Evening star., 1923-03-04
Heflin Leads Fight
to Force Vote
on Nitrates.
DEADLOCK LASTS
FOR SEVEN HOURS
Farm Credits and Meas.
ure to Return Alien
Property Are Passed.

Work Of the Sixty-seventh Con-
gress, which adjourns sine die today
at noon. virtually was completed
early today. but innumerable bills
scheduled for enactment were blocked
by an unprecedented and spectacular
f1libuster. The farm credits bill, how
ever. was made ready at night ses-
sions for submission to President
Harding, both the Senate and House
approving the conference report on
the measure.
The Senate recessed at 1886 this
morning to meet at 10 am. today.
The House was still in session at 3:15
o'clock.
Fflibusterers waged a fight to OBJ
tain a vote by the House on the Sem
ate resolution providing for purchase
by the government OF S10,000,o00
worth Of nitrates and arsenate, for
sale to southern cotton producers In
both the House and Senate they gave
way to the farm credits bill, but
wrecked scores Of minor measures
and tied up the closing Congress for
hours Overlooking galleries, includ-
ing diplomats and high officials,
viewed the battle. which was waged
far into the night.
Helm Leads F1libusteF.
Interest centered in the Senate fill
buster, led by Senator Hefiin. demo-
crat, Alabama. 1t began at { o'clock
in the afternoon with the declared
purpose Of blocking virtually all ac-
ton until House leaders permitted a
vote on the nitrate resolution. Sena-
tor Heflin spoke for several hours
and denied hot charges that the fill
buster sought to "coerce" the House.
The f1iibustering forces oontended
that their only effort was directed
against republican House leaders
charged with denying a vote promised
on tho nitrate measure. Senator Rob-
inson Of Arkansas, active democratic
leader, and otherS disavowed and de-
plored the filibuster.
After nearly seven hours Of the
Senate nlibuster a brief truce was
arranged to permit Senate action on
alien property Of $4,000 and under,
which was passed and sent to con-
ference.
Dies Down In House,
In the House, as the night wore on,
the f1libuster showed signs OF dis
intregating and a number of minor
bills were passed without show of
fight by those who had been directing
the obstruction practices. The House
session proved unusually dull for a
closing night with little enthusiasm
manifested.
At one juncture Of the Senate fill
buster, Senator Harris, democrat,
Georgia, Joined forces with Senator
Hefiin and attempted to read from
the Congressional Record Of House
debate, but Senator Curtis, Kansas,
assistant republican leader, invoked
against him the rule requiring sem
ators to present original matter.
When Senator Robinson declared
that senators who chose to take the
responsibility OF attempting to in
f1uence the House would have no
sympathy or support from him. Sem
ator Hef1in retorted:
IF I am not going to have the
support of senator's from the south I
want the south to know it"
The Senate filibuster was called Off
for the executive session to consider
nominations, and afterward many
minor measures were allowed to come
up.
At the executive session hundreds
of nominations, mostly postmasters.
were confirmed. Among the con-
firmations were the nominations of
Orie L. Phillips, New Mexico; John s.
PARTRIDGE and William p. James, CAL
(Continued on Page 4, Column A.