Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-07-02
Congress Acts
To Protect j. 5.
Buildings Here
House Votes to Bar
Radicals From
Guard Force

Congress moved yesterday to
tighten the protection Of Govern
ment buildings in Washington dur
ing the period Of the national
emergency.
AS 20 veteran members Of the
Metropolitan Police Department
moved into the Capitol building to
augment the patronage police force
there, the House wrote into bill
1t passed, an amendment designed
to keep off the guard force in other
Federal buildings here any person
who advocates or is member of
an organization that advocates
overthrow Of the Government of
the United States through violence
or force.
The 90 Metropolitan policemen
were scattered throughout The
Capitol building. Some were sta
toned at the various entrances.
Others were assigned to duty in the
House and Senate galleries where
they can keep close check on the
visitors who watch the proceedings
Of the two houses Of Congress.
Pay Provision Added.
Into bill which the House ap-
proved and sent to the Senate-a
measure intended primarily to in
crease the salary of the 900 guards
in 100 Federal owned or rented
buildings here and to give them the
same authority as members of the
Metropolitan and Park police forces
was added this provision:
mo portion of the appropriation
authorized under this act shall be
used to pay any compensation to
any person who advocates, or who
is member of an organization that
advocates, the overthrow of the
Government of the United States
through force or violence"
Sponsored by Representative Sass
Ger, Democrat of Maryland, the bill
also would mould the Federal build
ing guards into special police-the
second largest in Washington-equip
them with arms and ammunition
and provide them with special train
ing.
THE building guards are not mere
watchmen," said a House report on
the bill, but must act as custodians,
guides, policemen and firemen, in
connection with the administration
and protection of the number of
Government buildings and property
worth millions of dollars. These en-
ployes are the main safeguard
against the hazards of fire and theft
in the Government buildings"
Prison Goods Bill Passed.
The House also passed a bill to
prevent the transportation of con-
vict-made. commodities in interstate
commerce-legislation that District
officials fear might destroy the in
dustrial rehabilitation program at
the reformatory at Lorton, Va.
While the bill would allow Fed
eral and State governments to use
the products of convict labor. it did
not specifically exempt the District.
For that reason belief had been ex-
pressed at the District Building 1t
would stop the municipal govern
ment from using brick, castings,
automobile tags and traffic markers
produced at the reformatory be-
cause it is located in Virginia.
Representative Hobbs, Democrat,
of Alabama, author of the bill, de-
clared Lorton is a Federal prison in
a sense and its industrial program
would not be jeopardized by the
legislation. However, he declared,
he would have no objection to in
clusion in the bill by the Senate of
an amendment specifically permit
ting the District government to
continue the use of Lorton products.
Chairman King of the Senate Dis
trict Committee is expected to Of
fer such an amendment when the
bill is called up in the Senate.