack" the COMMITTEES
against universal military training.
He is an avowed opponent both OF
this policy and of a big standing
army.
Representative Mondel, OF wyo-
ming. Republican floor leader ana
chairman OF the Committee on Conn
mittees. was said to have engineered
the action Of the committee Rem
resentatives Mann, Of Illino. ana
Anthony. OF Kansas. backed up Nom
dell with strong speeches in favor
OF Harreld. Representative Morean.
lof Oklahoma, who nominated hi,
colleague, also made a feryent an
peal for his selection
All four OF the okIahonan's backer,
are opposed to universal military
training. Three OF them-Mopdeu- An
thony and Morgan-vOted against the
seiective service act during the war.
His Vote Decisive.
The significance OF Harreld's .e,ee-
ton for the Military Affairs Commit
tee lies in the fact that the committee
now is deadlocked. 10 TO 10, on IN.
question Of including a provision for
universal military training in the army
reorganization bill. and his vote will
be the deciding factor against It.
But there are two other grounds for
the bitter opposition to the action OF
the Committee on Committees:
J. The vacancy was caused bv IN.
resignation OF former Representative
la Guardia. Of New York. who fol-
lowed various other New Workers or
the committee. BY all rights the place
should have gone TO a member from
that State, the Republicans in the New
York delegation declare.
Instead, however. Representative
Crowther. OF New York. who was
put forward by his State delegation.
was denied the place. The big
army" faction also had agreed on
Crovther
Harreld was one OF the six MEM
bers Of the House who voted against
the exclusion OF Victor I. Berger
when the Milwaukee Socialist re-
Gently was denied a seat for the
second time.
Ballots Destroyed.
The ballots by which Harreld was
selected were DESTROYED Immediately
after the result was announced. ae-
icordinE TO Representative Green. Of
Iowa. who acted as a teller, and.
therefore, there was no way OF as
pertaining definitely the Iine-up of
states. The Committee on Commit
tees is composed OF one member
from each State having a Republi-
can Representative in the House
and he casts a number Of votes
equal to the number Of Republican
members from his State
1t was learned officially. however
that the result of the voting was.
Harreld. 121; Crowther. 30; Newton,
OF. Missouri. g.
The New York delegation went on
the warpsth as soon as the com
mittee's action became known.
Members from other States quickly
Joined ranks with them and before
night a report gained circulation
that reconsideration would b. or
dered.
1t was stated by a membe- .r
up in the G. o. p. counciIs fas F..r-
res, ntative Griest. Of h. -vlv.- /
who cast the tive 80 --r. .of.s q
his State for -I. .'' rwffch
to Crowther =.. .ef aaf
vote for HaI u. r- 49, e
that for Grow s. &C.,
New Gori eaten.
members OF the New York deIcga-
tion threaten to force a caucus.
we won't stand for it," said
Representative Smell. of New York
The New York members arc also
threatening to go so far as 20 at
tempt to prevent consideration Of
important legislation by blocking
special rules.
when asked IL there would be
Reconsideration. Mr.. Mondell said;
Il hadn't thought of it,"
He admitted. however. that he
didn't know" when the House
would be asked TO confirm the &C.
tion of the Committee on Commit
tees. II is Gust omary for an imme-
diate rehort to the House when one
side or the other selects a member
for a committee place.
other members of the Committee
on Committees asserted that they
had no idea" the selection OF Har-
reid would provoke such an uproar.
and that IL they had suspected any
such result they would have acted
differently.
This contention was vigorously
idenied by the other side. who said
IL was a plain case OF playing pea
nut politics"
In the face OF the storm. Harreld
ANNOUNCED that he was undecided a.
to whether or not he would accept
the assignment even though con-
firmed by the House.