Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-21
Aggressive Strategy Ex-
pected to Put Interests on
Defensive
Fight Suspected.
HEAD OF FARM BUREAU
CHARGES PACT OF FOES
House Probe Chairman Says Rev
Citations Trivial So Far-Hopes
to Sift Thoroughly Charges of
influence on Votes in Con-
greSs.

The Senate lobby investigation is
being forged into a weapon on which
New Deal supporters evidently ex-
pect to rely heavily during the COM
ing year of political conflict.
Senator Hugo L. Black, Democrat,
OF Alabama, chairman of the Lobby
Committee, said yesterday that he was
considering plans to investigate lobby
ing against the A. A. A., the PreSi-
dents tax proposals, the Guffey coal
bill and T. v. A. He indicated, how
ever, that these phases of the inquiry
would not be begun until the commit
tee had completed the investigation of
lobbying against the Wheeler Ray
burn public utilities holding company
bill. Meanwhile, Representative John
j. O'Connor, Democrat, of New York,
declared the intention of the House
Rules Committee to dig deeper than
the Senate Committee into the lobby
ing against the Wheeler Rayburn bill.
The House investigation is limited to
lobbying for and against this one bill,
whereas the Senate committee has an
unrestricted authorization to inves-
tigate lobbying.
For their broader detectives, New
Deal supporters necessarily are rely
ing on the Senate committee, on
which the aggressive Senator Black is
supported by two stanch Democratic
New Dealers, by the liberal Senator
Lynn j. Frazier, Republican, of North
Dakota, and Senator Ernest Gibson,
Republican, of Vermont, who indi-
Gated by his questions this week that
he was shocked by the methods and
extravaganza of the Associated Gas
e. Electric Co. in combating the
Wheeler Rayburn bill.
Aggressive Strategy Seen.
In political circles, the Senate lobby
Investigation is being compared to the
banking investigation Of 1888 and 1894
as means of keeping large corporate
and financial interests on the de-
fensive. In New Deal quarters, any
effective means of dramatizing the
opposition in these terms is welcomed.
Several of the Presidents political ad-
visers are firmly convinced that the
farmers and the smaller business men
of the agrarian regions distrust large
corporate and financial interests and
the men behind them as much as they
ever did and that this distrust is the
most effective cement for the Presi-
dents diverse political following.
A direct charge, implying a COM
munity of interests behind opposition
to current New Deal legislation, was
filed with the Senate committee yes
terday by E. A. ONeal, president of
the American Farm Bureau FEEDER
alton. O'Neal charged that the ASso-
ciated Gas & Electric Co., which he
described as "the same outfit which
sent fake kilograms to Congressman"
had inserted paid advertisements in
newspapers opposing the A. A. A.
amendments.
Unless there is a community of
interests and a definite tie-up, why
should Associated Gas & Electric Co.
60 out of its way to help defeat bill
with which it is not concerned?" he
asked.
Forecasts T1e-up discovery.
IT suspect" he said, that the Black
committee would find definite tie-up
between these Hobbies fighting legisla-
ton to benefit the farmer and the
worker.
THE pressure against the amend
nentS from well-organized lobby
has been so strong that there is grave
danger the bill will be ruined and
leave farmers without protective leg
islation. An effort is being made to
destroy the farmers program, I think
farmers will be heard from before this
measure is disposed off,
Meanwhile, evidence of concerted
attack by utility companies to pre-
vent the construction of municipal
power projects voted by various COM
munities" was reported by Harold L.
(See LOBBY, Page A.