Evening star., 1939-10-31
House Votes
Neutrality Bill
Par|ey, 237-177
Final Test Is Due
By Thursday on
Motion to Instruct
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

AIlC dUllllIllSII dllOll 5 CdSIl.dIlQs
carry neutrality bill cleared its frst
hurdle in the House with a safe
majority when the chamber voted
this afternoon, 237-177, to sustain
the plans of the leadership to send
the measure to conference with the
Senate.
While this sends the bill to con-
ference, the program adopted by the
majority allows the opponents at
least two days to wage. a fight for
separate motion to instruct the con-
ference not to accept the Senate
action for repeal of the arms en-
barge.
This final test on the motion to
instruct probably will not come un-
til late tomorrow or Thursday, and,
while today's preliminary roll call
was not on the direct issue of the
embargo, the majority of 60 was
regarded by many observers as a
strong indication the House will
adopt embargo repeal by refusing 10
tie the hands of its conferees.
Rule Adopted by Voice Vote.
The roll call came on technical
motion to close the preliminary de-
bate on procedure, by moving the
previous question. If the opposition
had been able to defeat the motion
the effort to send the bill to confer.
ence would have been delayed tenn
porarily, and the House itself might
have adopted an amended rule OPEN
Ing the bill up to wide amendment.
When the supporters of the bill
won on this preliminary roll call,
the opposition did not press for a
direct vote on the rule and it was
adopted by voice vote.
AS soon as the rule to send the
Dill to conference had been adopted,
Representative Shanley, Democrat,
OF Connecticut made the motion to
instruct the conferees to insist on
retaining the mandatory arms en-
barge. When the bill first came
before the House last June, Mr..
Shanley voted to lift the embargo,
but announced at that time that he
would oppose changing the existing
Neutrality Act after war had started
in Europe. The Stanley motion will
form the basis for the remainder
of the House debate for and against
the embargo.
In final plea for adoption of the
rule sending the bill to conference,
Majority Leader Rayburn took the
fn0r L,ot
the leaders have no intention of
shutting off or gagging debate on
the embargo. He said he had given
personal assurance to Minority
Leader Martin of Massachusetts,
that if any one made a motion to
shut of debate in less than two days
on the question of instructing the
conferees, L, myself, will oppose it,"
If the debate which will now en-
sue, at least until tomorrow night,
fails to result in vote to instruct
the conferees, a conference agree
ment is likely to be reached before
the end of the week. sending the bill
to the President with the embargo
lifted and cash-and-carry applied to
eAAA oAAApAA1CAlto W OCIllSCl cllIS.
Just before the vote today Repre-.
sentative Fish, Republican. of New
York, leading the forces to retain
the embargo, again charged that
the plan of procedure constitutes
gag rule
The New York Republican said
there was no danger in old members
from sure districts" voting for the
rule. but he told younger members
OF the House from close districts
that they would be committing po-
Itlcal suicide" by voting for the rule.
Crowds began gathering on Capt.
tol Hill early for the House test. The
galleries soon were filled and an
unusually large number of members
were on the floor when the opening
gavel fell
Launching the debate at noon,
Chairman SABBATH of the Rules Com
mlttee and Representative Cox of
Georgia, Democratic member of the
committee, rallied to the defense of
the rule.
Representative Taylor Republican,
of Tennessee took the floor against
the rule, although announcing that
he is in sympathy with the neu-
trallty bill as it stands.
Il am in sympathy with the prin-
ciples and objectives of the meas
ure,' said Mr.. Taylor However, I
am opposed to the rule as being
arbitrary and more or less a sub
terfuge. Due to the Importance Of
the question, it ought to be taken
up under an open rule and subject
to amendment, paragraph by para.
graph. I realize this rule follows
normal procedure, but these are not
normal times
Il regard this as the most mo-
mentous piece of legislation since
the declaration of war in 1917, be-
cause it is going to have reverbera-
tions not only throughout this coun-
try, but the world. It affects the
homes and hearthstones of the peo.
pie and believe SO per cent of them
are opposed to this country becom-
| ing involved in the war"
Not Under Wage Hour Act.
"Why all this unseemly haste?"
the Tennesseean asked at another
point, adding that Congress "is not
operating under the wage and hour
act" He argued that Congress
could stay here until the regular
session in January and give the peo-
pie greater feeling of security.