Evening star., 1944-12-18
Administration Sure
Il Has Votes 10 Block
Pepper Resolution

conIluenI To-Day Cnat Uney naVl
the votes to beat a resolution by
Senator Pepper, Democrat, o.
Florida seeking to postpone tn.
six controversial State Depart.
ment nominations until Janu.
ary 3.
AS debate got under way, how.
ever, it appeared doubtful that vote
would be taken today, in view oi
plans of the New Deal insurgents tc
discuss at length their opposition tc
the slate of nominees President
Roosevelt selected to help Secretary
Stettinius run the State Depart
ment.
Senator Pepper, leader Of the op.
position, said that If the blanket
resolution to postpone all six nomi.
nations until the new Congress meet.
Is defeated, he will offer a separate
motion to postpone action on JOSEPH
G. Grew for Undersecretary oI
State, whose name will be the first
to be voted on.
Pepper Launches Fight.
The five others chosen to be Assist
ant Secretaries of State are Nelson
A. Rockefeller, Will L. Clayton
Archibald MacLeish, Brig. Gen. Jul
Ius G. Holmes and James G. Dunn.
Senator Pepper was prepared tc
launch the opposition fight, to be
followed later in the day by Sena-
tor Guffey, Democrat, of Pennsyl-
vania.
Earlier, Senator Connally, Demo-
crat, of Texas asserted he would
fight for a Senate vote on the ap-
pointees IF it takes all winter"
The chairman of the Foreign Re-
lations Committee said he thought
q vote could be obtained this week
Despite reports that opponents
will engage in filibuster in efforts
to force President Roosevelt to name
recess nominees, Senator Connally
said he is determined to hold the
Senate in session until 1t votes on
the appointees.
I'm going on with this thing If
1t takes all winter" Senator Con-
nally told a reporter. THAT is para
phaSing Gen. Grant somewhat, but
I mean business on these nomina-
tionS."
May Vote by Midweek.
He said he thought the Senate
would get around to voting on the
nominees by midweek.
Senator Guffey already has in
formed the Senate that he wants to
speak for four hours on the nomina-
ton of Mr. Grew.
In the face Of this maneuver.
Senator Connally said he will insist
that the Senate have a quorum
present to transact business.
"If it is necessary" Senator Con-
nally said, I'VE may have to ask the
sergeant-at-arms to bring in the
absentee Senator'S"
Senator Peppers resolution would
send all the nominations back to
the White House for reconsidera-
ton. It was introduced Saturday
and officially laid on the table.
Senator Connally said that when
Senator Pepper or three other mem
bers of the opposition quartet
Senators Guffey, Murray, Democrat,
of Montana and La Toilette, Pro-
gressive, of Wisconsin-attempt to
call this resolution up he will make
point of order.
Under Senate rules, a tWo-t thirds
vote Is necessary to overrule the
chairs decision on point of order.
There seemed little doubt that the
opponents of the nominations would
fail to achieve two-thirds vote If
Vice President Wallace or some
other administration supporter in
the chair ruled against the resolu-
tion.
Some Members Already Gone.
Many House members already
have left for their homes. Some
Senators also are away, but Senator
Connallys assertion that he would
call them back presented a direct
threat to those who wished to call
1t all off for this session. If the
Senate adjourns without acting on
the nominees, President Roosevelt
could name the same group or any
others he chose. They would serve,
pay, until his official nomi-
nations were confirmed or rejected
by the Senate
If the Senate decides to go ahead
with the nominations discussions,
6eSDitR the absence of q nIIor,,r,, tho
sergeant at arms would be instruct
ed to bring back to Washington and
the Senate floor those members who
had started home early. Such strict
adherence to the rules has caused
trouble previously in the Senate,
where members ordinarily object to
the sergeant at arms appearing with
a warrant which calls for their ar
rest.