Backfire

The party caucus is a good way for congressional leaders--when they know they have a majority behind them--to swing a minority into line on legislative issues. But to hold a caucus without a majority is to invite a stinging rebuff; party discipline is shattered, and more often than not the leaders come out with less support than they had before. Last week the Republican leaders of the House called for a party conference to work up opposition to the 8.8% postal pay-raise bill (the Eisenhower Administration was strongly on record against anything more than a 7.6% increase). The session backfired: Republican Congressmen, angry at their leaders and aware of the powerful postal workers' lobby, joined with Democrats to vote 328 to 66 in favor of the 8.8% hike. Later, the Senate passed the bill 66 to 11.

Other congressional activity:

P: The House approved the Administration's $31.5 billion military budget, calling for a cutback of more than 100,000 men in the Army. Navy and Marine Corps (and a 5,000-man increase in the Air Force). Pennsylvania's Democratic Representative Daniel Flood, leading an abortive revolt against the cutbacks, attempt ed to describe the horrors of atomic war.

Cried Flood, a witness at a recent Yucca Flat atomic test: "We were not back in these dens of sin and iniquity in Las Vegas. We were in the trenches with the troops. That is the last time I will try that one. The next time it is Las Vegas for me, too." When his amendments were beaten, Flood went along with the bill on final passage. The vote was 382 to o.

P: The Senate confirmed James B. Conant as U.S. Ambassador to Germany.

P: After a Senate Judiciary subcommittee completed hearings on his treaty amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Ohio's G.O.P. Senator John Bricker announced that he would not object to having the issue go over until next year.

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