Evening star., 1947-11-16
New Senator's
Want Action
Republican Freshmen
Against Delays on
Big Issues
By Ernest c. Warren

Senate Republican leaders must
determine quickly, on the reconven-
ing of Congress, whether they can
satisfy and thus control that fresh
man group whose election last year
made them leaders.
Republicans came into control of
the Senate in January with a ma
jority of only six members. A full
third of the Republican membership
Is made up of first-termers. AS a
body these freshmen have mani
tested surprising independence and
some dissatisfaction with a system
which creates leaders through Sc
niority.
Insist Something Be Done
Led by the affable but often
stubborn Raymond E. Baldwin of
Connecticut, these newcomers are
insisting that something be done,
and right now, to lower consumer
prices, provide more housing, reduce
taxes without seriously affecting
needed Government services, de-
velop q long range foreign policy
and establish industry labor har-
mony.
They have seen a labor bill enact
ed with which some of them dis
agree and which several successfully
worked to soften. They have seen
moves made toward expenditure and
tax reduction. They feel that moth
ing has been accomplished to meet
housing problems and only gesture
made toward lowering living costs.
In the group which more or less
subscribes to these views are such
young Senators as Ives, New York;
Flanders, Vermont; Thye, Mime
sofa; Cooper, Tennessee; Knowlant
California; Lodge, Massachusetts
Saltonstau, Massachusetts,, a
some others on occasion.
Among the older Republican Sc
ators the leaders have trouble
many issues with such Senators
Tobey, New Hampshire. and Aikel
Vermont, who more often than no
vote against rather than with the
majority view.
Senator Lodge Is a freshman to
the extent that his service was
broken by his war service.
Seen. But Not Heard
The first session of the Eightieth
Congress was still young when Sen
ator Baldwin got signatures of his
freshman colleagues to a letter sug-
gesting to Chairman Millikin, Col
orado, of the Republican conference
that there be more meetings of the
whole Republican representation
and greater attention to the views
of its new members, who tradition
ally are seen but not heard" for two
years.
Senator Millikin readily agreed
and leaders saw fit to open places on
this policy-making committee to two
freshmen on a rotating basis.
The urge behind this move of
freshmen is their belief that the
party leaders are not following
course pleasing to that section of the
electorate which they contend makes
victory or defeat for either Of the
major parties.
Senator Baldwin has warned party
gatherings:
I'VE would only delude ourselves
If we chose to believe that the peo-
pie OF this country voted as they
did in 1s46 because they had be-
latedly decided that our platform
Of 1882, SO and 40 was the proper
one after all. ."
Independent Votes Count
"It Is true that q Republican ma
jority was elected in 1916 by the
votes OF the same people who had
voted for the party in 80, SO, 40 and
"A, but these regular sup
porters would still be lonely in their
minority If it were not for the new
life, the new future, the new promise
in our party.
EFT Is (the) small group Of mid
dle-of-the-road, independent voter
that can bring long success to the
Republican Party or can defeat it
in two years"
"It seems to me-" Senator Baldwin
commented, that under these con-
ditions the Republican Party is IN q
most precarious position . -"
y Uss,rsbsssd ss Ne Associated prssJ