The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-18

To get the full significance, it is necessary to remember that the Senate Foreign Relations Commit tee is one of the most leisurely on Capitol Hill. Its meetings, called for 10:3O a. m, seldom get down to business before 10:45. Important treaties have been kept before it for months at a time, awaiting different senators to put in their arguments.
 But last week, in considering the Nye resolution lifting the embargo against arms shipments to Spain, 1t was different. Among other interesting developments was the presence of Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi, who has not attended a session of the committee for weeks. But this time he was present in all his wise- cracking glory.
 Key Pittman, Mississippi-born chairman of the committee, had prepared things very carefully. He had mimeographed the copy of Secretary Hulls letter opposing the resolution, and had a copy placed on the green baize table in front of each senator.
 The Late MT. BOrah
 This was a special committee session. Strangely enough, notice of the meeting was not sent to Senator Borah, one-time Republi- can chairman of the committee, still its most powerful member, until late the preceding night. His office at that time was closed. And as Borah takes an hour or so of exercise every morning, he did not get word of the meeting until about 10:30, at which time he hurried to Senator Pittman's of- flee.
 Ordinarily he would have been in ample time. But not this time.
 This time Pittman called his meeting together almost on the dot of 10:3O. And as if by prearrangement, Senator George of Georgia, who needs Adminis- tration support in his primary, moved for immediate action against the Nye resolution.
 Senator Vandenberg, anti-Ad- ministration Republican of Michi- gan, demurred. He said that the Committee should wait until it heard from Senator Nye.
 At this point Senator Lewis of Illinois, close friend of Under Secretary of State Welles, said that Nye was absent from the city. "Why Wait?"
 He got immediate and empha- tic support from Senator Hiram Johnson of California, who said: "Why wait? Let's vote this reso- lution down immediately. It will save us from being deluged with . lot more mail"
 Pat Harrison of Missouri jumped in at this point, and again as if by pre-arrangement, moved for in definite postponement, subject to reconsideration upon the return of Senator Nye. This was unani- mously adopted, with the excep- tion of one vote. This vote was cast by Senator Pope of Idaho.
 Significant fact was that the entire committee had been boiled by interesting members prior to receipt of Secretary Hull's en- phatic letter, and all but two had favored the Nye resolution. Sena- tor Pope was the only man who had the nerve to stand by his guns.
 Reconsideration
 It was at this point that late notified Senator Borah walked into the room. The meeting was just breaking up. But he was told that Senator Nye could move to reconsider the matter when he returned.
 Suspicious, Senator Borah Ia- ter came back to the committee room to examine the wording of the resolution. He found that the clerk, either by intent or mistake, had not even copied 1t correctly, that under the clerks wording, Senator Nye could not move to reconsider.
 Borah demanded a change of the wording, and got it.
 Present status of the Spanish embargo: Nye and Borah intend to demand reconsideration of the most deftly railroaded legislation since Congress convened.
 Diplomatic Grubbing
 Secretary Hull. who up until re- gently has had an almost univer- sally favorable press, presided over a meeting of his chief executives the other day, at which they con- sidered the bad press they had re- ceived regarding the proposed shipment of helium to Germany. (Secretary Ickes had won out on OFF THE RECORD