Evening star., 1946-12-28
Reed Claims Support Western Union Given
OF Freshmen in Fight Right 10 Boost Rates
On Committee Lineup Another 10 Per Cent

A prediction that eight or
ten" of the new Republican Sen
ators will join in a fight against
the committee assignments be-
ing planned by the leadership
was made today by Senator Reed
of Kansas.
The Kansan, who wants to head
the new combined Interstate and
Foreign Commerce Committee, add
ed to the confusion by announcing
that if he fails to get that he will
go after the Craftsmanship of Pub
lie Lands.
Senator White of Maine, slated
to be majority floor leader, has said
he also will take the Commerce
Craftsmanship if the party offers it
to him. Senator Reed is basing his
fight on the claim that the man
who becomes floor leader should not
take major committee chairman
ship.
Might Upset Plans.
Facing a possible challenge by
Senator Tobey of New Hampshire
for the commerce job in any event..
Senator Reed told reporters he can
claim seniority in the Public Lands
Group as his second choice.
If he did that, it might upset the
temporary lineup by denying the
chairmanship of the Lands Com
mittee to Senator Butler of Ne
braSka, who had been expected to
head 1t.
Any such result probably would
force Senator Butler to claim the
craftsmanship of the tax-handling
Finance Committee, thus taking this
post out of the waiting hands of
Senator Millikin of Colorado
Senator Reed left no doubt, how
ever, that his prime objective is to
become top man on the Commerce
Committee, which handles legisla-
ton affecting communications,
transportation and other business
at home and abroad.
He said he had communicated
with several of the freshmen Re-
publicans and had found them in
sympathy with a move to deny two
top jobs to any of the Senators
except Senator Vandenberg of
Michigan.
Comedies Vandenberg Posts.
Senator Reed conceded that Sen
ator Vandenberg can claim the
Craftsmanship of the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee and the post of
Senate presiding officer without
serious challenge.
Senator Reeds contention that
the newcomers will back a revolt
against the lineup tentatively ar
ranged by the Committee on Com
Emittees headed by Senator White
was discounted by some of the older
members.
Senator Baldwin, Republican, Of
Connecticut, one of the newcomers,
said he had no plans to join in any
attack on the committee assign
ment list.
Senator Baldwin told a reporter
he is confident that the older men,
bers will give the freshman a pro-
portiate voice in forming party pol
icy, which is nodded primarily
through the Steering Committee
headed by Senator Taft of Ohio.
Tentative Lineup Completed.
The old Committee on Commit
tees finished its tentative lineup
last night, but it is subject to review
by new committee to be named
by the Republican conference Mon
day. The makeup of the new Com
mittee on Committees is not ex-
pected to undergo much of a
change, except that Senator White
may not continue as its chairman.
AS tentatively agreed on by Sen
ator Whites group, some of the
major chairmanships> repeatedly
were assigned thus:
Agriculture, Capper of Kansas;
appropriations, Bridges of New
Hampshire; finance, Millikin; for
eign relations, Vandenberg; judici-
ary, Wiley of Wisconsin; armed
services, Gurney of South Dakota;
banking and currency, Tobey; labor,
Taft of Ohio; interstate and foreign
commerce, White; public lands,
Butler, and rules. Brooks of Illi-