Evening star., 1952-07-05
Russell Defends
BYd'sVoteson on
Farm Issues
Georgia Senator
Notes Thot His Name
Has Entered Dispute
1Y he Associated Press

Has Entered Dispute
By The Assoeiaisd Pres.
Presidential Candidate Richard
B. Russell Is the latest to rally to
the defense Of Senator Byrd's
farm vote record one Of the chief
of Francis Pickens Miller
and his senatorial campaign sup
porters.
The Georgia Democratic Sena-
tor. in a statement last night, said
the Senate "does not have q more
conscientious or harder working
member than Senator Byrd.
While Senator Russell, who 10
campaigning for the Democratic
presidential nomination. was put
Ting In q good word for his fellow
Iawmaker, MIR. Miller came up
with another attack on Senator
Byrd's voting record,
- .s -. z X b
Mr.. Miller, who hopes to unseat
Senator Byrd in the July IS Demo- I,
cratic primary. said .Virginia's
senior Senator voted against Mar
shall Plan aid, sided with the RE
publicans in an attempt to pre-
vent merchant ships from arming
Just before Pearl Harbor and voted
against increasing seryicemen's
pay from $2l to $50 . month in
1912.
Decides to Comment.
Senator Russell said he had de-
cided to comment on Senator
|Byrd's farm voting record because
"it has come to my attention
that my name has been injected
into the Democratic senatorial
contest in Virginia"
He said Senator Byrd ''has DEM
onstrated his knowledge Of and in
terest In the problems of the farm
|ers of this country. This is par.
ticularly true with respect to the
soil conservation program. the
original and basic soil conserva.
ton act being passed with Senator
Byrd's support on February IS,
1896" He added:
Senate Bill 2787 which was
passed by the Senate on December
III. 1887. has, I understand, been
"a subject of much discussion. Both
Senator Byrd and I opposed this
bill due to the very drastic penal
ties against farmers incorporated
therein.
'That bill provided criminal
penalties against farmers violating
rules or regulations issued by the
Secretary of Agriculture, which
position was then occupied by Sec
retary Henry Wallace. The bill
contained many Objectionable fea.
lures.
Never Became . Law.
Chiefly, it related to the vast
power vested in the Secretary Of
Agriculture over farming activities
and although it was passed In the
Senate over my objection as well
as Senator Byrd's, the House Of
Representatives never adopted IL
and it never became q law
Senator Russell said another bill
dealing with the same subject
matter but without the drastic
and punitive provisions" was
passed by the Senate on February
IA. 1888.
He said this bill formed the
basic agricultural legislation
establishing acreage controls and
support prices for. tobacco and
other basic commodities" Added
Senator Russell:
This bill received the support
OF both Senator Byrd and me-"
MIR. Miller hammered away at
Senator Byrd in another Of his
Statewide radio addresses last
might. He said the Senator in a
speech in Richmond on December
-. 1927, referred to Italian Die
Itator Mussolini as lone Of the few
great, supreme leaders the world
has ever produced"
Mr.. Miller said history has
proven Mussolini, asSassinated by
Italian partisans during World
War II, to be zone of the most
jevil men Of our time"
Cites Un-American Charge.
He said he mentioned Senator
lByrd's praise Of Mussolini because
the implication is being made In
the senatorial campaign that a
vote for him (Miller) will be un-
American.
Not long ago." said Mr.. Miller.
while driving along Route IL.
about one mile south Of Glouces.
ter Court House. I came upon a
large billboard upon which was
written: Vote American, return
Harry F.. Byrd to the United States
Senate: Maintain your Democrats
form OF government
He said Senator Byrd thus .'fas
raised the question of Americana
ism in its sharpest form"
g.. What kind Of an American
are you (Byrd) to raise the ones-
ton OF Americanism in relation
to a man who has volunteered in
two world wars, who has seen
five years Of active military service
overseas. and who, In the First
World War, was q combat SOLDIER
in the old LIST Division Of the
Regular Army?"
In addition to criticizing Sena.
tor Byrd's voting record again,
Mr. Miller also leveled an attack
lat the Senator because, according
to MIR. Miller, he allowed his
franking privilege to be used by
Edward A. Rumely. who was con-
lvicted Of trading with the enemy
during World War /.