Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-04-12
PORTCULLIs DOWN
Senate's Castle Is Its Home
BY MARY McGRORY
Star staff Writer

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Secret sessions Of congress
sional committees are the rage
This year on Capitol Hill. But
secret sessions of the whole
Senate are most unusual.
, 1t is not hard to lock up the
Senate and seal 1t off from q
curious press and public.
: All 1t takes is the motion Of
one Senator. seconded by an
other.
1t never does much good.
however.
Senator Russell, Democrat Of
Georgia. a profound student Of
Senate rules and human behav-
TOR, told a sad tale when he
realized that the Senate was
about to close its doors for the
first time in 20 years.
mfr. President" he said, at
so happens that I was a partic-
ipant In the executive session
IN 1913. Certainly, 1t failed in
Its purpose; for what we
thought would be taken in ex-
ecutive session and would re-
main in the bosom Of the Sen
ate was all over the country.
and disseminated through the
press even before the executive
session concluded"
Z, Can Open Record
Furthermore, he pointed out
later, the Senate could, by ma
jority vote, open up the record
Of the proceedings Of the Sc
cret session.
Still, Senator Thurmond,
Democrat Of South Carolina,
the stern foe Of the " "muz-
zling" Of the Pentagon's mill
tary orators, was adamant.
Senator Curtis, Republican
Of Nebraska, who Is equally
stern about things, offered to
second Senator Thurmond's
motion to exclude the world
from the Senate's considera-
ton of the military weapons
bill.
The preparations proceeded
in the most ominous and i'm
pressive manner. Suddenly the
Senate seemed transformed in
to a medieval stronghold. The
King Of the castle gave the
order, and 1t was portcullis
down, drawbridge up, and arm
ed knights to their posts.
Galleries Cleared
The tourists Of course, were
furious. The guards had to push |
them out. It is doubtful their |
resentment arose from q fas-
cinated attention to as much Of |
the discussion as they were per-
mltted to hear.
The Senators we're discussing
nuclear strategy, but due to the
fact that our anti-missiles are
named after Greek gods, it
sounded more like mythology
than survival.
The comparative merits of
the Nike-Ajax, Nike Zeus. Nike
Hercules and Nike-X were ex-
plored to what must have been
the total bewilderment Of any
in the galleries who do not
work in defense plants or sit
down with Defense Secretary
Mcnamara once q week.
But ignorance Of the details
was not considered sufficient
reason to remain and the tour
lists who had been comfortably
settled were most reluctant to
leave.
Occupants Of the Senate
family gallery obviously were
positive they would not be re-
quired to take part in the ex-
odus. The guards had to rout
them out and herd them to the
doors.
Two Exceptions
At the last minute exceptions
were made of privileged per-
sons who would be allowed to
remain in the besieged cas-
tie. Senator Russell got permis-
sion for the herd Of the pro-
fessional staff of the Armed
Services Committee to be in
cluded. Senator Saltonstall. Re-
publican Of Massachusetts,,
asked for the senior member of
the minority staff, a man with
the highest security clearance,
to be one Of the secret council.
But everyone else had to 60.
The doors were locked, the
guards sat athwart them, even
in the press gallery, and the
Senate began to discuss mat
tiers which will probably not be
made public for more than "a
hours.