Evening star., 1950-11-28
The Political Mil


Blocking Statehood Bills
Southern Bloc Sure to DeIuy
Action in Lame Duck Session
By Gould Lincoln
President Truman's civil rights pro-
gram is given credit for the probable
blocking of the Alaska and Hawaii
statehood bills in the remainder of the
lame duck session of the 81st Congress.
Southern Senators are ready to talk
these bills to a standstill in the brief
period between today and the Christmas
holiday which Congress is planning to
take. If they do, the statehood bills, which
have passed the House and only await
action by the Senate and approval by
President Truman. will die and have to
start all over again as new bills in the
82d Congress.
The Southern Senators, report has
1t, view askance the admission of the
territories as States because they would
add four new Senators, and these four
new Senators would favor the civil rights
bills This in turn. it is argued, would
make it easier for the procivil rights
forces in the Senate to break f1libuSter
against the anti-lynching bill, the anti
poll tax bill or the Federal FEPC bill.
The Southern Senators are not parad-
ing filibuster against the statehood
bills at this point. They have. indeed,
gone about the matter of blocking these
statehood bills in a mild but none the
less effective manner. They say, and
keep saying, that the bills need con-
slderation before they are acted upon.
Further. they are out to see that the
consideration is ample-and long.
Ways of Causing Delay.
An out-and-out plan to kill the state
hood bills via the filibuster route, if is
attempted by the Southern Senators for
ire reasons given, may in the end react
seriously against them. Frankly, leaders
on Capitol HILL say that this is carrying
hostility to Federal civil rights legisla-
ton too far. If Hawaii and Alaska de-
serve statehood, it should not be blocked
Iof so foreign an issue. So there prob
ably will be no blatant filibuster. But
tnere are many ways of causing delay in
the Senate-and the Southerners have
IN the past shown themselves adept.
Other reasons for opposing statehood
for the two territories are given, Of
course. For example, there are too few
people in Alaska and too many racial
groups in Hawaii. Some Senators have
been impressed by such arguments. But
the majority of the Senate, if given a
chance to vote, would put through the
statehood bills, the leaders believe.
Some of the Republican stalwarts have
n cfo OF
there is Senator Butler of Nebraska who
who as chairman of the Interior and
1nsular Affairs Committee sat on the lid
in the 80th Congress and prevented the
statehood bills from getting anywhere.
Then there is Senator Taft of Ohio.
chairman of the Republican Policy Com
mittee of the Senate, who says he is
inclined to oppose statehood for Alaska
even though he favors it for more popu-
lous Hawaii. With aid from the Re-
publican side of the chamber. the
Southern Senators should have little
trouble blocking the bills.
Hawaii Ready to Act.
Delegate Joseph r. Harrington Of
Hawaii has called attention to the fact
that Hawaii, in the elections of Novem-
ber Z, approved state constitution by
large vote and is ready to 60 ahead
with final statehood plans only If Con-
gress will give approval President
Truman repeatedly has urged favorable
action.
Mr.. harrington insists that admission
OF Hawaii to statehood would strengthen
the position of this country in the Pa
ciflc at time when it needs strengthen
ing, and also would aid in the fight to
establish and maintain free government
in the Far East. Statehood also would
make strong impression on the Philip
pines and other Far East areas which
view with alarm aggressive drives of the
Communists.
II these arguments in support of state
hood have real weight-and they have
been backed by important officials of the
Governments filibuSter against the
bills at this time, when we are already
engaged in bitter war in the Far East,
would be something worse than a mis-
take. It's tough situation-for Mr..
truman shows no signs of relenting on
his civil rights program, certainly not
with an election coming up two years
hence-and the Southern Senators have
been encouraged rather than discouraged
in their opposition to the civil rights
program by the results of the primary
elections in Florida, where Smathers
beat Pepper. and in North Carolina,
where Smith beat Graham, for Demo-
cratic senatorial nominations and elec-
tions. Both Messrs. Smathers and Smith
used the race issue against their
opponents.