"Overwhelming Support"

On Capitol Hill the House applauded when Majority Leader John McCormack read the President's announcement. Then Pennsylvania's James Fulton asked the question that was already being asked on U.S. street corners. Did this mean war?

"The logical hope," replied McCormack, "is that it will be insurance for peace; that logic will prevail."

In the Senate, Missouri's white-haired James Kem interrupted Majority Leader Scott Lucas as he was reading the White House text. He wanted to know if it meant that the President "arrogates to himself the power to declare war?" Lucas said the Senator could figure it out for himself.

"I don't want to get in a debate," Lucas added, "but I can show . . . some 126 times in history when the President has ordered the Navy or Army to do something, to take action, as Commander in Chief." California's big Bill Knowland interrupted from his back row seat to voice the general feeling in both houses. "The President," he said, "should have the overwhelming support of all Americans regardless of their party affiliation."

Louder than all the words was the

House's quick approval of a $653 million appropriation bill which included $50 million for Korea, and the swift agreement of a joint House-Senate conference to extend the draft bill for a year--with the President empowered to decree when & if inductions should begin.

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