Evening star., 1944-01-30
Guffey Resigns
AS Campaign
|ConnmitteeHead
Action Follows
Byrd Criticism of
Attack on Rutland
BY DON s. WARREN.

ley disclosed late last night that
Senator Guffey, Democrat, of
Pennsylvania had submitted his
resignation as chairman of the
Democratic Senatorial Campaign
Committee, to become effective
as soon as a successor is chosen.
The disclosure came after Senator
Byrd, Democrat, of Virginia, made .
public letter to Commissioner /.
Mason sharply criticizing Senator
Guffey for threatening date in 1942)
to bring about Senate investiga-
ton of the Health Department after
being refused request for certain
hospital privileges for his family
physician.
Senator Barkley had said earlier
that he probably would act this week
to replace Senator Guf1ey as cam
paign committee head-as the
Pennsylvania Senator has requested
and as his political opponents within
the party have demanded.
Ineligible to Continue.
The majority leader made no ref
erence to the dissatisfaction of
Senator Byrd and other Southern
Senators with Senator Guffey,
but pointed out that Senator Guffey
is ineligible under Senate custom to
continue in the Craftsmanship be-
cause there is senatorial campaign
in his own State this year-with
Republican Senator Davis up for re-
election.
Senator Barkley would not discuss
the choice of Senator Guffey's sue
ceSsor, but Senator OMahoney OF
Wyoming is expected to be named.
The Democratic Steering Com
mittee is to meet soon but Senator
Barkley said the question of the
Campaign Committee Craftsmanship
would not be discussed. The ma
jority leader usually names the
Senate campaign head.
Senator Byrd's letter protested
that Senator Guffey was never
and is not now the choice of the
democratic membership of the Sen
ate for his position. He was ap-
pointed and not elected"
The Pennsylvania has been
under fire from Senator Byrd and
other Southern Senators since early
December, when Senator Guffey
charged they had joined in an "un-
holy alliance" with Northern Re-
publicans under the leadership Of
Joe Pew pennsylvania Republican
LEADER to defeat the Administra-
tons soldier vote bill. Taking the
floor December 7, the Virginia
Senator declared the Guffey charge
was gratuitous insult" to "a Dem
ocratic Senators and 18 Republican
Senators who voted their convic-
tlons" in support of the States rights
soldier vote bill He added, then.
"the sooner Guffey resigns from this
position, the better it will be for the
Democratic party"
In his letter to Commissioner
Mason, released at the Capitol
shortly before noon yesterday. SEN
ator Byrd urged the Commissioners
to stand firm" and called the 1912
Guffey threats "reprehensible" and
"contemptiole.' He predicted that
should Senator Guffey attempt to
carry out his threat, neither the
Senate nor the House would permit
you or your subordinates to be CO.
creed in this manner"
"Runaround" Laid to Rutland.
Senator Guffey had written the
commissioners that Health Officer
George c. Rutland had given him
and them glorious runaround"-
had made suckers" of them-and
that the District health officer is
not qualified for the position he
holds and is deliberately depriving
the people of Washington of the
assistance of an unusually compe-
tent surgeon and physician"
He referred to DR.. Eugene de Sa-
Vltsch, who came here about five
years ago.
Inc Senate authorized an inves-
tigation of conditions at Gallineer
Hospital September IA. 1943, nine
months after the last Guffey letter
to the city heads pressing for a hos
pital assignment for DR.. de Savitsch.
but Chairman McCarran of the
Senate District Committee, who
sponsored this investigation, said he
had never heard of the Guffey-Ruh-
lana issue until a few days ago.
Members of the committee which
investigated Gallinger Senators
Holman of Oregon, Bushfield of
South Dakota and Buck of Della
ware, Republicans-made similar
declarations.
The hospital investigation was
proposed after the District Com
mlttee had received a petition
(See GUFFEY. Page A-e0