The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1941-03-10

k&s. g - " q I e -
Senator Harrison George Of Geor-
gia, Morris
Sheppard Of Texas and David l.
Walsh OF Massachusetts. as chair
men Of the senate's foreign, mill
tary and naval affairs committees,
in the order named, have been the
appropriate solons to figure as eX-
perts along the lines Of their re-
spective specialties.
Pat. by the way. could have been
foreign affairs chairman II he'd
chosen to be. When the commit
tees last chairman. Senator Key
Pittman of Nevada. died not long
ago, Pat was in line to succeed
him. He already was chairman,
however. Of the senates finance
committee It isn't customary for
the same statesman to head two
different and important commit
tees, and Pat preferred to stay on
his finance job Consequently. Sem
ator George, next on the seniority
list. assumed the post.
But If Pats been a trihe OBJ
scured, by his chairmanship's ma
ture, in consideration of aid
Britain and domestically defensive
plans, oh, how he'll loom up when
the controversy arises as to meth
DDS Of footing the bill for these
twin undertakings! tn have to
be footed by taxation, and doping
out taxes Is the finance commit
tees particular function. 1t be-
hooves the taxpayers, then. to de-
velop heap of interest in Senator
Harrison.
Chairman Robert L. Doughton
North Carolina) Of the house Of
representatives ways and means
committee will get the lrst crack
at the tax problem, because all
revenue measures have to originate
In the representatives chamber.
Last Crack Is His
When the representatives are
through with one OF EN-, though, II
goes up to the senate, and there
Pat Harrison will get the last
crack, which is just as important
to the taxpayers as the first one;
perhaps even more so, for Pat may
hit on some scheme of tightening
up the initially-proposed load on
'em a little, or, contrariwise, he's
liable to decide that Uncle Sans
got to sock 'em still worse than
Bob Doughton deemed necessary.
It's due to make 'em ache like
fury, at best.
BY a coincidence, Pat and Bob
were indicted into congress the
same day Of the same year. They
both celebrated their 30th congress
sional birthdays on March 4.
Bobs stayed in the house Of rep
resentatives throughout. Pat grad
uated into the senate after eight
years as a representative.
Harrison started as baby Of the
house" at 90 In 1918 he succeed
ed in persuading President Wilson
10 visit Mississippi for few days
At a party there, DR.. Cary Gray
son, the presidents physician, JOSH
ingly nominated Pat, as the Wis
itors' host, for the senate. That
gave Pat his original bunch, and in
1918 he actually beat Senator
James X. Vardaman out Of his
upper house seat.
He's subject to these sort Of
lunches. For instance, his real
name Is Byron Patton Harrison.
But in 1904. making his first polit-
ical race, for district attorney in
south Mississippi. he had the
bunch to advise his campaign man.
ager to introduce him as Pat" at
a rally before a predominantly
Irish group. The strategy took.
He swept the box and has been Pat
ever since.
His congressional career isn't the
longest on record. Six senators
rank him in point Of seniority and
a couple Of representatives have
served longer than he has. in the
two houses. He beats all Missis-
sippi records, however. Further
more, he isn't old enough to be a
congressional Methuselah yet He
won't be so until August.
In big Three" Class:
One Of his friends told me he
considered Pat and Senator'S Albeu
w. Barley Of Kentucky and James
F. Byrnes OF South Carolina tho
senate's big three"
Personally. | think several other
senator's are entitled to class as big
as anybody. can see why those
three we're picked. though. Bark.
ley's majority leader. Pats presi.
dent pro tenn. Jimmie Byrnes Is
regarded as pre- eminently the