Evening star., 1946-08-28
McGehee, Veteran
On District Committee
of House, Defeated
By Don S. Worren

BY Don S. Warren
The defeat of Representative Nc
Gehee in Mississippi's Democratic
runoff primary yesterday removes
from the House District Committee
one of its oldest members, who had
won high praise for some important
municipal legislation, as well as de-
nunciation for attempting to be
dictator" of the group.
Election returns from Jackson,
Miss, show he was swept out of
his House seat by substantial
margin by John Bell Williams, 27-
year-old former Army flyer, who
lost an arm in plane crash in
South America while on his way to
Africa. Mr.. Williams has been
Kinds County prosecuting attorney
since his discharge from the serv-
ice in 1914.
Returns from 263 OF the 316 pre-
cincts gave Mr.. Williams 1887
votes to 1886 for Mr.. McGehee.
Victory in the primary is tanta-
mount to election in Mississippi.
McGehee Led in First Primary.
Mr.. McGehee topped a five-man
field in the House race in the first
primary on July 2, winning by a
slim margin over Mr.. Williams, but
he lacked a majority of the votes
cast and was forced into yesterdays
runoff.
Mr.. McGehee, 81, claimed he was
the target of the opposition of Negro
voters and the CIO-PAC. His youth
full opponent, however, asserted in
lection of these issues was a last
ditch effort to resuscitate dead
political career"
The pre-primary campaign was
marked by the burning of three
fiery crosses in Negro settlements
in the Jackson area. One Negro
leader claimed the incidents were
intended to intimidate Negroes be-
cause of recent political activity.
A stubborn opponent of all pro-
posals bearing the New Deal hall
mark, the conservative Southerner
waged a determined fight during the
past year against public housing"
and had his way in the drafting of
the Districts big slum redevelop-
ment bill.
Key in SIum Bill Fight.
He held the key position in the
slum bill fight. since he was chair
man Of the Judiciary Subcommittee
of the District group, to which the
Senate version of the measure had
been referred He kept it bottled up
there for months in contest
against what he deemed "too liberal
features providing for redevelop-
ment work by the National Capital
Housing Authority.
With Congress heading for a sine
die adjournment. he went to Mis-
sissippi early in June to conduct his
reelection campaign, leaving or
ders" with the District Committee
no action should be taken on the
measure until he returned. This won
him the charge of dictator"
Mr.. McGhee insisted there would
be no time to enact the bill before
adjournment, e and his prediction
proved correct. His strategybrought
him success in his fight to put pub
lie housing in the Districts slun
redevelopment program under more
restrictions than the Senate hao
suggested. AS adjournment ap.
preached, the Senate accepted The
"McGhee version" of the bill to pre-.
vent the whole measure from dyins
with the Seventy-ninth Congress.
A move to liberalize the bill, som.
say, will be mace during the mex
Congress.
! Handled Hospital Center Bill.
i Mr.. McGehee won praise for hi
handling of other District measures
notably the bill authorizing Fedora
aid in the construction of a 1,50O
bed hospital center project TO
Washington.
He played an important role il
the long negotiations and study O
this measure, and while it, too, wa.
put on the shelf while the Missis
sippian made his reelection cam
paign, it was pushed to enactmen
in the closing week of the old Con
gress.
| During his IL years in the House
most of which he served on tn
/, District Committee. Mr.. McGehe
also had charge of scores of othe
municipal measures and had al
, important part in the drafting O
bills dealing with the Districts un
employment compensation system
and numerous legal questions.
Mr.. McGehee was eligible to be
come chairman of the District Com
mittee last February, when Repre-
sentative Randolph, Democrat, O
West Virginia, former chairman
became head of the Civil Servic
Committee. Mr. McGehee ha
greater seniority than the ney
chairman, Representative McMillal
of South Carolina, but said he pre-
ferred to remain as chairman of tn
House Claims Committee Tha
committee, however. is scheduled t.
be abolished next January under tn
Legislation Reorganization Act.
Colleagues Renominated.
Mr.. McGehee is the only membe
of the Mississippi congressiona
delegation to be unseated in thi
years primary battles. Senate
Bilbo, who heads the Senate Distric
Committee, and six House member
were renominated In the first pr;