Show This Week In Washington D. D C. C WASHINGTON D. D C C C- Dec 71 1 l lAut Aut caster When the specia special session was called callej s-K s weeks ago Ii It became evident from the firs first that tha Congress was in a mood Dood to assert its pre New Deal independence Busi Busi- Business Business ness wanted rolls relief from irom an ill distri buted tax burden a and jd some som assurance assur- assur ance of a n stable government c. policy toward labor Labor lator faction engaged on en In an Internal row uman l clarification of lases affecting collective tive live bargaining Besides this the o standing longer-standing problems of or relief relief reorganization of government depart departments ments regional planning balancing of the budget and a threatening foreign situation all called for timely timely time time- ly lr Intelligent action The four point four legislative program program pro pro- gra gram m pr presented by tho the White Ilous which had been prepared during the thE- relatively sereno serene summer mouths months I failed to click with Congressional independents who were in no mood I to tune up the pads ink-pads for another stamp rubber-stamp session But the I House and Senate Senale was faced with I the many-horned many dilemma of having to cling to the Presidents President's Must 1 I schedule throttle opposition moves I and If necessary stall for time until until until un un- til dependable majorities could be swung solidly behind a more mOro up-to- up date governmental go policy to combat the politically ominious Roosevelt Recession II Plans Finns To Boost Business Immediate plans to help business Continued on page four i This Week In DC D.C. C from page one are still largely largel in tl the conference stage Passage of the Housing Bill I by the House was the first concrete step stet to carry out the Presidents President's I program to stimulate a building boom Other moves in the workS will be he designed to help the railroads with higher rates rats easy credit and recommended consolidations Public Public Public Pub Pub- lic utilities may be given a breathing spell and the present tax structure will be he modified to relieve middle sized businesses of their present f I oppressive burdens i No doubt affected by the verbal baI ban barrage rage age from assembled business businessmen men at the tho National Association of Manufacturers Manufacturer convention discussed discussed discussed dis dis- dis- dis cussed last week the thc House refused to add another hamstring to business busi husi- business ness when It voted to send the Black Connery Va Wages eg and Hours Bill Dill back hack to the Labor Committee House spokesmen doubted whether it would ev ever r be revived The Bill backed by CIO and opposed by the powerful lobby was killed largely through a blockade action led by Southern Congressmen who 1 1 it 1 u osing t L a cos on among Opp W O Democrats and Republicans to deLeat de- de teat icat the pet Administration measure has Hus Many IHn Hurdles s The Tho Farm Bill Dill experienced a better better bet bet- ter fate The House passed its own version of the Bill Dill and awaited similar similar sim sim- ilar action by the Senate which came nine days later lator Differences between be be- tween the two measures are being ironed out preparatory to final pass pas- pas s ge and presentation for White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House HOUie approval sometime in early 1938 u uless ess the House refuses to confirm Senate charges or if of of the Wages and Hours Horns Bill carry carryout carryout carryout out thir their threat to scuttle Farm Relief Relief Re Re- lief after artEr their Bill for which they traded votes was not passed A Aveto Aveto Aveto veto is also possible because e of or the Boileau McNary-Boileau Amendment which cannot annot be changed In conference prohibiting use of retired acreage b by warmers for tor pasturage or 01 for the production of milk meat or poultry Foreign l Affairs in ill Spotlight Lack of action last week in the domestic scene was more than tham coun- coun balanced by dE developments in m our affairs When first reports jf if the Pansy Pan bombing re reached ched here Japanese Ambassador HiroshI Saito Salto Rushed to the th office of Secretary dull Hull to present profound offer indemnities aid aad guarantee against of such Incidents Incidents incidents Inci dents But this time the White House lad aad evidently lost patience with the Nipponese e custom of presenting apologies after each combing and shooting of neutral Americans and a note signed FD FD F D. D R. R instructed Hull to request that the Japanese Foreign Office taU talk the matter over with Emperor and get some definite satisfaction Son of Heaven Gets Note Q g 1 I s d-s c ch h o 0 o 0 1 diplomats w were e ere r e shocked at the unprecedented I action The Japanese Emperor Son of Heaven and 1 lineal descendant of the Sun Goddess who according to legend made the world nearly 2600 years ago ag is aloof from politics politics poli poli- tics is consulted only at rare Intervals intervals Inter inter- vals on the most urgent questions through the medium of difficult court language which precludes extended discussion The firm American ln stand brought little results re re- The Emperor w was s reported I to have been duly informed but no reply was forthcoming from the of Holy An Impasse was struck In tho the diplomatic dIplomatic diplomatic dip dIp- situation when Japanese admit military officials refused to the charges of or witnesses and survivors ors Org of or the Panay sinking that land forces had raked the decks of oC the ship and machine-gunned machine sailors and civilians struggling In the water it Another point was made when was definitely proved roved that the US gunboat gun was was- flying the Stars and Stripes when tho the attack took place Field for fol Headline Scribes Throughout the week the Press has been having havin a field day of war scare scare- scare l headlines and here In Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington two Congressional moves could be directly traced to the su sudden sud- sud den Iden Interest In international affairs the Ludlow Ludlow Lud- Lud One action was to orco low Jow Amendment before the House early in the January regular session This Amendment would take away from Congress its constitutional i rIght light to declare war except after a aI national referendum affirming such action unless there ther was an invasion I of the United States or its territorial 1 pc possessions and an attack upon its citizens residing therein I More important Is the growing opinion that the Neutrality Act a aI aa as asI s I presently constituted is a failure I Representative Maas Minnesota I has already aheady proposed a resolution resolution- to repeal the act outright Sena Senator tor I Lodge has written a series of or amendments amendments amendments amend amend- ments to the present law which would emasculate it until It haal had haa practically no effect at all I |