The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-25

WASHINGTON-AtOmic energy will probably af- feet the Nation more than any other modern develop ment yet when the House Military Affairs Commit tee debated its control, many Democratic members did not even bother to be present. Furthermore, the committee debate was held in strict secrecy. The American people whose lives will be affected, had no chance to know what was going on. However the column is able to publish few of the details of what happened behind closed doors Congressmen who led the drive to renstate brass hats on the Atomic Energy Control Board were: Republicans Charles H. Elston of Cincinnati, Ohio, J. Parnell Thomas of Northern New Jersey, Forest A. Harness of Kokomo, Ind, Leslie c. Arends of the Illinois belt with some support from Democratic Mlitarst Robert R. Sykes Of West Florida. The Senate after weeks of debate and careful scrutiny had barred military men from the Atomic Control Board The White House and the War De- pertinent agreed But the above gentlemen (w1th sub rosa encouragement from the Army) ruled that at least two Army men be on the Board which will rule on the future fate of atomic energy. Barking Congressman Thomas of New Jersey did most of the talking He would not even consent to the reading of the Senate Atom Bill without con- stanty heckling Democratic Representative Chet Hol- field of California, who tried to read the bill out loud to the Committee Finally Hofeld stopped alto- gether.
 T refuse to continue in view of the lack of cour- tesy shown by some of the members of the other side,' he said referring to the COP. members of the Committee.
 When the Committee convened next day, however Thomas had changed his tactics somewhat and asked Hoifeld to continue reading the Senate Bill. One Republican, who did not seem to agree with his colleagues, Representative Thomas E. Martin of Iowa City, Ia He introduced an amendment lim- itng the number of military men on the Atomic Commission to two. This, he explained was to make certain that more than two appointed.
 Another Republican, J. Leroy Johnson of Stock ton, Cal. ended by voting against his colleagues while House Minority Whip Arends was careful to record the proxies of Clare Boohe Luce of Connect cut and Walter c. Andrews of New York being against military control of the atom.
 NOTEChairman Andrew J. May of Kentucky great friend of the brass hats voted the proxies of thee absent Democrats in favor of the Army; Arthur Winstead of Mississippi Carl T. Durham of North Carolina, and Paul Stewart of Oklahoma.
 The State Department report Russian influ- in the Balkans made by The Louisville Courier Journals Mark Ethridge is still marked strictly con- 4identap One section which has leaked oAt, however tells of the refusal of Balkan printers to set type for newspaper editorials with which they disagreed. Eth ridge cited this new type of labor censorship of freedom of the press.
 Meanwhile, in the U.S.A. the Indianapolis Star informed the St. Petersburg, Fla Times that it was
 unable to get it's printers to up advertisement recruiting printers for St. Petersburg The St. Pete Times was involved in printers strike and Indi- might help break the strike
 The St. Petersburg case has many ramifications, and the hearings it. now taking place in Florida,