Evening star., 1954-12-26

as chairman of the six-man (three
Republicans, three Democrats) COM
mittee of Senators delegated to de-
eide whether Senator Mccarthy de-
served cenSure.
Mr.. Watkins turned out to be a
good man with the gavel-the only
one, in fact, who has shown he can
silence MFR. Mccarthy with it.
Another setback for the WiScon-
sin Senator was delivered in Au-
gust. Mr.. McCarthy's own subcom-
mittee, under the temporary chair
manship OF Senator Karl Mundt Of
South Dakota. delivered it's report
on the 36-day Army-McC cCarthy
hearings. The majority of four Re-
publicans had the milder of the
two conclusions which the subcom-
mittee produced: Senator Mccarthy
had been guilty Of mistaken Judg-
ment. injudicious action and indis-
Greet activities" The minority Of
three Democrats decided Mr.. Nc
Carthy merits severe criticism
Senatorial opinion. it appeared,
was finally building UP to something
decisive in the hectic history of Sem
ator Mccarthy.
Congress Record
The 83d Congress adjournment
was greeted with satisfaction on all
sides. President Eisenhower and the
Republicans hailed it as having
brought to fruition SO per cent Of
the administrations progressive"
program. The Democrats charged
out to the hustings claiming they
saved" the President from the right
wing Of his own party, and tried to
take as much credit as possible for
the record that was made.
An impartial evaluator (Congres-
sional Quarterly thought the Pres
ident had batted only .625, but that
was still impressive, especially con-
sidering the Importance Of individ-
ual measures passed.
The Republicans had not undone
the New Deal revolution, as some
Of their right-wing adherents had
hoped. But reyisions in the Atomic
-
from public power development
on the grand Democratic scale. The
cut in Federal aid to States de-
emphasized central government. The
Democrats high, rigid price sup
ports for farm goods were modified
In favor Of flexible ones. Public
housing was treated as more Of
stepchild than the, Democrats had
considered it.
In spending. the Republicans
could point to lower level Of ap-
propriations but still had not been
able to balance the budget. Taxes
were reduced some, but not very
much. A gigantic reform Of the
tax structure was written into law.
reducing levies on some dividend
income and some personal income.
A major victory was passage Of
the st. Lawrence Seaway authorize
ton. That was something Presi-
dents had been trying to beat the
railroad lobbies on for IS years.
Foreign aid was continued. but at
q lower level. That perhaps was
the most important congressional
action in foreign affairs. An at
tempt to curtail the Presidents
authority to act in the international
field, the Bricker amendment. was
narrowly defeated. And the prob
lem Of reducing American tariff
and customs barriers was post
poned for another year.
Dixon Votes
In the field Of domestic politics,
''Dixon-Yates" got another mauling
far from its last--at the hands
OF the Democrats. The Atomic
Energy Commission had entered into
negotiations with q private power
syndicate to build an electricity gem
Grating plant across the river from
Memphis, Tenn. Purpose of the
plant was to feed current into the
Tennessee Valley Authority system
to supplement IVA power needed by
ACC at Paducah. KY.
The Democrats fell on the issue
like ton of bricks. Some persons
felt they hit it too hard especially
when Democratic National Chairman
Stephen Mitchell tried to link the
friendship of President Eisenhower
and Bobby Jones with the decision
to have the Dixon-Yates syndicate
build the plant.
EDc's Lingering Deoth
Foreign problems were stiil very
much on the mind Of Congress and
the executive branch. however. Pre-
mier Mendes-France was the chief
cause Of worry. he met with the
six EDC countries. Britain and the
United States at Brussels late IN
the month to ask revisions In the
treaty calling for . supranational
army. The other foreign ministers
reception of his plan land Of him
Was frigid.
He went away disappointed and
predicted under his breath that his