Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-08
ConfereeS Adopt Agreement
on Compromise Providing
$4,000, 900 Loan Fund.
CONSIDERATION OF BILL.
EXPECTED TOMORROW
Hodges Reports Red Cross Meeting
Needs in Is Arkansas
Counties.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,

An effort to deal finally with the re-
lief measure which has tied Congress
into knot will be made this week.
The conferees of the Senate and
House on the Interior Department ap.
preparation bill adopted yesterday
afternoon the agreement for a 100000
600 loan to persons in the drought,
storm and hail stricken areas which
had previously been given approval by
Senate and House leaders and by the
President. The report Of the con-
ferees was filed with the Senate by
Senator Smoot of Utah, who Is ex-
pected to call it up for consideration
tomorrow.
At the same time Secretary Hurley OF
the War Department received from
Lieut. Col. Campbell B. Hodges, MILL
tary aide to President Hoover, who was
sent to the drought-Stricken area in
Arkansas to make a survey Of condi-
tions, a telegram saying that the Ameri-
can Red Cross and the local charitable
organizations and other agencies were
taking care of the suffering in 16
counties OF the State.
Hodges Telegraphs Report.
Col Hodges and Maj. Oliver s. Wood
of the Militia Bureau were ordered to
Arkansas to make the survey by Secre-
tary Hurley to investigate and report
on conditions there and to ascertain
whether the relief being given those In
distress was adequate.
The telegram sent by Col. Hodges
said:
Survey has covered Is counties In.
GLIDING hardest hit sections of State.
Red Cross and local agencies are now
adequately meeting situation. Careful
search fails to reveal any presence OF
suffering from hunger and cold. Hope
complete job by eighth and to return
to Washington tenth"
Despite the action of the conferees
on the Interior Department appropria-
ton bill and the adoption Of the So
called compromise agreement as a sub
stitute for the Robinson amendment
providing SIS, 000,0 900 for the relief Of
the destitute in all parts of the coun-
try, and despite the reassuring telegram
OF Col. Hodges, the storm clouds gath
cred over the Senate late yesterday.
Two progressive Senators, one Demo-
crat and the other a Republican, an
nounced their opposition to the agree
ment on the floor of the Senate.
Wheeler Of Montana and La Toilette of
Wisconsin. Senator Mcclellan of Ten
nessee, Democrat, declined to sign the
conference report on the Interior De-
partment bill. He is one Of the con-
ferees on the part of the Senate. Later
he said he had not made up his mind
whether to vote against the conference
report or not. He added that he was
impelled not to sign the conference
report because the Senate yielded TO
the House on salary increases for Gov.
eminent employees as well as because
he was not satisfied with the compro-
mise on relief.
Others Dissatisfied.
Still other Democratic Senators in
dicated their displeaSure with the relief
agreement It was reported that Sen
ator Thomas of Oklahoma and Senator
Buckley of Ohio both would oppose the
conference report.
The general impression last night
was, however, that the conference re-
port would be adopted, although it
would be preceded by a debate which
might be bitter. The two Arkansas
Senators, Robinson, the Democratic
who have taken a leading part in the
demand for additional relief for the
drought-stricken areas, have announced
their support of the agreement.
If the agreement on relief IS put
through. efforts will then be made to
speed all the annual appropriation bills
through so as to make unnecessary a
special session of the next Congress
this Spring. Such a program does not
meet the approval of some Of the Re-
publican Progressives and few of the
Democrats in the Senate who wish Q
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