Evening star., 1947-07-24
Fund for Police
Probe Blocked;
New Effort Due
Chances Held Slim
As Longer Objection
ForestuIIs Action

Another effort will be made to
gain Senate approval of proposed
5000 investigation of law enforce
ment and the various police forces
here, members of the Senate District
Committee said today.
Action on the plan was blocked
yesterday by an objection raised
by Senator LANCER, Republican, of
North Dakota, who holds the
Civil Service Committee.
When the resolution was reached
on a call of the consent calendar.
he objected to consideration. This
was sufficient, under the rules, to
forestall action.
He gave the Senate no reason for
his objection but later told report
ers he objected to investigating a.
man who had been in Office less
than a month" He referred to
Maj. Robert H. Barrett, superin-
tendent of the Metropolitan Police
Department. who several weeks ago
was elevated to that post from his
earlier job as chief of the Detective
Bureau.
Given Slim Chance.
The resolution will be called I'm
again before Congress adjourns
Saturday, but some members
thought its chances of adoption
were slim, although it has been ap-
proved unanimously by both the
District Committee and the Senate
Rules Committee.
Chairman Brooks of the Senate
Rules Committee said he did not
know how Serious" the objection
OF Senator LANCER might be. The
investigation resolution, he COM
mented, still is pending before the
Senate.
Questions were raised yesterday
as to the need for additional police
protection on Capitol Hill, shortly
after the arrest there of a man
charged with carrying a loaded
automatic pistol. The prisoner,
war veteran from Augusta, Ga, is
being held for mental observation,
Full Protection Doubtful.
Chairman Brooks said the Rules
Committee has taken no action to
enlarge the Capitol police force. He
took the position it would be i'm
possible to afford full protection to
96 Senators who travel about the
Capitol Building.
Senator Brooks reminded reporters
of the pending resolution to investi-
gate law enforcement and police
administrations here. He said he
thought this is broad enough to in
clude questions as to enlargement
or improvement of the Capitol police
force.
When the investigation resolution
was before the Senate late yesterday,
Senator McGrath, Democrat, of
Rhode Island, pleaded with Senator
LANCER to withdraw his objection.
Senator McCrath told the Senate
the District Committee holds heavy
| responsibility for administration of
District agencies. He reminded the
body it had been some years since
there had been an investigation Of
the Police Department.
Suspicion Raised.
Recent publicity, he said, raised
at least a suspicion that things
might be better than they are" He
said the committee would go into the
investigation with mo pre-conceived
ideas" but with the hope it would
re-introduce a spirit of confidence"
in the people as to their police
department.
Some members of the District
Committee said last night they could
see little advantage in holding hear
ings on the police situation, unless
the Senate adopted the resolution
giving special authority and funds
for the probe
The resolution calls for a grant
of $25,000 from the Senates con-
tingent fund to pay the costs Of
counsel or investigators and other
| Investigation costs.