Evening star., 1941-06-07
House Adjournment
Stalls Anti-Strike
Amendment Vote
Opponents Declare
Sturnes Measure Would
Breed Communism
BY the Associated Press.

by the ASSOCIATED Press.
Abrupt adjournment of the House
for the week end late yesterday FORE
stalled a vote on a sweeping anti
strike amendment to the s10O09,655,- =
1877 Army appropriations bill.
The amendment, offered by Rep
resentative Starnes. Democrat, of
Alabama would have prohibited
payment of any funds in the bill to
any defense worker who went on
strike for more than 10 days and
would have barred such strikers
from future employment on defense
projects financed from the bill
During excited debate opponents
declared the amendment would
breed Communism rather than eX-
pedite the armament program. A
few minutes before the vote was to
have been taken, the Democratic
leadership suddenly decided to post
pone further action until Monday.
Majority Leader Mccormack told
newsmen he thought the amend
ment would have been beaten by
about 80 votes, but "the practical
thing to do" was to wait until Mon
day when it was certain the admin
istration would have sufficient sup
porters on hand to insure its rejec-
tion.
Facing Crisis.
In an impassioned plea for adop-
ton of his proposal. Starnes told
the House the United States was
facing crisis" in which it was
folly for the President to ask for
additional power to take over plants
unless he was going 70 challenge
these strikes"
Cheers and applause from both
Democrats and Republicans greeted
that remark and some legislators
expressed belief later that had the
vote been taken within 10 minutes
of Mr.. Starnes' speech, the amend
ment would have been adopted by
an overwhelming majority. As the
debate wore on. however. and men,
bers warned that the proposal might
have disastrous effects, sentiment
for 1t waned perceptibly, some Con-
gressmen said Among those who
fought the amendment was Repre-
sentative Casey, Democrat, of Mas
sachusetts. who called it "hasty, ILL
tempered, emotional"
A short time before the StarneS
amendment was offered, the leader
ship suffered setback when the
House unexpectedly voted tenta-
lively. SO to 83, in favor of an
amendment by Representative Engel,
Republican, of Michigan which
would prohibit the Army from en-
ploying cost-plus-f1xed fee contracts
on any of its construction projects
in the future. The House will have
an opportunity before final passage
of the bill to change its mind on the
Engel proposition.
Mightiest Air Force.
An amendment by Representative
Rankin, Republican, of Montana
first woman member of Congress, tt
prohibit payment of funds in the
bill for sending American troops
outside the Western Hemisphere OF
this country's insular possession.
was defeated by a vote of 73 to 80
after Mr.. Starnes declared it woulc
interfere with the implementatior
Of the Monroe Doctrine.
Another amendment adopted
would reduce from IL per cent to
per cent the amount the Army
could devote to overhead on any
of its construction projects. Mr.
Engel also was the author of thai
provision.
The time consumed in considera.
ton of the bill was in striking con.
trast to that of last year when the
Army's regular appropriation bill
went through the House in less thar
20 minutes and without a single
amendment.
The pending measure carries
funds to finance the expanded Army
for the year starting July l and te
round out what Representative Fish
Republican, of New York declared
would be the mightiest air force ir
the world-about 10000 planes fol
the Army Air Corps.
at is to make us invincible IL
the air." Mr.. Fish asserted.