Evening star., 1942-12-27
Austin Will Continue
As Assistant COP
Senate Leader
McNoy Scouts Rumors
lsolotionists Attempt
To Gust Vermonter
BY GOULD LINCOLN.


Senator Austin of Vermont, who
has been acting as assistant Re-
publican leader of the Senate, will
continue In that position in the
new Congress, despite rumors that
so-called Republican isolationist
Senators have been cunning for
him because of his views on foreign
affairs.
Minority Leader McNary said
hatly yesterday there was nothing
to the reports of fight by "isola-
tlonists" to eliminate Senator Aus
tin from the Office.
Furthermore, Senator McNary said
Senator Austin would continue to
serve as acting leader when he was
assent. Since Senator McNary, as
leader and chairman of the Repu-
llcan conference of the Senate, has
full authority in this matter. that
brings touch of finality.
The minority leader said it looked
to him as though an effort was be-
Ing made by some persons to stir
up the isolationist issue in this case,
and thereby cause friction among
Senate Republicans. The inference
left was that the fires were being
stirred by the ''interventionists, y
not the ''isolationists."
Denies Participation.
Senator Nye of North Dakota, who
has been a leader among the iso-
lationists. denied, that he knew of
any campaign to take Senator Aus
tin out Of the position of assistant
leader, or that he himself was par
ticipating in any such campaign.
Senator McNary will continue to
serve as Republican leader. Under
the rules of the Republican confer
ence. the leader has the right to
designate an assistant, or whip"
The Office of leader is elective. When
Senate Republicans organized in the
77th Congress motion was made
by Senator Holman of Oregon to
continue Senator Austin as assist
ant leader and was carried. How
ever. the rule of the conference gives
the leader power to designate his as
sistant. 1t still stands, and is ex-
pected to prevail in the organiza ton
of the 18th Congress.
1t is true that the views of Senator
Austin on international affairs have
differed widely in the past from
those of Republican Senators who
were isolationists before Pearl Har-
Dor. The Vermont Senator was and
Is on the side of international CO.
operation. Leaders among the iso-
iationists have insisted, since Pearl
Harbor, that the issue of isolation
Ism is dead: that the entry of the
United States in the war effec-
tually killed it. They contend that
the main job now is to win the war,
and they are 100 per cent for that.
They say that the Republican
Senators can and will pull together
to bring about victory.
Peace will Bring Change.
There are more. and more signs,
however. that once the victory has
been won, there will be wide differ
ences of opinion as to the part the
United States should play in inter-
national affairs. All today have
agreed to some measure of inter-
national cooperation. The extent
of that cooperation is something
else. Until it is defined specifically,
1t is impossible to place the Sena-
tors in this or that group Much
will depend on conditions that exist
when the war ends.
Isolationist resistance, so far as
the Republican Party Is concerned,
has been kept alive in recent
months by the efforts of Wendell
L. Willkie, Republican presidential
nominee in 1910, and some of his
followers. 1t has also been kept
alive by those who interpret the
November elections as an isolation
list victory. Mr.. Willkie is violently
opposed to isolation for the United
States. He believes strongly that
the Republican Party must turn
its back on such a position for the
country.
Mr.. Willkie forced the issue at a
meeting of the Republican National
Committee in Chicago last April,
when he sent a draft of resolu
ton to the committee, placing the
party organization on record as
favoring international cooperation
after the war. With some modifica-
tions, the resolution was adopted.
COMPROMISE Resulted.
In the recent st. Louis meeting
OF the committee Mr. Willkie and
his friends raised the isolationist is
sue against Werner SCHROEDER, Illi-
nois member of the committee, who
had been put forward prominently
for the national Craftsmanship to
succeed Representative Joe" Mar
tin of Massachusetts,, who was re-
signing to give his full time to the
leadership of the House.
Mr.. Schroeder was defeated, al
though Mr.. Wilkes choice, Fred
Baker of Washington. did not win |
either. A compromise brought about |
the election of Harrison Spangler
of Iowa as chairman.
1t is apparent that Senator Nc
Nary does not intend to have the |
meeting of the Re-
publican members of the Senate |
used as a sounding board for the |
issue. The meeting prob
ably will be held January 4, two
days before the new Congress for