Evening star., 1951-04-24
Dispersal Bills
Death Sharpens
Space Problem
10 Senute Democrats
Join With G O p.
To Bury Measure

today faced the problem of where
to put the increasing number OF
employees of emergency agencies
now that the prospects of addi-
tional space are denied by the
Senate's killing Of the dispersal
bill.
That measure would have au-
thorized four buildings in the
suburbs to provide Office space for
10000 workers and the transfer of
agencies with an additional $4,000
jobs to other cities. Offset against
thus making space for $4,000 en-
ployes in the Washington area
would have been the razing of
the World War II temporary
buildings. where $1,000 are en-
ployed. The net result would
have been space for $4,000 more
workers.
w. E. Reynolds, public buildings
commissioner. said he is faced
with requests for Office space for
quite a few thousand additional
employees.
II don't know what the answer
is," he said. ut looks pretty
bleak"
Space Bids Fall Short.
He pointed out that when ar
rangementS were made to lease
for Office space two apartment
houses nearing completion, Con-
gress blocked the deal. Recently
the Public Buildings Service called
for offers to the Government of
100000 square feet of Office space.
Seven tenders were received, for
a total of only 3s1,O66 square
feet.
The Budget Bureau already had
announced that agencies with
about 5000 employees would be the
first to be observation-disclosures
to other cities. Mr.. Reynolds said
that only where funds and au-
thority are available could this be
carried out and that only a very
few would be affected.
The dispersal bill received its
quietus through motion by SEN
ator Dirksen, Republican. of Illi-
noiS, to send it back to the Public
Works Committee. The motion
carried by vote of As to 80.
Ten Democrats voted with IS
Republicans to recommit the bill.
They were Senators Byrd and
Robertson Of Virginia, O'Conor of
Maryland, Connally of Texas,
George of Georgia, johnson of
Colorado, Johnston and Maybank
of South Carolina, McCarran of
Nevada and Smith of North
Carolina.
Five Republicans Favor Bill.
Five Republicans voted with "a
Democrats against the move. They
were Senators Aiken of Vermont,
Case Of South Dakota, Ives of
New York, Morse of Oregon and
Margaret Chase Smith of Maine.
When the motion carried,
Minority Leader Wherry and Sen
ator Dirksen then joined in a
parliamentary maneuver to clinch
the shelving of the bill by pre-
venting later reconsideration. This
was adopted.
Senator Holland, Democrat, OF
Florida, who managed the bill on
the floor, said this was IAN i'm
portant new development" in that
it made clear the Republicans had
made action on the bill a party
matter.
He told reporters later that any
further action to prepare the
Capital for an attack would have
to wait for a constructive sug-
gestion from the Republicans
1--WE should wait for the Repub-
licans to find out there is such
a thing as an atomic bomb,' he
said.
Sees Attack Invited.
Chairman Mcmahon of the
Joint Committee on Atomic En-
ergy, said to reporters:
1T will be interesting to see
how they will dispatch the retail
atory forces when Washington is
bombed. The 'warhawks' of the
China theater do not realize they
may have precipitated attacks or
the unready cities of the United
States and by their action today
may have deprived the people Of
an effective defense which Cal!
only come from a unified COM
mand." This last was a reference
to what he believed might result
from an attack on the Capital.
The vote to recommit came
after an afternoon of debate ir
which the measure was assaileC
on several counts. Senator Dirk
sen characterized it as "puny,
and Senator johnson of Colorad.
adopted this word and said hi
would call it "phony" were il
not for his respect for the bill;
hackers.
Senator Dirksen said the bill
would take some people out O.
Washington and bring others in
so you would just be killing {
different set of people,
More Decentralization Support.
There appeared to be more sup
port for decentralization than TO,
dispersal. An amendment by Sen
ator Cane, Republican, of Wash
ington was adopted which woult
have made mandatory the sending
of agencies with $4,000 jobs II
other cities.
Several other efforts to ament
the bill were in the offing but tn
vote to recommit came befor
there was a chance to bring then
to vote. Senator johnson pro
offered one, which would have GU
out the dispersal provisions bu
left the other features of the bill