The rub is in the House. There the McSwain
bill is being railroaded through. Fortunately there
is little chance of the Senate’s acepting this meas
ure. The Senate will have its own Nye bill. That
attempts to take the profits out of war by heavy
taxation. But opponents will raise the parliamenta-y
pcint that revenue measures must originate in the
House. And the Administration leaders in the House
by refusal to substitute the Nye bill for the McSwain
bill and by refusal to attach any taxation amend
ments to the McSwain bill, seem to be preparing
a legislative jam which will kill all munitions meas
ures at the end of the busy session.
There is still seme hope, however, that the Presi
dent can move effectively into this munitions jam
which his House leaders are rigging. The Senate
committee, which discussed the matter fully with
him before he left on vacation, came away with
the definite impression that he would make a fight
for the Nye bill.
The President is somewhat freer to do this now
ihan before because of Mr. Baruch. Between the
fall and winter hearings of the Nye committee the
White House et up its own munitions committee
under Mr. Baruch. When this was widely criti
cized as taking the legislation out of the hands of
the Senate committee the President and Mr.
Baruch let their duplicating organization die with
nothing more than a brief verbal report.
Mr. Baruch is now' trying to save the situation.
With great generosity and openness of mind he has
testified to the Senate committee that he accepts
the Nye bill and that he is willing to go as far
as any member of that committee, which is urging
Government monopoly of the munitions business.
