Evening star., 1939-10-09
Johnson Recess
Motion Blocked
byProcedure
Neutrality Delay Is
Asked to Await
Action on Armistice
BY J. A. OTEARY.

Dy De IA " ALhn1.
A motion to have the Senate recess
until Thursday. suspending neutral
ity debate to see what happens in
the movement for an armistice in
Europe, was made Unexpectedly to-
day by Senator johnson, Democrat,
OF Colorado, but was blocked tenn
porarily because of the parliament
tary situation
The Colorado Senator, who last
week offered a resolution urging
President Roosevelt to cooperate
with other neutrals in a move to
restore peace, told the Senate today
that Mr.. Roosevelt has a great op-
portunity to open the way for peace
at this time, presumably by taking
note of suggestions from Berlin that
peace move would be welcome.
World Would Be Gratified.
"The whole. world would be graft
fed" if the Senate would recess for
three days, Senator johnson said.
This, he added, would be considered
a sign that the United States wanted
peace in Europe and that the people
were counting on the Chief Execu-
tive to do what he could to effect it.
1--WE must accept the belief that
Germany will listen-will accept
an honorable peace" Senator john
son told the Senate. They know
how the President stands. When
they call him in they must be seek
ing an honorable peace"
Although Senator johnson found
1t necessary moment later to with
draw his recess motion, he gave
notice he would renew it later in
the day.
Downey Ready to Continue.
When the Senate convened Sen
atof Downey, Democrat, of Cali
fornia was prepared to continue
for several hours the speech he
began Friday against repeal of the
arms embargo. He yielded to Sem
ator johnson to make the recess
notion This brought Majority
Leader Barkley to his feet to say
that the motion was not in order
because Senator Downey had the
floor under an agreement reached
Friday evening.
Vice President Garner ruled that
Senator DoWney had not specified
that he was yielding only for ques-
ton, but Senator johnson solved
the parliamentary problem by with
drawing the motion for the time
being.
Meanwhile, hope for a vote today
on the Tobey motion to separate
embargo repeal from the less con-
troversial remaining features of the
bill faded, as Senator Downey ap-
peared likely to take most of the
day completing his speech.
The Tobey move, designed to per-
nit speedy action con sections to
keep American vessels and travellers
out of the war zone, is likely to be
put off at least until tomorrow.
Woodrum Asks Probe.
Meanwhile, Representative Wood
rum, Democrat. of West Virginia
proposed congressional investiga-
ton OF the purposes and activities"
of an unofficial National Commit
tee to Keep America Out of Foreign
Wars" headed by Representative
Fish, Republican, of New York.
In resolution offered in the
House. Mr.. Woodrum proposed ap-
pointment of a special seven-man
committee to investigate the group,
which he said had been soliciting
contributions in propaganda CAM
paign that makes the utilities and
Doc Townsend look like pikers.'
He made public what he said
were duplicate copies of letters writ
ten on Mr.. Fish's congressional sta
tionery soliciting funds for the COM
mlttee. The addressee was asked
to send contributions to Walter L.
Reynolds. treasurer, and funds
would be used for printing and
distributing literature, publishing
in newspapers throughout the coun-
try full pages explaining foreign
relations problems as they come up,
Nationwide broadcasting hookups,
large-scale public speaking pro-
gram and national keep-out-of-
war convention to be held in Wash
lngton, D. c.
Mr.. Woodrum first used the word
racket" but when his words were
challenged, he agreed, at the sug-
gestlon OF Representative Cox. Dem
ocrat, OF Georgia. to change the
word to campaign"
Mr.. Fish had proposed a short
time before that the House agree to
minimum of 20 hours debate on
the neutrality legislation when the
resolution reaches it from the
Senate.
Pleading for free and untram-
melled" discussion, Mr.. Fish said
there was talk that members would
be allowed only an hour to discuss
the arms embargo and other fea-
lures OF the legislation before vot-
ing on the adoption of a conference
report.
1T would be great blunder," said
the ranking minority member Of
the House Foreign Affairs Commit
tee, IF the administration should
attempt to railroad this legislation"
AS the Senate entered the second
(see NEUTRALITY, Page AID