Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
BY WILLIAM C. MURPHY, JR.

A FTER nearly $50 years of theo-
~ retical secrecy as to such mat
"A tiers, the United States Senate
4 a has decided to take the public
into its confidence as to its
deliberations on treaties and on nom
nations for Federal Offices. This ac-
ton, taken just before the Summer re-
cess Of Congress. put stop for the
time being to the uproar produced by
newspaper publication of two supposed
ly secret roll calls during the preceding
few months.
It is possible that the armistice may
be only temporary, for the Senate did
not go to the extreme Of abolishing
secret sessions altogether. Nor did 1t
agree that all roll calls taken in secret
sessions should be published as many
Senators have demanded. But, whereas
until the recent change in the Senate
rules the consideration of a treaty or
nomination in secret session was the
normal course and could be changed
only by a two-thirdS vote taken In
secret, the situation now is that all
treaties and nominations are to be con-
sidered in open session, except In cases
where by a majority vote the Senate
shall decide that particular treaty or
nomination shall be considered in Sc
cret.
Even where this latter course is pur-
sued it will now be possible to make
public the vote on any question decided
in secret session whenever a majority
Of the Senate so desires. Formerly q
two-thirds vote was required.
May Reveal Votes.
Still another change in the rules is
that which specifically authorizes any
Senator at any time to reveal how he
himself voted on any question IN secret
session. This will put an end to the
ridiculous situation which has arisen
many times In senatorial campaigns
when Senator, accused by his OPP
ponerts of having voted for or against
certain nomination or treaty, was
forbidden to deny or affirm the charge
without rendering himself liable to ex-
pulsion from the Senate. There has
never been an expulsion for this reason,
but the rule was there, nevertheless.
The immediate cause of the recent
change in the Senate rules was the
enterprising activity of newspaper
man. His activities included obtaining
the roll call by which the Senate dur
ing the last session of Congress con-
firmed the nomination of Roy o. West
as Secretary of the Interior, and also
the roll cali by which during the extra
Summer session former Senator Len
roots nomination was confirmed as q
member of the Court of Customs and
Patent Appeals.
In both instances there were extraor-
binary precautions taken by the Senate
to prevent publication of details Of
these actions. And in both instances
the roll calls were duly compiled and
published.
Senate Starts Uproar.
But there was q vociferolis uproar
from the Senate In each instance.
publication Of these roll calls was par
ticularly embarrassing to q few NIL
nority Senators who supported the
administration nominee and who evi-
IDENTIFY had been given assurances that
their votes would not be made known:
incidentally, it was the support Of
these minority Senators which made
the confirmation Of both nominations
possible, since the progressive Repub-
!! iican bloc for the most part opposed
the two nominations.
There were eS course, loud outcries