Evening star., 1951-04-03

kolt (oii on Amendment on Commitment
of Troops to Europe. Poee A
luton to an Endorsement of the
four divisions President Truman
has decided to send at this time.
and drop all reference to what
should be done in the future.
If he succeeds, his new amend
ment would wipe out the McClel-
Ian motion of yesterday. which
upset administration plans by put
ting the Senate on record as be-
lieving that no more than four.
divisions should be sent without
further congressional action.
Following this new Lodge move. i
administration leaders still will
face the major test on a proposed
motion to change the two pending
advisory resolutions into one that
would have the force of law.
Coalition Blocks Administration.
A coalition of Republicans and
Southern Democrats upset the
leaders late yesterday by putting
the Senate on record as believing
President Truman should not send
more than four more divisions
without further congressional ap-
proval.
This amendment by Senator Nc
Clellan was resurrected and passed
49 to 43, within two hours after It'll
had been defeated, 46 to "A. On the
second roll call two Democrats and
one Republican reversed them
selves. and two other Republicans
who were not present the first time
voted for the restriction.
But the Mcclellan amendment,
like the resolution to which it was
attached, is only an expression of
the sentiment of the Senate. The
real showdown will come today,
when Republicans try to recon-
NIT the issue to the joint Foreign
Relations and Armed Services
Committees, with instructions to
bring out a substitute which would
have the binding force of law.
Observers Explain Opposition.
Observers who have followed the
long debate did not view yester-
days revolt as opposition to de-
Tending Western Europe. but more
as an unwillingness by the ma
jority to concede that che Presi-
dent should pass on future troop
commitments without congress
sional action.
Making no effort to conceal his
emotion over yesterdays upset,
Majority Leader Mcfarland told
his colleagues they had marched
up the hill,. and then marched
down again" on the Mcclellan
amendment. What they had done
was not in the best interests of
the United States, he told them.
Despite yesterdays setback, i'll
the leadership can block today'sI
move to convert the pending ad-
visory resolutions into a binding
law, the Senate is expected to
pass the resolutions by a sub
Stantial majority.
Even with the Mcclellan amend
ment included, the resolutions in
dorse the policy of joining in the
defense of Western Europe. and
approve the sending of four di-
visions now, to join the two al
ready on occupation duty in Ger
many.
The resolutions are still open
to further amendment, however,
and the coalition which func-
toned so successfully yesterday
may try to make further changes
today.
Wherry Is Jubilant.
Minority Leader Wherry was
jubilant over the adoption of the
Mcclellan amendment. Although
he is opposed to sending any more
ground forces to Europe he re-
garded the Mcclellan amendment
as essentially the original Wherry
resolution which started the de-
bate three months ago. That
resolution sought to put the Sen
ate on record as asking the Presi-
dent not to send any troops to
Europe until Congress had adopted
a policy on the subject.
Although yesterdays events
were a setback for the interna-
tional wing of the Republican
Party, when the Senate had quit
for the night senatorial opinion
still varied as to the Importance
OF the Mcclellan amendment.
Senator Taft, Republican, of
Ohio said he could not see what
the shooting was all about be-
cause I'VE are just putting into
the resolution something they
said was there any way"
Senator Mcclellan himself told
reporters he thinks it is notice
to the President that he ought to
come back to Congress for ap-
proval if conditions make it nee
essary to send more than the four