Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-01-04
Republican Chiefs
Agree Generally on
Eisenhower Program

Republican congressional lead
ers report general agreement"
with the legislative program
President Eisenhower plans to
lay before Congress Thursday.
Senate Republican Leader
Knowland said he believes the
program, to be outlined tn the
State of the Union message Gen.
Eisenhower viii deliver before 3
Joint session Of the Senate and
House. will be 'Well received
by the Congress and the coun.
try
Senator Knowland talked with
reporters after q joint confer
ence Of g. o. P. congressional
leaders and members Of the Cab
met with the President ct the
White House yesterday after
noon,
George Sees Good Relations.
At the same time. Senator
George. Democrat. Of Georgia
predicted Democrats will have no
"basic disagreements' with the
President over foreign. national
defense and world trade policies.
Senator George. in line to be-
come the chairman Of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee,
said In an interview that unless
something unforeseen develops.
he believes relations between the
Democrats in Congress an the
White House will be good.
"On the foreign affairs. inter-
national trade and national de-.
Tense programs, do not think
there will be any basic disagree
ments with the President" he
said. Perhaps there viii be ar
guments over some details. But
/ do not anticipate sharp. funda-
mental differences over even
most of the domestic program"
Message Discussed.
White House Press Secretary
James G. Hagerty said a draft
Of the state-of-the-U Union mes
sage, which Gen. Eisenhower
has been working on for
the last few weeks. was dis
cussed section BY section in the
White House conference yester-
day.
Mr.. Hagerty told questioners
no major changes in the message
would be required as a result Of
the discussions.
Asked If there were any dis
agreements, he said, mo, ]
wouldn't say any disagreements
ut ALL"
Representative Halleck Of In
diana. House Majority Leader In
the old Congress, said he thought
the program to be presented BY
the President Is VERY good" and
that most of it will be enacted"
Senator Knowland told re-
porters that most of the recon-
mendations to be made by the
President in the State Of the
Union message already had been
disclosed.
The White House has made
known that the President will
ask that the minimum wage be
raised from rs to 90 cents an
hour: recommend pay increases
for Government workers and Sc
lective pay raises for military
personnel; call for q new high
way building program. and re-
new requests for action on parts
Of his legislative program first
submitted to Congress last year
which were not enacted.
Extend Trade Act.
Among other things, he plans
TO stress again his proposal for
O three-year extension Of the
Reciprocal Trade Agreements
Act with added authority to cut
tariffs.
This foreign trade liberaliza-
ton program appears assured
Of wide support among Demo-
Gratis who will control the new
Congress. Democratic leaders Of
the new House and Senate were
consulted by Gen. Eisenhower
last month on this program and
other proposals he will make in
the fields of foreign policy and
national defense, including Q
new military reserve system.
Democrats were not invited TO
the White house conference yes
terday, however. Gen. Eisen-
hover has no plans for advance
consultation with them on do
mestic issues.
Mr.. Hagerty said the State Of
the Union message probably will
be about 6.400 words long and
require about As minutes for de-
livery.