Evening star., 1945-02-01
Munpower
Continued From First Page.)

Senate, where the Military Affairs
Committee already has begun to
consider the House provisions.
May Try to Recommit.
A last minute effort to send the
measure back to a House committee
for further study may be made to-
day, but unless there should be an
unforeseen break in the ranks Of
the bills hackers, this also will
fail
Some members of both major
parties probably will vote against
the bill because of organized Ia
bor's opposition to compulsion.
Administration leaders demon
strated yesterday, however, they
have avoided a serious break in
Democratic ranks, and reliable
sources estimated there would be
about rs Republicans for its pas
sage. The present lineup of total
House membership is: Democrats,
242; Republicans, 100; other parties,
2, and seat vacant.
Speaker Rayburn told the House
yesterday he knew about 100 men,
bers would oppose the bill in any
form. But, in an urgent plea to re-
ject all amendments, he predicted
if the Wadsworth and ClaSon pro-
posals were adopted, the opposition
to final passage might have
mounted to $50 votes, or well. yer
majority This fear was based
on the belief each of those amend
ments would have alienated a block
Of from so to rs votes that other
wise would be for the bill.
Senate Delay Likely.
1t may take some time to get
the measure through the Senate,
but administration leaders fear If
the House, having once considered
the bill, should fail to pass it, the
psychological effect on the men in
the fighting lines would be bad.
They pointed out that Army and
Navy leaders have told Congress the
measure is urgently required to in
sure increased production of NUM-
tions needed at the front.
Representative Wadsworth as
sured the House he was not Offering
his amendment in a spirit of hos
tility to labor, but merely to pro-
tect the right of individuals order
ed into particular industry by
their Government to join or remain
out of a union
In taking the floor against the
amendment, Speaker Rayburn did
not oppose it on its merits. but on
the ground that adoption of one
change would open the gates to
flood of others and defeat the bill
Opposed by Negro.
When Representative Clason Of
fered the amendment against racial
or other discrimination, it was op-
posed by Majority Leader McCor-
mack of Massachusetts, and by the
new colored Democrat from New
York. Representative Powell.
Mr.. Mccormack insisted that,
since the work bill is temporary
legislation, the Clason amendment
would add nothing to the power of
the present FEPC, set up by ex-
ecutive order. He said what is need
ed is separate bill making FEPC a
permanent agency.
Mr.. Clason wanted to know if
the majority leader would bring
the separate bill to the floor for
action if the amendment was with
drawn. The two New Englanders
engaged in a heated exchange over
whether it would be possible to get
the permanent bill through the
Rules Committee after the Labor
Committee recommends it.
Charges Partisan Move.
Mr.. Powell called the offering
of an FEPC amendment yesterday
"a partisan move to defeat the
work bill" He also described it as
a political trick, and joined in urg-
ing a separate, permanent FEPC
measure.
After the amendment had been
beaten. Representative Hook, Demo-
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