Evening star., 1951-07-22
As Senator Moody Sees 1t
By BIoir Moody
Senator from Michigan


A new low in cold -blooded po-
litical maneuvering at the public s
expense was recorded last week by
the coalition of Republicans and
Dixiecrats now apparently in un-
bridled control of the House.
With less than two weeks be-
fore the crucial July 81 deadline
on imitation, Congress must decide
whether to provide an adequate
and workable new law OF risk
wrecking our free incentive sys-
tenn. The rightists are Offering
the country the alternative of a
controls systems so riddled with
holes as to be completely ineffec-
tive. or else one SO spitefully rigid
as to destroy thousands of small
businesses and cripple war pro-
duction.
1t is not to the Senate, or to his
party alone. that the Indignantly
cauStic comment of Senator
Wayne Morse, the Progressive and
Independent Oregon Republican,
should apply. Senator Morse,
asked why he has voted with the
Republican leadership in this ses-
sion only 43 per cent of the time,
said he was surprised the per-
centage was as high as that, in
view of the partisan record the
Republican leadership has made
In the Senate this session.
Explains Prior Record.
His previous record of voting
with the G. o. P. 10 per cent of
the time, Senator Morse said, was
prior to this session of Congress
when Republican leaders were
placing greater emphasis on public
welfare than on the next election. "
It is true, as Senator Morse in
dicates, that the great prepon-
derance of -isolationist and
mf1ationist votes are located, in
both houses. on his aide of the
aisle. But it should not be for
gotten that the added margin
which brings the coalition victory
is provided by rightiStS carrying
the Democratic label, chiefly from
one section of the country, who
seem equally the captive of, or at
least captivated by, narrow, spe-
cial interests.
A good sample was the House
vote on the amendment by Repre-
sentative Davis, Democrat, of
Georgia to put an infexible four
month freeze on wages and prices,
though not on all food prices.
There could not have been the
slightest doubt by any intelligent
person within earshot that the
spirit Of this amendment was per-
sonif1ed by the prominent Repub-
lican Congressman who turned to
the press gallery, which at this
moment was representing the
peoples interest much more faith
fully than the House. and shouted:
You wanted price controls.
Now you've got them
Purely Political Move.
Here was an amendment in
stantly recognized as purely po-
litical. Since both Congress and
the executive failed to act promptly
in applying an adequate controls
system when Korea was invaded,
prices moved up rapidly and very
unevenly. The Davis amendment
would freeze into law the prof.
teering price increases imposed
by dollar-sign patroits during that
period, while penalizing the public
spirit of other businessmen who
responded to the Government IS
plea to hold prices voluntarily
BY cementing these dislocations
into the economic structure, Con-
gress. could block adjustments
that now must be made. not only
on a basis of equity, but in some
areas, such as the machine tool
industry, to get military produc-
ton
1t is doubtful whether any one
who advocated the Davis amend
ment really thought it could clear
a Senate-House conference, but il
was quite clear that if the Goa.
litionists were successful in this
instance they would be wreckine
the controls system in an unusually
clever way. They could discredit
the whole effort of those trying
to hold a dixie against initiation
while telling the public they hac
offered a real" controls system
If the President then felt com.
PEELED to veto the whole law anc
demand that Congress live up tt
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