Evening star., 1945-06-19
Conqress Asked for Law Makinq
An Elective Official Next in Line
Bridges Expected
To oIntroduce Bill
In Senate Soon
By the Associated Press. 9

President Truman, embarklnl
on the first of long series o
plane flights, today asked Con
gress to make the Speaker of th'
House his successor if anything
untoward should happen to him
AS the House is now organized
this would throw the succession t.
63-year -old Sam Rayburn of Texas
Under present procedures, MI
Truman would be replaced in tn
White House by the Secretary o
State, the post now held by Edward
r. Stettinius, jr, should he be un
able to complete his term.
The Speaker of the House, Mr.
Truman told Congress, is more truly
representative of all the people.
Takes Off for Olympia.
In a special message to botf
houses of Congress sent shortly
after he took off on nonstop
fight to Olympia. Wash, the Presi.
dent said the question of succession
lis of great Importance now be.
cause there will be no elected
Vice President for almost foul
years."
Mr.. Truman, who entered the
White House from the vice presi-
dency on the death of President
Roosevelt April II, pointed out that
the existing succession law, enacted
in 1886, provides for members OF
the cabinet to take over the presi-
dency in the event that neither
the elected President nor Vice
President can serve.
The order of succession is the
Secretaries of State. Treasury ano
War, Attorney General, Postmaster
General and Secretaries of Navy ano
Interior.
Could Name Own Successor.
Pointing out that each of these
cabinet members is appointed by
the President, Mr.. Truman said it
now lies within his power to nomi-
nate his immediate successor lin
the event of my own death or in
ability to act"
II do not believe that in a de-
mocracy this power should rest with
the Chief Executive. Insofar as
possible, the Office of Ne President
should be filled by an elective Off
cer."
He recommended that the Speak
or should serve as President not
longer than until the next con-
eressional election or until spe-
cial election called for the purpose
of electing a new President and Vice
President.
Senate President Next.
He recommended further that the
succession pass to the President pre-
tempore of the Senate if there is nc
qualified Speaker or if the Speaker
fails to qualify. The President pre-
tempore would hold the Office only
until a duly qualified Speaker j.
elected.
"If there be neither Speaker mol
President pro tempore qualified tt
succeed on the creation of the
vacancy, then the succession might
pass to the members of the cabinet
as now provided, until duly quail
ified Speaker is elected"
Republicans are backing a con-
gressional effort to speed the legis.
lation before Mr.. Truman leaves fol
the Big Three meeting in Germany
"There is general agreement
among high officials of both the
Republican and Democratic parties
and both in and out of Congress
that something should be done right
away" one prominent Senator, who
asked that his name be withheld
told reporter.
Bridges to Offer Bill.
Since the plan would establish
Speaker Rayburn as the designated
successor to Mr.. Truman, bipartisan
hackers of the idea agree it shoult
be started through Congress in tn,
Senate and by Republican. Sen
ator Bridges, Republican, of New
Hampshire repeatedly will intro
duce it in the next day of so.
A somewhat similar bill alread!
has been introduced in the Hous'
by Representative Monroney, Demo
crat, of Oklahoma, but it would con
fine the succession to House mem
bers.
The text Of the Presidents mes
sage follows:
I think that this is an appropriat
time for the Congress to re-examin
the question of the presidentia
succession.
The question is of great impor
tance now because there will be n
elected Vice President for almos
four years.
The existing statute governing
the succession to the office of Presi
dent was enacted in 1886. Under il
(See SUCCESSION, Page A-3.)