Evening star., 1947-02-14
OnIy7 Support
DingeII Demund
For Record Vote
By J. A. OLeory

Navy from the economy drive
was rejected overwhelmingly by
the Legislative Budget Commit
tee today as it debated in a
showdown closed session the
recommendation that $4,000, ,0OO,-
900 be slashed from President
Truman's 37,50O,OOO,000 figure.
Representative Dingell, Democrat,
of Michigan, made the motion to
exempt the armed services. No rec
ord vote was taken, but one member
reported that only seven others of
the 102-member committee stood up
with Mr.. Dingell in a demand for
a roll call. 1t was estimated that
about rs members were in the COM
mittee room at the time.
Senate Democratic Leader Bark
ley said the Dingell motion also
sought to exempt veterans benefits
from the budget cutting.
Seek Detailed Figures.
Senator Barkley said opponents
of such a deep budget slash still
were unable to get from the Re-
publican leaders detailed figures on
how much would be taken from
various functions of Government.
He also indicated that the ma
jority might move to curtail debate
this afternoon to get a speedy de-
cision, although they have until
midnight tomorrow to report a
budget ceiling to the House and
Senate.
AS the sessions on the budget
began the Democrats lost prelim-
mary fight to have the budget cut
ting done in the open.
Senator Barkley moved to admit
the press and public but his motion
was tabled, AZ to 27, on a substitute
by Representative Dirksen, Repub-
lican, of Illinois.
Will Vote on Gurney Plan.
The joint committee recessed for
lunch with an agreement to vote
this afternoon on compromise pro-
posal by Senator Gurney, Repub-
lican, of South Dakota, to limit the
budget cut to $4,150, ,000,0 900.
The Gurney motion will give the
committee another opportunity to
spare the Army and Navy from a
large part of the cut they probably
would have to take under the &c.
000, ,000, 900 figure.
Senator Gurney, who heads the
Armed Services Committee, told re-
porters his compromise contemplates
restoring to the Army and Navy all
but $400, 100000 Of the anticipated
reductions.
Chairman Bridges of the Senate
Appropriations Committee said the
Dngell motion would have prevent
ed his committee from making any
changes whatever in funds for the
Army, Navy or Veterans Admin
-istration.
Answering Democratic demands
for a breakdown of the $4,000, 900 900
overall cut, Senator Bridges de-
clared it was not the function of this
group to make specific reductions.
That, he said, is the job of the Ap-
preparations Committees after a
ceiling is fixed. He also pointed out
that overall ceiling does not carry
any mandate to the Appropriation
Committees to take any particular
part of it from the Army and Navy.
Meeting Is Stormy.
Leaving for lunch, members re-
ported that the morning session was
a stormy one Frequently there
were half dozen men on their feet
at once clamoring for recognition
and shouting charges back and
forth. on what will happen to the
country" One group made dire
predictions of the effect of heavy
slashes; the economy advocates
were equally pessimistic in their
forecasts of what would happen
under heavy spending.
Senator Byrd, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia, long an advocate of retrench-
ment, is reported to have made one
of the strongest speeches for the So
900 ,00O,00 cut. One member said
the Virginian told his colleagues
every man in the room knew savings
were possible throughout the Gov
ernment.
If the Gurney $4,150, ,000, 900 propo-
sal is rejected att the afternoon ses-
sion, the next move will come on
Senator Millikin's $4,500, ,000, 900
compromise.
Those supporting the Sc, 6,000, 600 900
cut disputed statements by Army
and Navy spokesmen that this
budget slash would take funds away
(See BUDGET, Page A-5D =