Evening star., 1936-03-22
RELIEF PROBE DUE
BY SENATE GROUP
Democratic Leaders Plan
to Keep Inquiry Within
"Certain Bounds" "
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated fresS.
Senate adoption early this week Of
q Republican resolution for broad
investigation of New Deal relief activ-
tiles was indicated yesterday when IL
was learned authoritatively that ad-
ministration leaders would offer no
serious opposition.
Democratic chieftians, however, were
represented as intending to see to it
that the inquiry both into the w. P.
A. and its predecessor, F. E. r. A., Is
kept within certain bounds and not ex-
panded into what some have called a
political fishing expedition"
With this in view. Senator Robinson,
Democrat, of Arkansas, Friday quickly
filled two Democratic vacancies on
the Expenditures Committee named
in the resolution of Senator Davis,
Republican, of Pennsylvania, as the
group to conduct the investigation.
The committee, headed by Senator
Lewis, Democrat, of Illinois, has never
figured in any major activity before.
1t is now composed of five Democrats
and two Republicans. Its speedy ap-
proval Thursday of the Davis resolu-
ton riled Robinson and led to the re-
call of the committee report and elm
nation OF a resolution preamble re-
fiecting on the w. P. A.
Holt Also Critical.
Davis has charged w. P. A. was
"chuck full of politics" in PennSyl-
vania. Senator Holt, Democrat, OF
West Virginia, has made similar COM
plants repeatedly on and of the floor
about the Set-up in his State.
Reports that administration leaders
| were attempting to block the inquiry
brought a sharp challenge today from
Lewis, who moved the resolution
adoption in the committee.
"Rumors that the Davis resolution
will be smothered are untrue" Lewis
told reporters. "The resolution will
be adopted by the Senate. have not
heard of any Democratic leaders VINO
are opposed to it."
II believe it is in the interests OF
the Democratic party to have an in
vestigation and correct whatever
wrong doing may be true"
Truth and not political diatrioes
is what is needed for q constructive
INQUIRY. As chairman of the COM
mittee, 1t will be my purpose to keep
politics out of the investigation"
Young Holt said any effort to pre-
vent the inquiry would be short
! sighted"
Sees Danger to Party.
you can smother the inquiry IN
committee, but you can't smother it
before the American people he said.
II think the Democratic party
would be playing into a most danger
GUS position"
| I'VE should have an investigation
bv impartial men. The investigation
| should not be loaded with partisan
/ feelings.
LAS Democrats, We ought to cor
rect whatever evils are shown to exist.
If We are not ready to correct them.
we should let the opposition fire at will.
/ You can't bottle up facts that are
known to the people Of the various
States. and they should be brought
into the open"
Senators Pittman, Democrat, OF
Nevada. and Barkley. Democrat. OF
Kentucky, we're the administrations
stalwarts added to the Expenditures
Committee Friday by Robinson.
Earlier efforts to assign Senators
Hatch. Democrat, of New Mexico and
Rose Mcconnell Long. Democrat. OF
Louisiana, to the committee vacancies
failed when they declined to serve for
special reasons.