The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-10-28
Michigan in
Washington
BY Esther Van Wagner Tufty

BY Esther Van Wagner Tufty
The lady in red up in the family
gallery in the Senate during the
history-making debate on the Con
nally international" resolution is
the greatest motivating force these
days not on the Senate floor
against quick. passage.
She is the bareheaded, blondish
wife Of the junior senator from
Minnesota, Republican Joseph Ball,
who carried the ball for a group OF
IS senators seeking clarifying
amendments. To many, her-hus.
band is the personifcation OF MIR.
Smith Goes to Washington" To
some veterans in the Senate, he
looks too much like a young Lin.
coin for their comfort. To the
members Of the Senate Foreign Re-
lations Committee. he's the thorn
in the flesh OF the Connally Resolu-
ton, born after six months of ira
vail.
Not since Alice Roosevelt sat
knitting in almost the same front
row seat in the gallery has any
woman'wielded that kind of power
on Capitol Hill. And she, unlike
Alice Roosevelt, shares her leader
ship power with three other sena.
tors wives. They flank her on
either side the Mesdames
Burton. Hill. and Hatch. whose hus-
bands are co-authors OF the famous
B-B-H-H resolution. But she is the
spearhead OF the II thinking, al
though she would be the first to
deny It, She's too smart not 10
make it all "Joe's show"
Here Is an example of how she
operates. Senator Arthur II. Van
denberg told me that the Ball-Bur-
ton-Hill-Hatch group were delight
ed for two days after the resolution
emerged from the subcommittee
which had for sometime maintain
ed it was too dangerous for the ma
tional unity and war momentum
toward victory to bring out any
resolution. But after two days.
they rallied quickly from their
pleasant shock that the commit
tee had. at long last. acted Be-
hind the scenes, Mrs. Ball aided
and abated. She was the impetus
that kept her husband the leader
of the IS senator's steady in his
demands to tell the Senate and
the people how far short this
"watered-down resolution" fell
from "a promise to the men in
uniform to prevent World War Ill"
On the opening day, the Lady in
red was one of the first to enter
the gallery . 20 minutes be-
fore the hour of twelve. She didn't
leave for lunch although adjourn
ment did not come until nearly six.
Messages were frequent between
her husband and herself and any
one in the press gallery could see.
Leaning with arms akimbo' on the
railing, she listened intently to
the proponents d. the eloquent
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan.
Senator andenberg OF Michigan,
From time to time. the wives of
senators of one OF her band Of 60
or more volunteers sought her out
eagerly.
Many OF her friends felt a SYM
pathetic anxiety when her gangling
husband got up awkwardly to COM
bat the powerful Senate Foreign
Relations Committee. determined
to defeat him by more than a two
thirds vote.
He looks what he Is :. . a
newspaperman who'd rather write
than talk. His address lacked the
southern splendor OF the senator
from Texas And the seasoned
convincing delivery OF the senior
senator from Michigan But his
very lack Of good delivery added to
the impact OF his obvious sincerity,
And when he stopped reading. he
must have surprised even himself
in his passionate extemporaneous
plea that the committee clarity
the resolution In five respects.