Evening star., 1945-02-11
Coalition Claims Votes
Enough 10 Recommit
George Bill Next Week
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

A battle royal may develop ii
the House this week over thu
George bill, prerequisite to con.
flrmation by the Senate of the
appointment of former Vict
President Wallace to be Secre.
tary of Commerce.
A coalition of Democratic ant
Republican opponents of the Wal
lace appointment insisted last nigh
they had sufficient votes to recon,
NIT the Senate-approved George bill
which would strip the Commerc.
Department of the RFC and it.
subsidiary loan agencies, If ane
when the measure is brought before
that body.
Their purpose is to force a vote
In the Senate on the Wallace nomi.
natien before the House acts on the
George bill. If they are successful
there is doubt the Senate will vote
confirmation. The Senate has de-
layed calling up the Wallace nomi-
nation until March l..
Move for Compromise Pushed.
The administration forces, with
the aid of Speaker Rayburn, have
been working desperately to obtain
a compromise which will satisfy
enough members of the House op-
posed to Wallace SO that the George
measure can be passed. The latest
move is proposal to permit an
amendment which would remove
the Secretary of Commerce from the
board of the Export-Import Bank.
Wallace opponents insist, how
ever, that such an amendment will
not satisfy them. They are de-
manding the right to offer an
amendment to the bill which would
repeal part of the War Powers Act
under which the President could
transfer to the Commerce Depart
ment other Government lending
agencies, outside of the RFC.
The administration leaders are
seeking a rule from the House
Rules Committee for consideration
of the bill and the matter will come
before that committee again on
Wednesday. Three of the Demo-
cratic members of the rules group,
Representative Smith of Virginia,
Cox of Georgia and Slaughter of
Missouri, are reported hostile to the
Wallace appointment. Assuming
the four Republican members go
along with them, this would give
a seven to five division against
Wallace.
Some Headway Reported.
However, efforts are being made
to win over these opposition Demo-
Gratis to support the proposed
amendment removing the Com
merce Secretary from the Export
Import Bank Board. with the un-
derstanding they will then vote for
a rule for consideration of the bill.
Some headway is reported to have
been made.
Wallace opponents are insisting
on a wide-open rule for amend
ments to the bill, with all points of
order waived.
Representative Rankin of Missis-.
sippi, Democrat, leader o. the
Wallace opposition, predicted that
the House would either defeat rule
for the bills consideration or send
the bill back to the committee when
1t comes up for a vote.
However, Senator George Demo-
crat of Georgia. told a reorter he is
beginning to believe that If House
opponents either bottle up his bill
or load it with veto-inspiring
amendments the Senate might vote
to confirm Mr.. Wallace with all the
powers Jesse Jones welded.
"It would be extremely Short
sighted if those who don't want
Wallace should make it impossible
for the House to pass the bill or
should bring out a measure that
the President would not sign,"
Senator George said.