Evening star., 1945-01-04
House Control
By Democrats
Held in Peril
Coalition Approves
Permanent Busis for
Dies Committee
Roll Call on Un-Americun Activities
Committee on Page Az
Ey the Associated Press.

Ey the Associated Press.
Storm signals were hoisted to-
day over the newly launched
Seventy ninth Congress.
A huge question mark arose over
the ability Of the administration to
command constant majority in
the House, as Republican Demo-
cratic coalition overrode Democratic
leaders on the opening. day OF the
Congress to put the old, so-called
Dies Committee on a permanent
basis.
Majority Leader cCormack, argu-
Ing against disregard for prece.
dent, told the House that never be-
fore in history "has Congress Gre
ated permanent investigatory
committee"
The new committee to inquire into
un-American activities will be the
only permanent body of Congress
with continuing power of subpoena.
Thumping, Noisy Opening.
In a humping, noisy opening for
the new Congress. the House Re-
ublican-Democratic combine sailed
to 207-186 victory-a surprising
development in view of the large
Democratic gains of House seats IN
the November election.
The Democrats had a House ma
jority of only two seats when they
went into the election, and admins
tration leaders hoped for easier voy-
aging when the party gained a ma
jority OF 243 seats to 100 Republicans.
But yesterdays vote was reminis-
cent of the repeated reversals the
administrationists suffered in the
last Congress. 1t came just after
Speaker Rayburn made a harmony
appeal to the new Congress.
An analysis of the voting showed
10 Democrats joining 1877 RepubI-
cans in favor of the permanent COM
mittee. Opposed we're $50 Demo-
Gratis, "a Republicans and minority
party members.
Commenting on the turn of events,
House Republican Leader Martin
said: "It didn't look like the New
Dealers are too strong out there (on
the floor)." He added:
There are going to be some good
warm battles before we get through
this session"
Ramspeck Discounts Significance.
On the other, hand, Represents
tive Ramspeck of Georgia, the DEM
ocratic whip. said:
Il don't think this necessarily
means anything for the future COT
Democratic unity. The Dies C6m-
rtittee has pretty strong support,
including the American Legion. The
leadership opposed the establish
mtnt OF this committee, not On the
merits OF such committee, but on
q conviction It Is bad precedent to
establish such 4 body with perma-
hent power to investigate and sub
poena."
The old Dies committee, headed
by Martin Dies, Democrat, of Texas,
who did not seek reelection, fire.
quently took an antiadministration
tack. Majority members of the new
nine-member committee will be
chosen by the Democrats of the
Ways and Means Committee, where
administration sympathy probably
lpredominates.
VOOrhis Expresses Approval
Representative Voorhis, Democrat,
Of California, who resigned from the
old Dies Committee two years ago.
said 1t was conceivable that the new
committee might be formed of per.
sonnel who would render real serv-
ice by investigating actual Com
munists, Nazis and Fascists.
He quit the old Dies Committee
because he felt that it had missed
the boat" by airing largely false
charges against Government en-
ployes instead of trying to expose
enemy propaganda.
That the House has no intention
of putting of decision on contro-
versial matters was emphasized
when Chairman May called a meet
ing of the Military Affairs Commit
tee for tomorrow to decide what
action to take on the manpower
Recommendations of War Mobiliza-
ton Director Byrnes.
1t may also take up without de-
lay legislation calling for compulsory
military training in peacetime, Mr..
May said. ..