Evening star., 1939-10-30
House Assures
ArmsBiI|Debate
Tomorrow
Rules Committee
To File Report
Before Midnight
BY ]. A. O'LEARY.

Dy y. n. " LLhn1
Opening of the neutrality debate
tomorrow in the House was assured
today when the Rules Committee
was given unanimous consent to
file it's report before midnight on
the special rule to send the meas
ure to conference.
AS soon at this agreement was
obtained, Chairman SABBATH called
the Rules Committee into session
at 1890 pm, with indications it
would report during the afternoon.
Speaker Bankhead predicted the
rule would be the simplest that
can be written, merely providing
that the bill, which lifts the arms
embargo and applies cash-and-ca
terms to all shipments to belliger-
ents, be taken from the Speakers
desk and be sent to conference.
House leaders expect opponents Of
the arms embargo repeal will make
their fight on a motion to instruct
the conferees to resist the Senates
repeal provision.
'SSNo oii ADSudtts
1t is expected that Majority
Leader Rayburn will endeavor to
reach an agreement with Minority
Leader Martin on time limit to
debate the test motion to instruct
conferees. 1t is generally expected
this debate will last at least two
days.
If as they believe, House leaders
have sufficient votes to prevent in
structing the conferees, the defeat
Of that motion would be the climax
Of the House fight Conferees then
probably would reach prompt
agreement on the Senate measure
and bring it back for House and
Senate ratification by the end of
the week.
Permission to file the rule tonight
was necessary in order to take it up
in the House tomorrow Otherwise
it could not have been taken up
until Wednesday. The House plan
ned to adjourn early this afternoon
as mark of respect to the memory
of Representative Bolton, Republi-
can, of Ohio, who died last night.
Leaders Fight Changes.
Earlier, administration leaders
took sharp issue with demands of
arms embargo advocates in the
House for a chance to revise the
legislation.
The administration forces, conf
Nf I,,oliooti,,r
victory for embargo repeal, wanted
to prevent amendments being offered
from the floor. They insisted that
the House vote on the original Sen.
ate bill
But Representative Fish, Republic
can, of New York, leader of the
anti-repeal bloc, contended the
House had right to alter the
measure as it saw fit He served no.
tice he not only would fight in the
Rules Committee for that privilege,
but also would seek at least three
days of House debate.
BOland Takes Poll.
Although administration lieuten-
ants claimed victory by at least 80
votes. Representative Fish disputed
this statement and estimated the
margin for either side at less than
10 votes. Representative Boland Of
Pennsylvania, the Democratic whip,
was taking poll TO ascertain the
views of all party members.
House considera ton of the bill was
complicated by an intricate parlia-
mentary situation. The reason was
this:
Last summer the House passed its
own neutrality bill, containing a
modified arms embargo. 1t would
permit the sale of such implements
of war as airplanes. but would bar
sale of arms and ammunition to
belligerents. At present, "imple-
ments of war; also are banned.
A Technical Point.
When President Roosevelt called
Congress into special session last
month, the Senate wrote an entire
ly new measure. Whenever the two
chambers approve varying bills. the
usual procedure is appointment of
a joint Senate-House committee
which seeks a compromise.
In this instance, the adminis-
tration wants the Senate bill en-
acted. The House technically will
be voting on whether to place the
legislation before joint committee.
Representative Fish told reporters
ne would carry the fight to permit
amendments to the House floor if
he failed in the Rules Committee.
II defeated in the second attempt,
he said he would lead a drive to in
struct the House conferees as to
what they should insist on in the
joint committee
Speaker Bankhead said this rarely
used procedure would be permitted,
but left no doubt that administra-
tion forces thought they could
nullify it. The latter were certain
that the Senate-House Committee
would give speedy approval to the
Senate bill.
Watch for Reaction.
Leaders of both sides watched for
the reaction of a week end of ora
tory Oh the embargo question, but
many legislators said they thought
the time had passed when letters
(see NEUTRALITY, Page A-40