The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1959-06-02
Washington
News Report

Washington. D. c. June 2 - New
Mexico's Senator Clifton P. Ander-
son, the liberal who two years ago
led the Souths battle to kill Part
III from the Civil Rights Bill is
now demanding repayment in kind
from the Southern bloc, and the
price is the death of Lew Strass'
nomination to be Secretary of Com
merce
The fate of President Essen
hoWer's appointment of Nh Strauss
to the Commerce post hung pre-
cariously in the balance as Sen
ator Anderson. with powerful help
from key Democratic leaders, Wag-
eel an about cloakroom battle to
kill the nomination.
There were strong indications
that the Strauss nomination would
not be confirmed by the Senate.
though the vote would be extremely
close.
The key to the ultimate outcome
was in the undeclared position of
Senate Majority Leader Lyndon B
Johnson.
Should Johnson go to the aid Of
Strauss, the nomination would I'M
Questionably be confirmed Should
he decide to fight it. chances were
t h a the Strauss appointment
would fall by the Wayside
There was every indication that
the Majority Leader would oppose
the Strauss nomination. though he
had given no hint as to what he
would do Evidence Of this lay in
the fact that. the Strauss nomina-
ton question was fast developing
into a partyline issue. through
the Majority Leader had denied he
would make it q partisan question
The Senate Commerce Committee
, voted SO to report the Strauss
nomination to the Senate floor All
eight Of the opposing votes We're
Democratic All Republicans on the
Committee voted to approve
Only three Democrats voted for
approving the nominations South
Carolina S Srom Thurmond. Ohio S
Frank Lausche. and Rhode Is
land 5 John Pastore Some signi-
flance may lie in the fact that two
Of the three Democrats Who voted
to approve the Strauss nomination
were members Of the Special Sen
ate Committee on Textile Prob
lens Senators Thurmond and Pas
tore The other member Of the Tex
I tile Committee. Sen Norris Cotton
New Hampshire Republican. also
voted to confirm
This may be especially signifi-
cant in that. the night before the
Strauss Committee vote. President
Eisenhower wrote a letter to Stauss
instructlng him to set Up an inter-
4 agency Federal Commission to
study textile problems. an action
/ recommended BY the Senate Textile
Committee
Florida S Sen. George Smathers
can usually be regarded as a
Weathervane as to what Senator
Lyndon Johnson Will do in contro-
4 verslal situations, On the Strauss
nomination @ Smathers voted with
I the majority on the Commerce Com
mittee in opposition to reporting the
nomination to the floor
/ Senator Anderson made t h {
4 Strauss nominations a Strickly per-
I sonal issue He was approaching
Senator'S from that standpoint. and
using every means at his command
| to line up votes against the nomi-
| nation
! To SOutherners he argued that.
but for his help, the Reconstruction
type Part III of the 1857 Civil
Rights Act would have been passed
by the Senate. In return for his
assistance in killing that section
OF the bill, he demanded that South
ern Democrats stand behind him in
his efforts to kill the Strauss ap-
pointment.
A few Southerners were respond
ing to Senator Anderson's call for
assistance, but there was no indi-
cation that the South, as a bloc,
Won d vote against Admiral
Strauss's nomination
In fact, it appeared the South
may split down the middle of the
Commerce Secretary's appointment
Even 50, the chances for an Adj
mlnistration victory on the Strauss
nomination appeared dim. and get
ting DINNER as time progressed