Evening star., 1952-01-13
Senate Baeker,
Of Home Rule
Expect Passage
Bill Due for Debate
Tomorrow; Johnston
Leeds Opposition

comes up for discussion on the
Senate floor tomorrow and the
prospect is that 1t will be a lively
debate.
Legislation to give the District
limited form of self government
has been made pending business
and will come up shortly after
the Senate convenes at noon.
Sponsors, headed by a BIZ
partisan group of Senators, look
for passage. but the bill will be
strongly attacked by some South
ern legislators who want to block
it.
Senate leaders expect debate to
run for at least a day, maybe two.
johnson Leads Opponents.
Some proponents of the meg
sure last night expressed strong
hope for Senate approval. They
included Chairman Neely Of the
Senate District Committee; Sen
ator Kefauver, Democrat, of Ten
nessee, who will lead the fight for
the measure on the floor; Sen
ator Holland, Democrat, of Flor
ida. and District Commissioner F..
Joseph Donohue.
The fight against the legislation
will be lead by Senator Johnston,
Democrat, of South Carolina, who
plans to speak at length and ex-
poets support by other opponents.
Should the Senate pass the
legislation, it would face hazard
GUS fate in the House. The Senate
approved a somewhat different
home rule bill in the 81st Con-
gress. but the measure was buried
in the House District Committee.
The same House group, accord
ing to reliable indications, prob
ably would bottle up the pending
measure, if it passes the Senate.
Kefauver Calls 1t Vital.
An attempt to force the pre-
vious home rule bill to the House
floor by means of a petition, dis
charging the committee from con-
troll. failed.
Senator Kefauver, long a
champion of home rule for Wash
tngton. said last night he was "all
ready to go" into the word battle
for the legislation, which he de-
clared to be vital"
"This bill" he explained. "has
been worked out to give the maxi
mum home rule to the people of
the District. as far as possible
under the Constitution. It is
similar in pattern to home rule
we have for the territories. It
has the greatly needed feature
of a non-voting delegate in the
House. j.
NeeIy every Hopeful"
The measure calls for a mayor
appointed by the President. and
confirmed by the Senate; an
elected city council of Is mem
bers, an elected school board, and
the elected non-voting delegate
to the House.
Congress still would have over
riding authority.
Chairman Neely of the Senate
District Committee. also a cham
pion of home rule, said last night:
Il am very hopeful the measure
will pass the Senate" Senator
Nicely, Democrat, of West Vir-
ginia. has left the principal bur-
den of Senate debate tomorrow to
the Tennessee lawmaker, since he
will be tied up in hearings by the
Senate District subcommittee in
vestigating in the Capital.
Senator Holland. Democrat, of
Florida. former District Commit
tee member, last night reiterated
his support of home rule. He de-
clared it was necessary to make a
start on local self-government
here because of the growing COM
plications of Washington prob
lens. and the heavier burdens on
Congress, national and interna-
tional.
JOhnston's Strategy Secret.
Senator Johnston has not dis
closed the full chart of his planned
attack on the measure. But he
said he is prepared to lead the
fight, at length. and expects to
be supported by several other
Senators.
A newcomer to the Senate, Fred
A. Seaton, Republican. of Nebras-
ka, successor to the late Republi-
can. Senator Wherry, will have
the opportunity of casting his first
vote on the home rule bill.
A native of the District, Senator
Seaton said yesterday. he was
"glad to serve" on the District
Committee. to which he has been
assigned. But he said he was not
ready to say how he will vote on
the pending legislation. He plans
to listen carefully to the debate,
and to study the measure before
casting his vote.
Commissioner Donohue, in his
weekly radio broadcast over Sta
ton WWDC last night. said he
feels the chances for passage OF
the chances for passage of the
bill are excellent"
II can't see how it can fail to
pass with a tremendous majority.
he said. pointing out that % Sena-
tors, including leaders of both
parties, have announced support
of the measure.
Mr.. Donohue added that the
Senate backing cannot help but
influence the thinking in the
House."
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