Evening star., 1921-01-18
DEMOCRATS FORCE
MOVE ON ARMY AND
NAVY COMMISSIONS
Senate Sends List OF Ap-
pointments to Military
Committee.
UNDERWOOD AND LODGE
; IN CLASH OVER MOTION
G. o. P. Leader Says Some OF Ap-
pointments Will Bear Close
-, Scrutiny.

By unanimous consent the Senate
agreed today that all nominations TOT
original appointments in the Army
and Navy, now pending in the Senate
shall be referred to the committee on
military affairs and the committee on
naval affairs.
This action will permit efforts TO
confirm the large number Oh Original
appointments in the two services put
leaves still pending in the Sena.e
that class of nominations OF nlSher
officers to promotions in rank.
The democratic members OF the up
ner house precipitated a lively ciash
with the republicans when the senate
convened, in an effort to commit the
majority party to an attitude OF SEEM
ing unfriendliness toward the eA-sei'
ice men of the country.
Senator Lodge the republican leader,
denied that the republicans were Seek
ing to play politics in withholding ac-
tion on nominations, but said that ne
did not propose to have the bureaus
of the Navy Department, a few weeks
in advance of change in admlnlstra-
ton, act for the next four years; ana
he felt that there were some OF the
Army nominations of officers of nigh
rank which should be scanned very
carefully before being confirmed.
fafuy LedVcHS ShAShs
Senator Underwood. the democratic
leader, declared that it would be a
crime to withhold action on the 5000
commissions issued to young men
who had won their epaulettS on the
field of battle. He said he realized
the political play in holding up clVl!
nominations, and he was not disposed
to find fault with the republicans on
the eve of the change of administra-
tion for following such course with
the civil appointments. But, he sald'
unless before March the nom1na.
tions of these young officers are acted
upon they will be thrown out of the
Army and the work Of examination
and appointment will have to be done
over.
Senator Lodge said that all were
agreed that the ominations OF these
Younger officers should receive consid-
GRAFTON and wanted to know if they
could be separated from the other
pending nominations.
Senator Underwood said he would
like to agree by unanimous consent
that all the pending military and
naval nominations should be referred
by the Senate as in open executive
session to their proper committees.
Senator Lodge again pointed out the
necessity, from his viewpoint, of sep
arating. the nominations 10 which
there are no objections from the 9TH
ers. Senator Underwood retorted that
he supposed the republicans could de-
pend upon the republican majority Of
their committees to carry out the de-
sired policy.
Vote a Party Affair.
The trouble started when Senator
Robinson moved that the Senate pro-
ceed to the consideration of execu-
tive business. it being well under
stood that it was for the purpose of
moving that the nominations be re-
ferred to the committee. BY strict
party vote of SO to 35 the Senate re-
fused to go into executive session.
Senator Underwood and Senator Rob-
inson attempted to prevent the hold
ing up Of the nominations. but were
cut off by demands for the regular
order.
Then by a vote Of 81 to "a. a reso-
luton offered by Senator Fletcher OF
Florida that the Postmaster General
should report to the Senate the names
of all ex-service men or their widows
appointed to postmastersh,ps, so that
they might be confirmed. was referred
to the post office committee.
This was a strict party vote. the
democrats voting against reference
to the committee and insisting that
the resolution be adopted.
Senator Robinson for the second
time moved that the Senate proceed
to executive business. and this motion
was again lost.
Senator Lodge suggested that he
would have no objection to sending
to committees the nominations for
original appointments in the Army
and Navy. which would take care Of
the officers about whom all senators
are concerned. After comforting with
Senator Underwood and while Sena-
tor Robinson read the records Of
some of the higher officers whom he
thought should be confirmed. the
unanimous consent agreement was
drawn up and adopted.
Senator Norris sought to send to
the committee on patents the nomi-
nations relating to the patent office
and read a communication urging the
necessity of confirming these nomi-
nations in the interest of efficiency in
the patent Office.