Evening star., 1950-09-23
The Political Mill
- .. i
COP. P.MoyL Support
For Opposing Statehood
Republicans in Howoii
Are Angered by Stand
By Gould Lincoln

Statehood for Hawaii and Alaska
before the close of the 81st Congress
appears assured, unless a determined
flibuSter by it's opponents in the Senate,
develops after the legislators return to
Washington following the congressional
elections The Democratic Policy Com@s
mittee of the Senate has decided that"
the statehood bills are to be given PRIOR.
ity when Congress reassembles November
81. Senator Lucas of Illinois has an
nounced in the Senate that the bills
are to be the first order Of business.
T The statehood bills, passed by the.
House, have been blocked in the Senate,
by the determined opposition OF Senator
Butler of Nebraska, who in the 80thf
Congress was Republican chairman of
the Interior and Insular Affairs Commit
tee. He has been aided in his fight by
other Republican members of that COM
mittee, including Senators Millikin ofs
Colorado and Malone of Nevada. At
If there is to be a filibuSter in the
brief session of Congress between Nor
vember 27 and the Christmas holiday, it.
will at least be brought into the open,,
Already Republican opposition to the bill
for Hawaiian statehood has begun to-
have political repercussions in the is.
lands, which have been traditionally
Republican since the annexation Of
Hawaii. Grover Cleveland, Democratic
President, would not approve annexa--
tion, but when William Mckinley, RE-.
publican, entered the White House,.
annexation followed. In the so years.
the islands have had an elected Delegate.
in the House, the Delegate has BEEN
a Republican except for six years, whenz
Democrat served, and for two years.,
when Home Ruler" was elected. =
Truman Supports Statehood.
President Truman's active support for
Hawaiian statehood, as well as for state-T
hood in Alaska, plus the continued
strangling of the statehood bills in thes
Senate by Republican opposition, is cre-
ating bad situation for the Republicans
in Hawaii, which might be reflected I'M
the election of Senators and members
of the House there when and if stateE
hood is granted. For the last eight years
Hawaii has been represented in the House
by Delegate Joseph r. harrington. Re-
publican, who has worked indefatigably
for statehood. The islands have half
million population.
The drive for Alaskan statehood has
been persistent. There the population has
been greatly increased since 1940-whenn
it stood at 72,524-due in large part to
greatly increased plans for national de-
fense. Indeed, the demand for statehood
for both Hawaii and Alaska has grown
appreciably because of the need to
strengthen our national defenses in the,
Pacific. 1t has been vigorously supported
by both the Department OF Defense and
the State Department heads. g
Senator O'Mahoney, Democrat, Of Wy
oming, chairman of the Committee on
Interior and Insular Affairs, which has
now placed the statehood bills on the
Senate calendar, has pointed out that
the granting of statehood, particularly,
to Hawaii, or its withholding. may well
have international significance. The Pa
cific area, he commented. is the main,
concern of SO nations. He added that
the problems of peace, liberty and SELF
government in that portion of the world.
will occupy the attention of the United
Nations Assembly for the next several
months. ~. -, =
Bartlett Is Democrat. -.
There are Is free Asiatic nations,
represented in the Assembly" he said.
"Afghanistan. Burma, China, Egypt, In
r dia, Iran, uaq, Lebanon, Philippiness-
Siam, Saudi-Arabia, Syria. Turkey and
Yemen. All of these will be watching
with interest the action of Congress with
respect to statehood"
Delegate Bob" Bartlett of Alaska,
three times elected is Democrat. The
supposition has been that in the event.
of statehood he would be one Of the
first Senators from Alaska. The present
Territorial Governor, Ernest Gruening.;
another Democrat, may also wish to-
make a try for the Senate. But that,
Alaska is predominantly Democratic inz
its politics is doubted in some quarters.
where it is claimed that the repeated,
elections of Mr.. Bartlett is due to-
great personal popularity in the Ter :
ritory, rather than to extreme political
partisanship. ,
Should Congress vote statehood now,
Hawaii would be in position to submit
a State constitution for approval and to.
elect Representatives in Congress prob
ably during 1851. Alaska is not so far
along. It has not yet drafted State +
constitution and taken other steps that
are necessary for final admission to the.
Union.