Evening star., 1939-09-22
Steering Committee
Votes 10 Confine
Purpose Of Session
Democratic Leaders
Would Hold Work to
Presidents Outline
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.


The Democratic Policy and Steer
ing Committee of the Senate voted
unanimously today in favor of con-
fining the special session ito the
purposes for which the President
has convened it"
Although the word neutrality"
was not used directly in the reso-
luton adopted, Majority Leader
Barkley interpreted it as excluding
everything except the Legislation
outlined" in the Presidents message
yesterday.
On the eve of this conference of
party leaders Senator Lee, Demo-
crat, of Oklahoma, a consistent
administration supporter, had an
nounced he intended to seek i'm
mediate action on measures in
tended to curb war profits.
Lee Attends Conference.
The Oklahoma Senator, however,
attended the conference today, at
which the resolution was announced
as having been adopted unanimous
ly. Senator Barkley said he would
prefer not to comment on the status
OF the legislation mentioned earlier
by Senator Lee. but pointed out it
was not included in the Presidents
message. The resolution reads as
follows:
Resolved, that it is the sense of
this joint meeting of the Steering
and the Policy Committee that leg
islation at this extraordinary session
of the Congress should be limited to
the purposes for which the Presi-
dent has convened it."
Asked If he could elaborate on it,
Senator Barkley replied the message
shows what the President called
Congress to consider. He said the
conference was harmonious and
marked by "a fine spirit"
Declines to Estimate Length.
The majority leader declined to
estimate how long it would take the
Senate to reach vote on neutrality,
adding that I'VE are beginning the
session on the assumption every
body will be given an opportunity to
express his convictions, but how
many will desire to speak or how
long cannot be foretold."
Asked to comment on the flood of
letters and petitions pouring into
senatorial offices on the neutrality
issue, Senator Barkley observed:
"A great deal of confusion exists
IN the minds of number of peo-
pie on the question of the embargo,
because they have not had an op-
portunlty to study the effect of it
and its relationship to what has
always been known as international
law. think the Presidents message
yesterday very clearly drew the pic
ture as it really is and that the
tendency will be to eliminate the
confusion that has existed in the
minds OF great many people"
Lees Bill Awaits Action
A bill introduced by Senator Lee,
with more than so Senators as CO.
authors, to draft capital in wartime
Is awaiting Senate action. Another
measure, proposing q drastic anti.
war profits tax on industry and
commerce, is before the Senate
Finance Committee.
I'm my opinion" Senator Lee said.
1T would be much better to pass
these anti-proflteering measures be-
fore we take up the neutrality uues-
tion so that we could consider that
issue without being accused of hav-
ing profit motive in mind"
Chairman La Toilette of the Senate
Civil Liberties, Committee said.
meanwhile, that an Investigation of
employers associations in California,
projected earlier by the committee,
would go ahead as scheduled.
Wants Legislation Delay.
House Majority Leader Rayburn
said he would try Monday to get
"a gentlemen's agreement" under
which no legislative business would
be transacted by the House in the
next two weeks, during which time
many members could return to their
homes.
The House leadership hopes to
recess for three days at a time while
the Senate completes its considera-
ton of the neutrality question.