Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-02-08
Wonen's
Clubs
Federation Protests
Freezing of Prices
At Highest Level
BY frances Lide

A@AS 44SSdAAA6 Va Pl1CCo ob b&iCt1
highest level in American history
was protested yesterday by the
Advisory Board OF the National
Federation of Women's Repub-
lcan Clubs meeting at the May
flower Hotel.
The group also called for a
grand jury investigation of al
legged influence peddling and poll
tical chicanery in the affairs of
the Reconstruction Finance Corp"
as it adopted series of resolutions
at its final business session.
The board, in effect, asked for a
rollback in prices in a resolution
which protested the freeze at the
January Is level and called on the
administration to take every
possible step to make reductions
in the price of everyday neces-
sites of life"
Mrs. Carroll KearnS. president
of the District League of Repub-
lican Women, who served as reso-
1utions chairman, explained that
her committee did not suggest a
date for a rollback because of
differing opinions as to which
would be preferable. She person.
ally favors a rollback to June Is,
date of the invasion of South
Korea, she explained.
The resolution, which con-
demned the Truman administra-
ton for representation and in
decision" in the freezing of prices,
did not imply criticism Of Eric
Johnston, new head of the Eco
nomic Sterilization Administra-
ton, one of the members pointed
out. Mr.. Johnston made an Off
the-record talk to the board Tues
day night.
In it's resolution on the RFC,
the board cited a Senate subcom-
mittee report showing influence
peddling and political chicanery
in the affairs of the Reconstruc-
ton Finance Corp" and called
the "RFC scandal merely the
latest in a long series of betrayals
Of trust by the Truman Admins
tration." It demanded that the
Federal attorney for the District
of Columbia impanel a special
grand jury to determine whether
any violations of the law had
taken place.
The present information serv-
ice in the Federal Government
was attacked as completely un-
fitted" for the job of spreading
facts about this country around
the world in a resolution which
called on President Truman to set
UP an information service worthy
of the name" 1T is chiefly be-
cause of the incompetence of the
State Department information
service that the United States has
been losing the psychological war"
the women stated.
President Truman was accused
of wishing to spend America
into socialism i. under the cloak
of the war emergency" in another
resolution which asked that he
"drop his socialistic schemes"
withdraw the $98 billion budget
recently sent. to Congress, squeeze
every drop Of nonessential spend
ing out of 1t" and then resubmit it.
On the proposed draft of 49,
year-olds, the federation urged
that Congress refuse to enact
such legislation unless and until
the Administration offers the most
convincing proof that such legis-
lation is necessary for the safety
of the country"
The delegates were cautioned
to watch out for false economy"
by Senator Margaret Chase Smith
of Maine, who addressed them
Informally at a luncheon meeting
In the Senate dining room. Mrs.
Smith, who did not attend the
business sessions, said 1--WE don't
want to add to domestic services"
But there is a danger in curtail-
ing "in agencies that give us
the very services we need" she
warned.
The proposed investigation of
charges growing out of the cleo
ton of Senator Butler, Republi-
can, of Maryland. came up when
Mrs. Fred c. Fischer, president
of the Maryland Federation,
asked Senator Smith to "investi-
gate the Democrats if you inves-
tigate Senator Butler"
Mrs. Smith, who is a member
of the Senate Elections subcom-
mittee named to hold hearings
on the charges. replied that she
hoped 1--WE won't be investigating
any one person or any one group,
but will clarity the situation and
bring out the facts"
The Republican women mem
bers of the House also spoke
briefly at the luncheon and unani-
mously praised the federation for
the work it is doing.
Representative Edith Nourse
Rogers of Massachusetts pro-
posed that one job women can do
is to "try to rid the country Of
saboteurs and Communists"
Committee chairmen appointed
by Mrs. Joseph r. harrington,
federation president, for the next
two years, included Mrs. Kearns,
program planning, and Mrs. Will
liam S. Culbertson, finance. Mrs.
Robert A. Taft was made chair
man of a special committee on
congressional wives and Mrs.
Everett Dirksen, head Of a COM
mittee on distinguished guests.