The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-07

tribe from hard hitting Senator Ed Johnson, Democrat, of CHio- rado.
 I'm absolutely fed up," he said, with the War Depart ment's dOuble-crOs and their going through the back door,"
 "T object to being called back door," shouted Senator Gurney. "I want it understood that I am not 8 back door, and resent the infereAces drawn from the senator statement"
 "I meant no personal reflec- ton on yOu," replied Senator Johnson. My criticism was aimed at the War DepA. tment. The senator need not consider himself a back dOoT."
 PUBLIC HEARINGS PROPOSED
 This set off a free-for-all, with almost eve / member Of the con- mittee participating. Finally Senator Bridges, Republican, of New Hampshire. tried to pour oil on the troubled waters by mak- ing this observation:
 Ut seems to me that it serves the committee right for trying to shortcut this important legis- latiOn without having full pub He hearings" Bridges said. Here is a bill affecting all the men of this nation from IS to 45. The least we could do would be to permit the heads of labor unions and other im-
 pOrtapt organizations h. ex- press their views before the com mittee."
 Finally, the committee adjourned its secret session for the week end, with no agreement except that regarding the vaciliation e the Army. This was unanimous. This criticism was a!so shared by various members of the Hous military Affairs Co.nmitten. who experienced the same shilly- shal- lying when the bill was before the House. Here is the back ground to the Army's remarkable series of Somersauits:
 On January 6, after the May bill was introduced in Congress. 1t was referred to all interested agencies, Se,ective Service and War Production Board. Their representative held meeting under Justice Byrnes, at which 1t was agreed that the new work or-fight bill should not be ad- ministered by Selectiye Servlce, since Its operation under the many different draft boards through out the country would lead tu confusion.
 Accordingly, Colonel Francis ". Keesling, Jr,, representing Sclec- tive SerVlce, was instructed to pre- sent the amendments of all he agencies to the House Military Affairs Committee. However, members say that Keesling talked for four hours in closed session of the committee but never took the proposed amendments out of his pocket. Later, however, they were presented by Congressman John Sparkman of Alabama, and adopted. After adoption, how ever, the committee, under secret pressure from the Army, mystcri- ously reversed itself, knocking out the Byrnes amendment and put ting the administrator of the work-or-fight bill back under selective Serv:ce and the local draft boards rather than under the War ManpoWcr Commission.
 NOTE: Officially, General Her. shey's Selective Service and the draft boards are part of Paul Me- Nuts War Manpower Commiss- sion. Actually. the two men do not get along together.
 BARKLEY'S BLACK EYE
 Majority Leader Alben Barkley appeared in the Senate following the Democratic caucus on Henry Wallace with black patch over his left eye.
 Nobody said anything about 1t until Republican Senator Clyde Reed of Kansas saw an opportun- ity for a wise crack. Mentioning the burning curiosity" on the Republican side of the Senate con- cerning the patch, Reed asked Barkley: els there any cOnnec. tlon between the condition Of his