Evening star., 1938-04-01
By ], A. O'LEARY.

A battle of parliamentary tactics
resulted in two roll calls within the
first hour today as the House entered
the second day of the fight over the
Government reorganization bill.
After Chairman Cochran Of the
Special Reorganization Committee had
been blocked in efforts to limit debate
by unanimous consent, he was con-
fronted first with quorum call and
later with demand for record vote
on his motion to go into Committee
of the Whole for consideration of the
bill.
AS the House was assembling.
Speaker Bankhead admitted the con-
troversy may extend into next week,
but predicted ultimate passage of the
four-title version Of the controversial
measure.
Representative Sweeney, Democrat,
of Ohio blocked with an objection the
request of Chairman Cochran to
conclude debate in Committee of the
Whole today.
Mr.. Cochran countered by submit
ting the same proposal in the form of
motion, but Representatives Mapes,
Republican, of Michigan, raised the
point of order that the House itself
cannot bind the Committee of the
Whole to time limit before resolving
itself into such committee.
At this point, Mr.. Sweeney sug-
gested the absence of quorum and
the clerk began the half-hour task OF
calling the roll.
These opening parliamentary skirm-
ishes gave further indication the
House fight will be as tenacious as in
the Senate although not nearly as
long, due to the difference in rules of
procedure.
1t is the present plan of leaders to
hold the House in session tomorrow
but whether they will succeed in dis
posing of the bill this week depends
on the outcome of the move to limit
debate.
Chairman O'Connor of the Rules
Committee was among those to ask
the legisIation's managers to "stop all
attempts to jam the bill through"
With the majority leadership fight
Ing to hold enough votes in line for
passage of the measure, a new deluge
OF telegraphic protests flooded the
Capitol in response to a radio address
last night by the Rev. Charles E,
Coughlin. Detroit priest.
Affording some offsetting influence
to the condemnation by Father
Coughlin, however. was a statement
issued last night by the Right Rev,
Michael j. Ready, general secretary
OF the National Catholic Welfare
Conference, cautioning that 'in
eValuatlng protests from Catholic
sources, it would be well TO investi-
gate whether these protests have been
provoked by misinformation in regard
to the bill
$4,000 kilograms.
Early today one company alone esti-
mated it had delivered $4,000 tele-
grams to Representatives 1t did not
indicate the percentages for and
against the reorganization bill
On the basis of preliminary returns
from a poll of members, some Demo-
cratic chieftains openly declared the
bill would pass
Minority Leader Smell conceded that
the opposition did not command
enough votes-''yet"-to defeat it.
While the bills hackers were de-
claring the flood of kilograms resulted
from an organized propaganda CAM
paign, Representative Woodruff, Re-
publican of Michigan told the House
yesterday that Congress never had
witnessed such intense lobbying and
brazen use of patronage in behalf of
the legislation.
IF there must be reorganization of
government" Father Coughlin said
last night, let it begin where 1t
should begin--at the head"
Father Coughlin criticized the bills
provision for placing the Office OF
Education under a proposed new De-
partment of Welfare.
by its very words,' he said, "it
admits that it is an instrument aimed
to centralize government in a totali-
tartan state, with education of your
offspring as one of its most outstand-
ing features"
Shortly after his speech. Msgr.
/C.. rr~~~ l,Tr1 rr,0.,