Evening star., 1938-03-27
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN

to a congressional inquiry into the
operation of the Tennessee Valley
Authority. is intent upon keeping its
hand firmly on the makeup of the
investigating committee
It has ruled out Senator H. Styles
Bridges of New Hampshire, Senator
King OF Utah, Representative Andrew
j. May of Kentucky and others who
have attacked the T. V. A. and who
have instigated the proposed inves-
tigation. Senator King, however, had
said he would decline to serve
In support of its determination not
to permit any of these Senators or
Representatives to serve as inquisl-
tors into the affairs of the T. v. A.,
the administration leaders say they
will not place on the committee SEN
ator Norris of Nebraska, regarded as
the father of the T. v. A. legislation;
Senator Barkley, the Democratic lead
er of the Senate, or any other member
of the Senate or House who is strongly
supporting the T. V. A.
Plans "Impartiap Probe.
In other words, the administration
plans to have an Impartial investi-
eating committee, composed of Sena-
tors and Representatives who have
taken no part in the controversy over
the T. " A, which has brought about
the dismissal of Chairman Arthur E.
Morgan and stirred the country gen.
orally.
Those Senators and Representatives
who have criticized the T. V. A. in
sist this is the first step toward a
'white-wash" Of the whole T. " A.
administration. They say that to
place on an investigating committee
members of the Senate and House who
have no information regarding the
T. Y. A. or the charges and What is
back of them is in effect move to
prevent the fullest kind of investiga-
ton.
If the Joint resolution, adopted Fri
day by the Senate and providing for
a committee composed of five Sena-
tors and five Representatives to COM
pose the investigating agency is final
ly passed, the appointment of the five
Senators will devolve upon Vice Presi-
dent Garner. and the appointment of
the hve Representatives upon Speaker
Bankhead. Presumably, three Demo-
cratic Senators and two Republican
Senators, and three Democratic Rep
resentatives and two Republican will
be appointed. 1t is possible, of course,
that Senator La Toilette of Wisconsin,
a Progressive, or Senator Norris, an
Independent" or one of the Farmer
Labor Senators from Minnesota might
be named as Representative of the
minority" The same kind of pro-
cedure might be followed in the
House in making up the committee.
Vice President Garner has given 10
public intimation as to whom he will
appoint on the committee. Speaker
Bankhead already has declared he
Will appoint none of the militants on
either side Of the T. v. A. question.
McNary Wants Bridges.
Senator McNary, Republican leader
OF the upper house, has put up to The
Vice President proposal that Senator
Bridges be appointed minority mem
Der OF the investigating committee
The report is that the Vice President
has declined to take any suggestion
from the minority leader with regard
to these appointments. This, in it.
self. Is unusual, if the report is cor
rect. McNary will stick to his rec
ommendation regarding Bridges.
The House Committee on Rules to
which has been referred the various
resolutions calling for an investigation
OF T. V. A., including those offered by
Representatives May, Maverick and
others, as well as the joint resolution
passed by the Senate, is to hold hear
ings tomorrow morning on these reso-
lutions.
Representative May, who is chair
man OF the House Military Affairs
Committee and one of the strongest
Democratic opponents of T. v. A. and
It's administration, said yesterday he
would appear before the Rules Com
mittee and demand that the Investi-
gatlng Committee, SO far as the House
Is concerned, be made up of members
OF the Military Affairs Committee, or
at least that members of that commit
tee have places on the committee,
Recalls Work on T. V. A.
Mr.. May pointed out that the House
Military Affairs Committee had had
charge Of all legislation relating to the
T. V. A. from its inception in 1888
the original act creating the T. v. A.
and all amendments. 1t is the proper
committee, he insisted, to make any
investigation Of that agency of
the Government. The constitutional
grounds on which the T. v. A. set-up
was set up, he said, were that the
Federal Government has control over
matters of navigation and Of national
defense. Both of these, he said, come
within the jurisdiction of the Com
mittee on Military Affairs.
Mr.. May has never attempted to
conceal his attitude of criticism of the
T. V. A. as it has been operated. He
insisted yesterday that there should
De no Whitewashing of the admins
tratlon and the row between members
OF the T. V. A. Board by q hand
picked congressional committee.
The joint resolution providing for
an investigating committee, passed by
the Senate, is an unusual form for the
creation of a congressional commit
tee. For q joint resolution to be ef-
fective, 1t must be approved and
signed by the President. Usually Joint
congressional committees Of investiga-
ton are set up by putting through
concurrent resolutions" which are
Just as effective, but which do not re-
4f
No Veto Expected.
It Is not believed that the President
would veto the joint resolution. He
already has said to Congress that he
does not object to any fair" investi-
cation Of T. v. A. His approval of
the joint resolution, indeed, would
put him still more definitely on rec
ord as approving congressional in
vestigation and would be regarded by