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Show News ,t DypAULHALLON J' Jt;le:ifird by Wenlern N:whikji.t Unloa. CONGRESS ORDERED TO ACT ON LEGISLATION WASHINGTON. Senate Floor - Loader Earkley come out of the White House and announced the recess re-cess for which congress had been panting will be de- " ' i ' ' fy. ', - , layed untjl the very eve of Christmas jf necessary to get through the two CIO bills increasing unemployment compensation com-pensation and the full employment measure pledging the government an eternal but undefined unde-fined spending policy. Truman I ims is merely tne latest development develop-ment in Mr. Truman's battle with congress and an expression of his uncharacteristic firmness and Insistence Insis-tence in a rather Roosevelt style upon the top two points of his program pro-gram which are so unpopular in congress con-gress that they have been allowed to lie dormant without arousing a public pub-lic clamor. At the same time Mr. Barkley announced the President would allow al-low the youth draft act, officially known as "compulsory military twining," and the army-navy unification uni-fication bill to modernize the armed services into one force, to be permitted permit-ted to go over until after the Christmas Christ-mas holidays. The youth draft plan of the war department is observedly unpopular by observedly I mean a considerable genuine public sentiment has been expressed ex-pressed against it in letters to congressmen from unorganized Individuals in their home districts dis-tricts as well as the most formidable for-midable array of organized groups yet presented this session ses-sion against a measure educational, educa-tional, religious and even labor. Including CIO. The army-navy unification bill does not seem to be either popular or unpopular as far as I have been able to penetrate the normal sources of public opinion. My guess is the people do not understand it as it involves largely technical training problems, although most of the young people in both services with whom I have come in contact seem to be militantly in favor of it. FIGHT ON ARMY-NAVY ARMY-NAVY UNIFICATION Strange things began to happen to this proposed modernization pro-gam pro-gam several weeks ago. You may recall when the George (lieutenant general, head of air transport command) com-mand) report first appeared in this spot setting forth the modernization program which had been bottled by the shiniest and biggest brass hats of the combined chiefs of staff of both services, I reported that Admirals Ad-mirals Halsey and Nimitz, the fighting fight-ing admirals, were in favor of it. Since then both have indicated indicat-ed their intention to leave tha navy and likewise have made known their opposition. You might guess offhand that I made a mistake. I did not. Both Nimitz and Halsey were for the measure, and so informed in-formed the George committee when it was traveling around the world accumulating evidence evi-dence from the fighting men In the field. What happened to change their minds I do not know. - Equally and similarly strange has been the lack of developments in in-vestigating in-vestigating the responsibility for Pearl Harbor. The committee of inquiry in-quiry planned at first to take a jaunt j by air out to see Pearl Harbor, although al-though a half hour's trip to the navy department would have permitted them to Inspect bas-relief as well as topographical surveys of the whole islands. What they could find otherwise at Pearl Harbor now that the sunken ships have been raised, I cannot learn. The committee Investigation itself got involved In what reporters re-porters call a political fight with the Democrats obviously trying to hold back matters In one way or another, then loosening up a little here and there, and the Republicans outraged but confused con-fused and unable to penetrate the administration tactics successfully. suc-cessfully. The sum total of it has been nothing an absolute nothing. This vacuumized condition can be rather plainly seen but my authoritative authori-tative informants hereabouts have wondered if there were any connection connec-tion between these events. In congress you hear aside whispers whis-pers that what is facetiously called "top brass," meaning the invisible military authorities of both services, have to a considerable extent, captured cap-tured the Truman administration for precisely what they want namely no unification, youth draft act, and no Pearl Harbor expose. If so, what Mr. Truman will get out of it may be difficult to find. My information would not encourage encour-age him to believe that congress Is so eager for a Christmas recess that it will ease under the pressure applied. ap-plied. I |