Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-04
CONSUMPTION
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ConscrlPtlon
Continued From First Page.1
try In the war and that enactment
Of CONSUMPTION was therefore neces-
sary to insure the United States the
necessary manpower for defense.
The House win not get around to
voting on any amendments until to-
morrow, but interest continued to
center chiefly on the general subject
Of giving the Government peacetime
power to commander industrial
plants II their owners halk at taking
defense contracts.
Sentiment seemed generally
against the Overflow Russell amend
ment adopted by the Senate, which
would empower the Army or Navy
to condemn and acquire ownership
Of such plants.
The House had two substitute pro-
posals before 1t, but the members
attitude toward them was not 80
clear. ..--
First Debate Is Desultory.
During the first day of House de-
bate on the precedent-breaking
Burke Wadsworth bill, the oratory
subsidized to a desultory pace after
he f1rst hour and there was little
or no mention of the major differ
ence between the. House and SEN
ate measures on age provisions.
The Senate's version would limit
CONSUMPTION to men from the ages
of 81 through 80, whereas the House
would make the age bracket from
81 through "A.
Some legislators expressed belief,
however, that the House might let
this difference stand and attempt
q compromise with the Senate later,
possibly to limit the consumption
provision to men from 81 through
80.
One of the proposed substitutes
for the Overflow Russell provision
was approved by the House Military
Affairs Committee, II to IL. Spon-
sored by Representative smith,
Democrat, of Connecticut, it would
give the Government the right to
take over plants when agreement
could not be reached and to oper-
ate them on q rental basis, but not
to take title. It would make refusal
to accept Government contracts a
felony punishable by $4,000 fine.
Modified Version Offered.
Shortly after committee action on
the Smith substitute, Chairman
Vinson OF the House Naval Affairs
Committee, advanced . slightly dif-
ferent version. It contained no fel-
ony provision and would require
consultation with the National De-
tense Advisory Commission before
action could be- taken against the
recalcatrant manufactures.
Il would permit the Government
to take over plants whose owners
failed to handle defense contracts
satisfactorily rs well in cases where
contracts were refusde. This, Repre-
sentative Vinson contended, was .
weapon that could be used against
sabotage.
In the House debate It was mostly
a day for opponents Of compulsory
peace-time military training. There
was frequent applause In the packed
galleries for speeches crtticizing the
program as unnecessary and VIC.
lative of democratic principles.
Hardly had the general discussion
started when william Kenneany OF
New York, leader of . delegation
from a New York unit Of the Ma
tional Maritime Union, arose in the
gallery and shouted:
American CONSUMPTION is Ameri-
can fascism."
He was taken by police to the
ONCE of the sergeant-at-arms. but q
few minutes later was released.
Universal Training Urged.
Representative SABBATH, Democrat,
of Illinois, an administration sup
porter, opened the debate with q
statement that it would be better to
train without fighting than to fight
without training"
Representative Cox, Democrat, Of
Georgia, told the House that in his
opinion the pending legislation
docs not 60 far enough" and advo-
Gated universal training. As he
concluded q brief speech, he referred
to the scores Of young people who
came here by special trains in oppo.
sition to the bill as lousy buns"
Representative Fish said 1t was
most unfortunate and most regret
table" that at the beginning Of de.
bate on such an important bill 4
member should make such q re-
mark. He argued that opponents
should not be criticized for express.
ing their honest convictions and said
perhaps 1t might be well to inquire
into Mr.. Cox's war record.
At that point both Mr.. Fish and
Mr.. Cox started shouting at each
other ut the same time and the only
remark Of either heard clearly In the
galleries was Mr.. Cox's statement
that he did not serve in the armed
forces during the World War be-
cause he was ION the bench"