Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
Denies Vice Presidents Au-
thOrity to Appoint Fess
to Committee Vacancy.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS
DRAW LINES CLOSER
Political Battle at Next Session
Over Investigation of Expendi-
lures Is Foreshadowed.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

v Ice IIeSluSHJ OdWeS authority IC
| fill vacancy in the Reed slush fund
committee is challenged in a state
ment issued last night by Senator
Reed, Republican, of Pennsylvania
bitter opponent of the committee.
1enator Reed also reiterates his as.
sertion that the Reed committee
headed by Senator Reed, Democrat, OF
Missouri, died with the close Of the
last session of Congress.
Those Republican lines which at
tackled the proposal to continue the
Reed slush fund committee in the
last filibustering days of the Sixty.
ninth Congress were drawn close
again yesterday. Senator Keyes, Re
publican, of New Hampshire, chair,
man of the committee on audit and
control of the contingent fund of the
Senate, announced he had not changed
his original opinion that the Reed
committee is dead and not entitled &c
spend any more of the Senate's money
Senator Keyes did not personally
take part in the filibuster, He has
| been the principal agent, however. In
halting the activities of the committee
since the close of Congress. He
declined, or indicated he would
decline, to approve any voucher for
new expenditures by the committee.
This effectually dried up the source
of supplies OF the committee. although
S nator Reed OF Missouri himself
recently dug down into his own pocket
to finance the expedition of Jerry
| South, a special deputy of the COM
mittee, to impound ballots case in the
Vase Wilson senatorial contest in four
counties in Pennsylvania.
Dawes Takes Hand.
Vice President Dawes was projected
into the controversy over the existence
or non-existence of the Reed COM
mittee recently when Senator Goff,
Republican of West Virginia, resigned.
The Vice President, declaring the com.
n ttee to be alive, appointed Senator
Fess, Republican of Ohio, to NIL the
Goff vacancy Right there he has
run counter to some of the Republi-
cans in the Senate, who are intent
upon preventing any further action
by the Reed committee during the
present recess of Congress, and who
would, If they could. prevent a
resuscitation of that committee when
Congress meets again.
senator FeeQ OIL G6HnSylkdIlids q
leader of the filibuster against reso-
| luton in the last Congress extending
the life and powers Of the Reed COM
mittee, intimated last night he was
prepared to continue his fight against
| the committee in the next session Of
| Congress. He did not dodge the fact,
| however, that the Democrats, aided by
group of Republicans could, and
probably would vote to give the Reed
committee authority to continue its
work. But Senator Reed of Pennsyl-
vania, like some Of the other Repub.
| licans, is tired of the use of the Reed
committee to attack Republican Sen
ators and Senators-elect. He believes
| the party should rise up and strike
back.
No Corruption, Reed Insists.
| Senator Reed of Pennsylvania in
sists there was no corruption in the
| PENNSYLVANIA senatorial election and
| primary which resulted in sending Mr.
! Ware to the Senate. The cry of cor.
ruption has been raised, however, and
| he fears it will have it's influence or
certain members of the Republican
party in the Senate, even though it Is
not based on fact.
! The Pennsylvania Senator takes di.
! rect issue with. Vice President Dawes
| over the proposition that the Reed
committee is continuing committee
! and also denies the authority of the
| Vice President to fill vacancy in the
| committee, even if 1t is alive. He
charges that the Vice President has
exceeded his authority in the appoint.
| ment of Senator Fess.
The decision of Senator Fess regard
ing acceptance of his appointment to
! the committee is awaited here with
much interest. Opponents OF the Reed
| committee are hoping he will turn
down the appointment on the ground
that the committee Is dead. Senator
| Fess expressed such an opinion some
time ago, before the ruling of the Vice
| President.
Political Battle Forecast.
The determination of Senator Reed
of Pennsylvania and other Republican
| Senators TO stand up on their hind
legs and fight the Reed Committee is
the forerunner of political battle in
the Senate when Congress meets
again. They will seek to make ii
appear that the Reed Committee is a
mere instrument Of the Democrats tc
develop political capital to be used by
Senator Reed of Missouri to boost
his own candidacy for the Democratic
nomination for President, and to be
used by the Democrats in the coming
national campaign.
Before issuing his statement last
night. Senator Reed of Pennsylvania
who has just returned from vacation
in Bermuda, consulted with other
Republican Senators now here In
his statement he said:
THE special committee of the Sen
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