Show Washington Round Merry GOP Senators Upset Over Conversion Bill WASHINGTON While WASHINGTON While Governor Governor Governor Gov Gov- Dewey has been so effectively effectively harping on on delays in re re- re conversion plans his Republican colleagues in the secrecy of the senate enate military affairs committee commit commIt- tee were conducting a behind- behind the scenes filibuster against certain cerain certain tain ain phases of They were gunning for the Kil Kil- Murray gore bill which provides provides provides pro pro- vides high unemployment compensation compensation com com- for labor Leader of the opposition was yas Vermont's astute capable Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Warren Austin who with support from G GOP 0 P colleagues Chan Gurney of South Dakota and Chapman of West Virginia went over the bill nil with a tooth fine-tooth comb Austins Austin's chief strategy was to tory try ry to separate the bill into two parts one dealing with labor compensation the theother theother theother other with disposal of surplus property Most of his colleagues thought hought he meant merely to di divide divide divide di- di vide the bill for purposes of discussion discussion dis dis- dis- dis inside the committee However Senator Harley Kilgore Kilgore Kil- Kil gore of West Virginia saw the move as a means of splitting the bill so that the part dealing with surplus property which business wants could be passed with Republican Republican Re Re- publican support leaving labor compensation which business doesn't want to be stalled without without without with with- out Republican support Kilgore accordingly spiked the move Austin also opposed d plans for forthe forthe the he pub production lie lic ic board created by the bill to get information from federal agencies It is Kilgore's and Murrays Murray's contention that to handle landle in an orderly orderly ordery order- order ly y way someone must know in advance when the war and navy departments are going to cancel cancel cancel can can- cel war orders There must be beno beno beno no more surprise cancellations as in the Brewster case they argue H Howe However o w e v e r Senator Austin hung back on the idea of giving giving ing ng this information to a special board It was quickly apparent whom he was speaking for when Chairman Bob Reynolds of North Carolina pulled from his pocket a letter from Undersecretary Undersecretary Undersecretary of War Patterson who wrote that the war department opposed giving information to such a board There is complete justification tion for granting the board full po power er to get information shot back sack Senator Lister Hill Hili of Ala Ala- bama Already the army has shown its hand he said referring referring refer refer- ring ring- to Pattersons Patterson's letter It I will give more trouble unless we establish the clear authority of the board t Proxies Work Both Wa s 's Republican members then picked on a salary allotted to toa toa toa a deputy administrator created by the bill and reduced it to 10 They thought that Senator Kilgore had his West Virginia friend former Assistant Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary of War Louis Johnson in mind for the job After about two days of examining examining examining ex ex- details of the bill Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Austin finally called for a aroll aroll aroll roll call apparently confident that the Republicans could defeat defeat defeat de de- de- de feat the bill in committee On the surface it looked as if he was right Only five Democrats were present Reynolds of North Carolina Hill of Alabama Johnson of Colorado Kilgore and Murray Against them were three Republicans plus four Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican proxies which Austin held in his pocket The Vermont senator smiled confidently as the roll was called But he nearly popped out of his chair when Senator Kilgore produced proxies for five absent Democrats How do y you vou u like your proxies proxies proxies' les ies ies' ies Kilgore Sitting or on the wing The vote was 7 10 in favor of the bill However Austin dragged out the afternoon insisting in insisting insisting in- in on roll calls on a dozen minor points Discouraged by bythe bythe bythe the sta staccato ca of KI Kilgore's gores gore's Ayes yes South Dakotas Dakota's s Gurney at one point started to propose an amendment then shrugged his shoulders saying Oh what's the use 1 Note Note Note-At At Senator Austins Austin's el elbow elbow elbow el- el bow during the sessions was Scott Russell Russett head of the Bibb Manufacturing Cot Copt of of Macon Ga one of the largest textile firms in in- inthe the south Russell left lefta a lucrative job to serve as advIser adviser adviser ad ad- to Senator Georges George's committe committee com com- mitte on Exit Truman Truman Truman-It It was all very polite and veiled but G GOP 0 P members of the Truman committee committee committee com com- were not at all happy about Senator Truman's resignation nation When t the they h e y argued against Truman's leaving the committee they really meant it The Democrats also urged Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man to stay oh on on the job but they didn't really mean it Only a few a-few few months ago the Republicans had accused Truman Truman Truman Tru Tru- man of using the committee to whitewash the administration but last week they tumbled allover all allover allover over him Jn in their praise Actually Actually Actually Ac Ac- Truman has handled the committee in an impartial manner manner manner man man- ner and is truly respected by all members What the Republicans were hoping for was to ha have va Truman remain in the chair then push him to issue reports unfavorable to the administration If It he did so so they had campaign fodder If It he tried to pull punches they could claim that the vice presidential presidential nominee was playing politics by keeping the facts from the people M |