Evening star., 1954-08-15
Action to Outlaw
Party Due for
Some Revisions
By |. Edgar Primo

muIllSC FaTCy.
House Republican Leader Hal
leck yesterday announced plans
to offer tomorrow an amendment
to the Senate bill outlawing the
party which he said would
eliminate administration objec-
tions. The Senate bill was
passed Thursday in a surprise
vote, IS to 0. The House is ex-
pected to approve the amend
ment.
It is understood that the House
amendment would deprive the
Communist Party of any legal
status. but would not call for
punishment of individual men,
bers. The Senate measure listed
fines of up to $4,000 and jail
terms of up to five years for per-
sons who became or remained
members of the party and COM
mitted any act to carry out its
purposes.
Confusion Multiplied.
= More confusion was injected
into the already confused anti
subversion picture yesterday
when a story out of Camp David,
President Eisenhower's retreat
at Thurmont, Md, quoted an
administration official as saying
that the President was con-
vinced the Senate bill would
make propaganda martyrs" OF
the domestic Reds and that he
planned to ask the House to
kill it.
On Friday, however, top JUS
tice Department officials met
with House leaders to draft the
new amendments which Mr.. Hal
leck said. would in fact outlaw
the Communist Party"
Some Republican leaders have
said privately that any attempt
to kill the outlawing bill would
amount to political suicide and
lose for the G.. o. r. its chief
and enduring issue-that OF
Communism.
G. O. r. Outmaneuvered.
The Republicans were put on
the defensive Thursday when
Senator Humphrey, Democrat, OF
Minnesota. offered an amend
ment to the administrations
backed Butler bill aimed at end
ing Red domination of certain
labor unions. The amendment
would have killed that bill and
instead proposed outlawing the
Communist Party.
Then, when Senator Daniel
Democrat. of Texas, offered an
amendment to the Humphrey
substitute to include the Butler
bill, Senate Republican Leader
Knowland said he would support
the combined measure. It's pas
sage was assured.
Senator Knowland told the
Senate last night he intends tC
tell President Eisenhower to-
morrow that Congress wants
enacted law outlawing the Red
Party.
Senator Knowland's statement
was made after Senator Hum
phrey told the Senate that there
were rumors abroad that the
House may attempt to "wate1
down" or even kill the Senate
bill.
Pledges Roll Call.
''If any one tries to scuttle the
bill, We'll have to have another
roll call on the matter" he de-
clared.
Senator Knowland, who will
see the President at his regular
Monday conference with legis-
lative leaders, said there was nc
desire on the part of Senators
to weaken operation of the
Smith Anti-Subversive Act by
passage of the bill to outlaw the
Communist Party-an objection
reported raised by Attorney Gen
eral Brownell to the bill.
II would be very disappointed
il there were returned to the
Senate legislation that does not
contain a provision outlawine
the Communist Party" the
G. o. P. leader said. This is
not in any way partisan mat
ter"
The legislation the House will
consider tomorrow will include
the Velde bill, a companion to
the Butler bill. If the House
approves the combined measure
it will then go to a Senate House
conference.
Overcomes Objections.
In q statement yesterday. Mr.
Halleck said:
1.-THE House amendment woulC
not impair the Governments
present security program, Il
would meet objections hereto.
fore voiced by the Attorney Gen.
eral and j Edgar Hoover agains
proposals similar to certain fea-
lures of the Senate amend
ment, and would in fact out
law the Communist Party il
the United States"
Mr.. Halleck contended tina
the Senate bill would outlaw the
Communist Party. and 'woulC
not strengthen the hand of tn,
Government in its fight against
communism" In fact. headed
the bill would hamper the in
ternal security program"