Evening star., 1941-07-08
Senators May
Act on District
Vote This Week
Executive Session
Friday to Review
Hearings on Issue
BY ]. A. OIEARY.

The Senate subcommittee which
held long hearings on District suf-
frage two months ago may decide
before the end of this week what
recommendation it will make to the
entire Judiciary Committee.
Senator McCarran, Democrat. of
Nevada subcommittee chairman,
made known late yesterday that he
is sending printed copies of the
hearings to the other members, with
a request that they review the testi-
mony in preparation for an eXecu-
tive session Friday.
Those serving with Chairman Nc
Carran on the subcommittee are
Senators Connally, Democrat, of
Texas; Kilgore, Democrat, of West
Virginia; Norris, Independent, of
Nebraska. and Austin. Republican.
of Vermont.
Amendment Sought.
The proposal before the sub
committee is the Capper-Sumners
Joint resolution for a constitutional
amendment that would confer on
Congress the power to grant the
District voting representation in
both branches of Congress. in the
electoral college and such degree of
local self-government as Congress
may deem advisable.
Senator McCarran has not dis
closed what his own decision on the
question will be- He pointed out
that after the hearings were over
he had prepared and included in the
printed hearings a short summary
of the testimony, together with
brief history of the District and an
explanation of the scope of the
proposed constitutional amendment.
He attached to the summary this
foreWord:
In presenting this summary. the
chairman of the committee neither
submits nor inferS conclusion as
to what should be the decision of
Senate joint resolution 35 Cthe
Capper- Summers resolution. The
summary submitted and following
is for the convenience of the men,
bers of the subcommittee and men,
bers of the whole Committee on the
judiciary of the Senate and for
the convenience of the Senate it
self"
Not Direct Grant.
The summary points out that the
proposed constitutional amendment
does not make a direct grant of
national representation but merely
authorizes Congress to do so by leg
islation. thus preserving in Con-
gress the power to amend or with
draw any representation granted.
Congress would have the same
right TO amend or repeal anv new
powers conferred on the local gov
ernment
The hearings revealed overwhelm-
Ing sentiment in favor Of suffrage
among the organized groups OF cit
liens in Washington. and the sum- !
mary lists the groups and individ- |
ilals whose views were recorded |
either for or against.
The summary contains the state
ment that the pending resolution
"confers on Congress the powers to
give the District of Columbia some |
of the attributes of a State, but it .
carries no authority to create a
State"
The summary also states that the |
proposed constitutional amendment ,
leaves to the determination of Con- |
greSs the number of Representa-
tives and Senators the District |
should have in Congress and the
number of votes it should have in |
the electoral college for President .
and Vice President.
Poll Is Recalled.
In the course of the hearings sup .
porters of suffrage called attention |
to the overwhelming vote cast in |
favor of both national representa-
ton and local suffrage in the un- |
official referendum conducted three |
years ago, when Washington citi- |
zens were invited to go to neigh |
borhood schoolhouses on a given .
day and cast their ballots.
The results of that referendum |
we're:
For national representation. 81 ,092;
against national suffrage, 6832
For local government 80 977: |
against, 10937.
Senator McCarren incorporated in
the printed hearings an expression
of the committees appreciation for
the assistance given it by the Brook
ings Institution through DR.. Meyer
Jacobstein and DR.. Laurence F.