Evening star., 1950-11-12
Another No Good Congress Waiting in the Wings?
Three of Trumun's
Main Projects Are
Apt to Be Blocked
By Gould Lincoln

will be their effects on the Tru-
man Fair Deal domestic policies
and program? What will be
their effect on foreign policy?
What do they foreshadow for the
1852 presidential campaign and
election?
The three main issues in the
Fair Deal program on which the
Democrats and their labor allies
went gayly into the recent cam
paign are the repeal of the Taft
Hartley Act, the Presidents pro-
gram for national compulsory
health insurance and the Bran
nan perpetual-motion farm pro-
gram. The present prospects are
that all three will be placed on
the shelf during the new, 82d
Congress-even though President
Truman may again recommend
favorable action on them.
This does not mean that at
tempts will not be made to i'm
prove the Taft-Hartley Act, OF
that measures looking to improve
ment of health conditions and to
better farm legislation will not
be brought forward for considera-
ton and action. Indeed Senator
Taft himself and a number of his
Republican and Democratic col
leagues have suggested number
of amendments to the labor law
Many of them were written into
bills offered in the Senate and
House during the present Con-
gress. If and when a new labor
bill is passed, President Truman
will have to decide whether he
will approve or veto it. His at
titude in the past has been that
nothing short of repeal of the
Taft Hartley Act will be permit
ted to become law If he can
help it.
Candidates for Leader
The Truman program-particu-
larly as reflected by the three is
sues mentioned-has been con-
sistently blocked in the 81st Con-
gress by a coalition of Republicans
and the more conservative Demo-
crats-mostly from the South. The
elections have added strength tc
this coalition. Actual control OF
Congress by the Truman admins
tration forces, which has been
lacking in the last two years, will
be even farther removed in the
new Congress. In the Senate, for
example. the Republicans have
pulled within two seats of a ma
jority, increasing their member
ship by five Senator's. Further,
two Fair Deal Senators from the
South. Pepper of Florida and GSa-
ham of North Carolina, have been
eliminated and their places will be
taken by more conservative Demo-
Gratis, Smathers and Smith, re-
spectively. In the House, too, Re-
publicans have made material
gains adding to their strength by
nearly thirty members.
The defeats of Senator Lucas OF
Illinois. majority leader, and his
assistant, Senator Myers of Penn
Sylvania, the Democratic whip
have made necessary a complete
revamping of the party's organiza-
ton in the upper house. Senator
OMahoney of Wyoming, both be-
cause of his experience and his
ability, is an obvious choice fol
majority leader in the new Senate
He has already declared himself
not candidate, but at the same
time has apparently left the door
open should his Democratic COL
leagues demand that he take or
the job. During the last session OF
Congress, Senator Mcfarland OF
Arizona, was pressed into service
to act as floor feader, when Sena-
tor Lucas and Senator Myers were
absent, and he might be consid-
cred along with others for the
leadership. Other Democratic
Senators whose names come into
the picture for leader or assistant
leader, are Senator McMahon oil
Connecticut. who was reelected by
an impressive majority; Senator
Anderson of New Mexico, former
Secretary of Agriculture, and Sem
ator Kerr of Oklahoma. Both An
derson and Kerr are late corners
to the Senate, but both are men Of
ability.
If the Democrats in the Senate
should determine to go to the
South for a majority leader-as
now seems unlikeiy-they might
seek Senator Hill of Alabama, who
could serve them well, or Senator
Russell of Georgia. The Truman
administration, which is backins
the civil-rights program, with its
FEPC proposal and anti-lynch anc
anti-poll tax planks. might have {
foaming fit if the Democrats un-
dertook to elect a Southerner
committed against all these pro.
posals, as the party leader in the
Senate.
DENY IsolationiSm
In the field of foreign policy
which must embrace the nationa
defense program as we'll as aic
to friendly nations, there appear
no reason at all to believe tina
the Republican victories will II
any way embarrass the admins
tration in it's preparations to safe
guard the United States. AS Ions
as there is war in Korea ant
threat of larger conflict. will
China or Russia or both, ther,
will be no dimunition of effort
The necessary funds will be forth
coming. Senator Taft, it is true
has already called for a re-exami
nation of the whole picture, par
ticularly as it relates to rearmint
of European nations through
financial assistance of this coun
try,