Show r I Washington Merry Merry-Co Round Congressmen Try to o Beat Service Ban Baa By Drew Pearson WASHINGTON The president president prest- prest dent listened sympathetically to those four congressmen who called on him to urge that the theban theban theban ban on members of congress serving in the tho armed forces be rescinded But ho he didn't didn't budge from his position that the ban should remain in force What do you want me to do violate the constitution he bluntly asked his callers who were Representatives Lyle Boren of Oklahoma Joe Hendricks of Florida Will Rogers Jr of California California California Cali Cali- fornia and John Fogarty Fog of Rhode Island Roosevelt contended that the constitution barred members of congress from holding any office under the tile United States during their legislative terms Attorney General Biddle h has UJ in interpreted interpreted interpreted in- in this to mean that congressmen congressmen con con- gressmen gIC cannot l legally ally join the armed forces unless they first resign from congress The president added that there was WaB even a a. legal question n about the right of congressmen to hold nonpaying reserve commissions But Mr President spoke up young Representative Hendricks Hendricks Hendricks Hen Hen- dricks that is one mans man's inter inter- Members of congress were given leaves of absence to fight for their country in the last war They weren't forced to resign and all the countries have been following the same policy in this war Representative Boren pointed out that 85 members of the British British British Brit Brit- ish h house use of or commons and members of the house of lords were granted leaves of absence to join up Eleven of the former had been killed in action he said Thirteen members of the Canadian Canadian Canadian Cana Cana- dian parliament are in uniform and the New Zealand and Australian Australian Aus Aus- governments likewise have no restrictions against I leggy leg isla tors going to war the Oklahoman Oklahoman Oklahoman Okla- Okla homan added Roosevelt replied that in his opinion congress had violated the constitution in giving 11 members of the house and senate senate senate sen sen- ate leaves of absence to serve In the last war Oh well you weren't commander commander commander com com- mander in chief then shot back Hendricks jokingly Roosevelt frequently accused of enlarging on the constitution smiled at th this 9 I rib b but retorted that there was nothing to prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent congressmen itching to serve In in the army from r resigning resigning resign resign- gning ing their legislative jobs His four callers protested that this would mean losing their seniority rank ranle on commit commit- tees They would ha have vc to start in at the bottom if reelected after the war they said and the seniority they had accumulated accumulated accumulated would be wasted They also argued that tha if a a. congressman congress congress- man x resigned to join the army and then was released for physical cal reasons six weeks later he would have lost all opportunity to serve either militarily or leg leg- unfair to members like myself who sincerely want to join the service commented Representative Hendricks We Ve should be given some tion Roosevelt nodded ca out didn't alter his tion Note Congressmen with a ayen ayen ayen yen for military service did not intend to take the presidents president's latest dictum lying down They are planning to sponsor a a. resolution resolution resolution reso reso- lution authorizing leaves of ot absence absence absence ab ab- ab- ab sence during wartime That failing they tiley may seek a verbal agreement with house and senate senate senate sen sen- ate leaders that members who join the armed forc forces will win be restored to their full fuU seniority rank after atter the war It was lost in all the horse- horse trading and haranguing but it took ok sheer courage for those 18 Republican congressmen to re resist resist resist re- re the tho strongest kind of t pressure pressure pressure pres pres- sure from party leaders and vote vole right down the line for the Worley Worley Worley Wor- Wor ley bill for a federal ballot banot for soldiers Among the Republicans who voted for the Worley Varley bill were Representatives Bender of Ohio La Follette of Indiana Welch and Anderson of California Burdick Burdick Burdick Bur- Bur dick of North Dakota Canfield Powers and Wolverton of New Jersey and of N New w York In addition a sizeable quota of young southern statesmen proved that Representative Representative Representative John Rankin of Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi a sippi does not speak entirely for forthe forthe forthe the south These young southerners southerners southerners south south- erners bear watching They believed believed believed be be- in bringing the conflict between southern diehards and liberals squarely Intro intO the open They included Representatives Worley of Texas who led the fight for his bill Johnson and arid Monr ey of Oklahoma Fulbright Fulbright Fulbright Ful- Ful bright of Arkansas Gore Kefauver Kefauver Kefauver Ke- Ke fauver and Priest of Tennessee Sparkman of f Alabama Cooley and Bonner of ot North Carolina Hendricks of Florida Lyndon Johnson and Kilday of Texas and of Georgia the tho house horse Democratic whip While these southern Democrats Demo Demo- Democrats crat were bolting Joe tin Martin house Republican leader was WM having troubles of his own own It was Martin who sparked the attack attack attack at at- tack on the Worley bill in the secret G GOP 0 P caucus which preceded preceded preceded pre pre- ceded the house adoption of a parliamentary rule barring a a. aroll aroll roll call vote on the bill a bill a rule which lat later r was reversed under pressure from the press press the public and the White House |