Evening star., 1927-12-04
CONGRESS TO OPEN
TOMORROW, FACING
MANY VITAL ISSUES
Ware Smith Controversy May
Delay Organization
of Senate.
HOUSE is SEEN CERTAIN
TO PROCEED SMOOTHLY
Bitter Debate Forecast on Legis-
lative Program of Inde-
pendent Senators.
RY WILL z. KENNEDY.


Senate can organize promptly. so thai
the Presidents message can be re
ceived Tuesday. is problematical, but
hope is entertained that an agreement
will be reached under which the fight
over the seating of Senators-elec'
Ware of Pennsylvania and Smith OF
Illinois will be held in leash.
The House will organize without
difficulty and proceed serenely with
well-defined legislative program. and
with several of the most important
measures ready for immediate con
sideration.
Tax reduction, settlement of alien
property claims, IL appropriation bills
10 cover all Government costs for the
ensuing fiscal year and flood relief are
the most important items of leglsla'
tion coming before the incoming Con-
gress. on all of which the House VIII
be ready.
Program Faces Delay.
How long the session will run de-
pends entirely upon the Senate, be-
cause the House has rules under
which important business can be eA'
peditiously disposed of. In the Sen
ate. however, bitter controversies
threaten to delay the program, with
the balance of power held by the
Western independents. who nave
definite legislative program or tneir
own, decidedly at variance with tnat
of the administration, and with party
political oratory in this pre-campalgn
session seeking every possible outlet.
Congress may close the Legislative
mill well within six months II un-
bridled discussion of all the questions
that present themselves, as is possl'
BILE under thhe Senate rules, Is enIni-
mated.
The Republicans have a safe ma.
jority in the House AMI bare ma
jority in the Senate. which is threat
ened by defeetions within their own
. ranks, especially from the Western
independents, who have submitted 70
the Republican conservatives, or The
old guard" a legislative program with
insistent demands for prompt action
This is apt to cause as much trouble
as the Ware and Smith contests. be
cause there is a good chance that II
may seriously interfere with the ma
jority organizing the Senate.
This definite program OF three
measures-farm relief along the lines
OF the McNary.Haugen bill, legisla-
ton to limit the power off Federal
Judges in issuing injunctions. and an
investigation of the United States
policy in Central and South America
is fathered by a group composed of
five Western progressiyes-Senato
Frazier, South Dakota; La Toilette.
Wisconsin; Shipstead. Minnesota
Blaine, Wisconsin, and Nye, North
Dakota. In strategic reply Floor
Leader Curtis pointed out that these
measures will be handled by com
mittees whose chairmen are under
stood to be progressively inclined.
Assistance Is Asked.
The group countered with a cour.
teous request that Curtis get from the
Republican ma jority the assurance
that they will assist in obtaining a
final vote on these measures at
this first session. If Senator Curtis
accedes to this new demand, it will
mean that the prOgressives' program
must be submitted to the Republican
conference, which is soon to be called
to pass upon appointments to the
standing committees.
There are several other groups
threatening trouble in the Senate on
legislation in which they are par
ticularly interested.
has been renominated by the Repub-
lican majority for president pro tenn
pore, and doubtless will be reelected.
There was an undercurrent Of specu.
lation last night that a situation might
r. engineered, however. SO that the
Democratic minority, which always
goes through the formality of nom
mating its own slate o candidates
for Senate offices, may be afforded an
opportunity to fill the subordinate
Offices.
While neither Senators-elect Smith
nor Ware, storm centerS or feeling be
cause of charges Of excessive expendi
lures in their campaigns. has much
chance of getting sufficient number
sof votes to insure a seat In the Sen
ate, stubborn fight will be made II
their behalf which threatens to con
sumo days. and even weeks.
Agreement Is Aim.
Republican leaders sough. tirelessly
all yesterday and last night TO bring
about an agreement that would allow
the Senate to organize and receive the
Presidents annual message and his
budget message, SO that orderly legis
lative procedure might not be spec
tacularIy delayed by the "slush fund
scrap. IL any agreement was reachet
after the series of conferences. M
inkling was given that either Var'
or Smith had consented to postpon'
his effort to claim the seat to whicf
his constituency had elected him.
There are 19 Republican and Il
Democratic Senators to be sworn IN
Included in these are five new he
publican and six new Democratl
members. The other Il are reelected
Under the usual procedure. the ngh
would start when the States are calie
in alphabetical order and the name
Smith is reached. Senator Norris
Nebraska, a leader of the Western
progressive group. is ready to offer
resolution to refer Mr.. Smiths CLAIM
to the committee on privileges an
election for further consideration o
expenditures in the Illinois senatoria
primaries, and similarly when tn
name of Ware Is called. another rese
lution would be offered.
II these two Senators s-eiect preser
themselves and there is no agreemen
for delay, debate on the Norris resoll
tions would start Immediately afte
swearing in of the other 80 Senator!
and would doubtless continue for
week or more. with the scandalou
spectacle of Congress being otherwis
at a standstil and public business d.
layed.
While friends of both Smith an
Ware were busy yesterday and las
night considering strategy. method {
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