Evening star., 1950-04-12
Behind.Scene Moves
Could Cause Political
Crime Probe Scandal
Big City Machines Seen
Trying to Delay Inquiry
On Interstate Rockets
By David Laurence

By David Laurence
Strange things are happening
behind the scenes in the Demo-
cratic Party in Congress which
may have bearing on what could
prove to be the worst political
scandal IN a generation.
Who is trying to squelch the
congressional investigation of
gambling and interstate rackets?
What are the Democratic ma
chimes in the big cities trying to do
to limit the inquiry. to delay it,
and possibly to Illustrate a thor
ough investigation of the tie-up
between party politics in America
and the worst vice rings that this
country has encountered since
the black days of the prohibition
era?
The maneuvering in Congress as
to what kind of investigating COM
mittee should be appointed, who
shall sit on it and what its scope
shall be looks very suspicious.
Why, for instance, has the
Democratic Party, in a formal
conference of its policy members.
decided to violate the precedent
which was established when the
La Toilette -Monroney Law was
passed specifying that, when in
vestigations are voted, they must
be conducted not by special COM
mitteeS but by the regular COM
mittees charged with drafting leg
isIation developed by an inquiry?
Position Reversed.
For many months now the
Democratic leaders in Congress
have fought against special COM
mittees and argued that the regu-
lar committees must do the in
vestigating. Now this position has
been reversed. Ignoring the de-
mands of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, which logically should
conduct the investigation of crime, |
a resolution has been decided on |
by the administration leaders
which would limit the committee
to only five members. Three of
these would be Democrats. They
would not necessarily be selected
from the Judiciary Committee but
would be appointed by Vice Presi-
dent Barkley, which means that
the appointments are bound to
be political.
The test will be what Republi-
cans will be permitted to sit on
the special committee if it is ever
appointed-for it looks as if there
is concerted movement afoot to
delay the inquiry'S start so that
1t cannot gather much informa-
ton prior to the Congressional
elections this autumn.
Why is it that, in a matter of
crime and law violation. anybody
In the Senate should try to fix
so early a date as July 81 as the
day on which the investigation
must be concluded? What are the
Democratic leaders afraid Of? Do
they fear that the investigation
will probe too deeply into the
big rackets in New York, Chicago,
Kansas City. Los Angeles and the
major centers of crime in Ameri-
ca today? -s'
Who Is Back of Drive?
1t is well known on Capitol Hill
that Senators Donnell of Missouri
and Ferguson of Michigan, Repub-
ltcans. have been active on the
Judiciary Committee and already
know lot about the racketS and
underworld crimes. Why is such
a determined effort being made
to keep these two Senators off the
special committeeman who is
back OF this drive?
1t has been said that many
hundreds of thousands of dollars
Of contributions from gambling
interests went into the political
campaign chests of both major
parties in various States last year
Why shouldn't the country have a
comprehensive inquiry on all this.
letting the chips fall where they
may?
The administration Democrats,
Of course. expect the Republicans
to make political capital out OF
the crime wave. This, however
does not justify playing into the
hands of the gamblers and the
underworld syndicates whose bold
ness of control of city and county
governments has reached a seri-
GUS point in American life-anc
who want the investigation ham,
strung.
The people in the States which
are being victimized by the rack
cts are waiting to see what Con-
gress does. If the Senate leaders
try to kill off the investigation by
selecting a hand-picked group who
will not work at the job and who
will not permit the informed Re-
publicans in the Senate to have a
voice in the work of investigation
which must be done to expose the
disgraceful power welded by the
racketeers. it will certainly prove
the prize political blunder of all
time for the Democrats.
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