Evening star., 1949-05-05
Segate Is Held Likely
To Investigate Itself
With Lobbying Bill
Skepties on Capitol Hill
See Objective as Putting
Foes Of Trumun on Spot
By David Laurence

Is the Senate about TO tnvesti-
gate itself? This question has
arisen since it became known that
the Senate Judiciary Committee
has been seriously considering
adoption Of a resolution to ap-
propriate $4,000 to inquire into
lobbying practices in the National
Capital.
Plainly lobbying is a two-way
affair: First. how it Is conducted
by the lobbyists and, second, how
the recipients of lobbying-that
is. the members of Congress-con-
duct themselves when asked to do
what the lobbyists urge them
to do.
Up to now the Congress has at
various times investigated lobby
ing but 1t has been merely q
political football. The idea here
tofore has been to ferret out writ
ten records of lobbyists and their
organizations and smear them so
that they would not resume their
lobbying.
Spurred BY Truman.
The new inquiry was given mo-
mentum recently at the White
House, when President Truman
pointed out that lobbying by real
estate interests was blocking con-
sideration of housing measures.
At that time Mr.. Truman was
asked by the reporters If he fav-
ored looking into all kinds of
lobbying. He replied that lobby
ing done in behalf Of measures
which the administration favored
was really in the public interest
or the peoples interest.
If the forthcoming inquiry is
limited solely to organizations
which have been fighting admins
tration bills and omits to look
into the lobbies behind measures
favored by the administration, 1t
will defeat its purpose.
incidentally, the President him.
self has been doing some lobbying
lately. He announced before the
vote was taken this week on re-
peal of the Taft Hartley Act that
members of Congress would be
subjected to a test of party loyalty
by the record of their votes on
the labor management bill. Dem
ocratic Party officials who con-
ferred with him previously had
set forth that "patronage"-ap-
pointments to office-would be
based on loyalty to the admins
tration. Mr.. Truman's specific
reference to votes on the Taft
Hartley Act completed the evi-
dence of presidential lobbying
with q material consideration as
q factor of influence.
Supposing some large employ
ers had promised certain men,
bers of Congress big jobs in
private industry If they voted to
benefit employer interests, would
such a scandal be treated lightly
by the public?
The United States criminal code
not only makes it q crime to
offer bribe or anything of
value" to member of Congress to-
influence his vote but it also
makes 1t a crime for member of
Congress to accept favors in any
form reconsideration of his vote.
Lobbying by Bureaus.
The Federal laws also prohibit
employees of the Government from
using public funds to influence
voting in Congress. There have
been instances in which executive
bureaus have spent money to build
O fire under Senators and Repre-
sentatives back home and caused
q flow of letters and kilograms to
Capitol Hill to influence votes
there. The Justice Department
under the Democratic regime has
never brought a prosecution for
this offense. even though men,
bers of Congress have drawn spe-
cific instances to the attention of
the department.
II the proposed inquiry into
lobbying is not just a partisan
affair designed to make headlines
for the 1850 congressional cam
paign, it can serve a constructive
purpose in exposing the many in
stances of lobbying by Govern
ment bureaus and also those
cases in which members of Con-
gress have either accepted. as a
consideration for votes, offers of
appointments for their constitu-
ents or judgeshipS in reward for
votes or service rendered to the
administration.
The Senate Judiciary Commit
tee is, the agency which, it is
planned, would conduct the in
quiry. The inquiry has not yet
been finally voted by the COM
mittee. as there are some skeptics
on Capitol Hill who want to-
know why the committee needs
$50,000 to do what the Judiciary
Committee could accomplish with
O few witnesses. Up to now the
ostensible purposes of the inquiry.
as indicated by its sponsors. is to
clarity the antiquities in the anti
lobbying statute. But 1t wouldn't
require $50.000 and special coun-
sci to do that job. So it is being
assumed in many quarters that
the real objective is to put on the
spot certain organizations that
have used their constitutional
right of petition to oppose various
pieces Of legislation desired by the
administration and that those
organizations using pressure to get
votes for the measures sponsored
by the President and the party
leaders will be ignored.
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