Evening star., 1946-02-25
Representation
She|ved, 6 10 5,
by Senators
! Committee Action
Bors Floor Debate
At This Session

0SN eoddy olQcLI dCkeQ Lll6 QueS-
ton of national representation
for the District by voting to
recommit the Sumners-Capper
resolution to a subcommittee for
further consideration. The vote
was six to five.
Senator Hatch, Democrat, of New
Mexico, who led the fight in COM
mittee against resubmission, re-
garded the action as killing all
chancse for the measure to reach
the Senate floor for debate at this
session of Congress.
The resolution now goes back to
the subcommittee headed by SEN
ator Hatch, which reported it fav-
orably to the full committee last
October.
The motion to resubmit was
made by Senator Murdock, Demo-
crat, of Utah after SIS minutes of
heated debate.
How Senators Voted.
Also voting for resubmission were
Chairman McCarran and Senators
Moore, Republican, of Oklahoma:
Whrry, Republican, of Nebraska:
Revercomb, Republican, of West Vir-
ginla, and Mcfarland, Democrat, of
Arizona.
Opposing the move were Senators
Hatch, Stanflll. Republican, of Ken
lucky; Huffman, Democrat, of Ohio;
O'Mahoney. Democrat, of Wyoming.
and Wiley, Republican, of Wisconsin.
In announcing the committees
decision, Chairman McCarran-an
opponent of the principle of ma
tlonal representation for the Dis
trict-remarked jocularly:
I'VE have resubmitted the matter
OF taking the franchise away from
the District of Columbia, so the sit
uation with respect to the vote re-
mains in status quo"
Territories Issues Cited.
In a more serious vein, Senator
McCarran explained that the move
was made to give the subcommittee
more opportunity to study the Sum-
ners-Capper resolutions provisions,
particularly as they might pertain
to the territories.
| Opponents OF the measure have
argued that it would give the Dis
trict the status of State and that.
If this were done, territories such as
Alaska and Hawaii should be ac-
corded the same consideration.
Senator McCarran recently intro
duced bill to admit Alaska as the
49th State.
The Sumners-Capper resolution
PROVIDES Tor constitutional amend
ment to empower Congress to grant
the District representation in the
Senate, House and among the cleo
tors Of President and Vice Presi-
/ dent.
Hatch Was Optimistic.
Senator Hatch previously had
said he thought national representa-
ton for the District had an "ex-
cellent chance" of coming to a SEN
ate vote at this time, but following
ing today's Judiciary Committees
| session, he remarked:
This just about kills it as far as
the Seventy ninth Congress is con-
cerned."
The committees decision also pro-
duceo an atmosphere of gloom
among the large group of District
citizens who had anxiously awaited
the outcome of the session. which
was closed to the public. in the
Capitol corridor.
Represented in the group were the
District Federation of Women's
Clubs. the Junior Board of Com
merce, the Federation of Civic Asso-
Citations, the American Veterans of
World War II and the Columbia
typographical Union (AFL).
Also present was James S. Beattie
chairman of the National Represen-
tation Committee of the Central
Suffrage Conference. which has
spearheaded the current campaign
to give the District a voice in ma
tional affairs.
House Action to Be Sought.
Mr.. Beattie announced his group
would carry on the fight by attempt
ing to obtain House action on the
Sumners-Capper resolution.
| The measure is before the House
Judiciary Committee. which voted 8
to z against bringing it up for con-
sideration last May II, a decision
believed to have been Influenced by
congressional sentiment against con-
sldering any constitutional amend
mentS in wartime.
Representative Summers, Demo-
crat, OF Texas, co-author of the
measure with Senator Capper. Re-
publican, of Kansas. is chairman of
the House Judiciary Committee.
After the Hatch subcommittee re-
port in October. the resolution was
originally slated for full committee
consideration .January %. POST
ponement until February 4, at which
time the O'Mahoney amendment
was introduced, was followed by
delay until February II. At that
time another delay occurred when
only eight of the committees mem
bers showed up, and it was voted to
withhold action until larger num-
tNnr-