Page:Congressional Record Volume 81 Part 3.djvu/6

2380 bring about a collapse of our democratic form of government, I address my remarks not only to Republicans, not only to Democrats who have forgotten their promises of last fall but to all citizens of this Nation, both wise and unwise.

I wish I had time to go into the history of the development of the usurpation of the Supreme Court of the legislative duties. I have not but will do so at a later date.

There are those who blame the proposal to reorganize the judiciary for the conditions today, and some that I have just described. They are wrong. Some of the members that have molded the philosophy of the United States Supreme Court to such an extent that it is practically impossible to legally care tor labor or agriculture are responsible, and the sooner that the Court is reorganized so that real American human laws will be treated as the Constitution provides—that is, to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity—Just so soon we will end all this trouble.

In my humble opinion, if the President’s proposal is enacted into law now, we will have interpretations of laws within the Constitution that will free labor and agriculture from the of the past and save *hi« democracy for ourselves and our posterity.

Mr. O’CONNELL of Montana. Mr. Chairman, I make the point of order that the gentleman from Michigan is proceeding out of order.

Mr. COX. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman may proceed out of order.

Mr. O'CONNELL of Montana. Mr. Chairman, I object. The CHAIRMAN. Under the rule debate must be confined to the bill and the pending amendment. The gentleman from Michigan will proceed in order.

Mr. HOOK. Mr. Chairman, this bill or this amendment refers to arms and ammunition. They refer to the stopping of the sale of arms and ammunition, and in the city of Detroit they are using arms and ammunition today in open warfare, sir, against organized society. [Here the gavel fell.]

The CHAIRMAN. The time of the gentleman from Michigan has expired.

Mr. HOOK. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to proceed for 5 minutes out of order.

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Michigan asks unanimous consent to proceed for 5 minutes out of order. Is there objection?

Mr. O’CONNELL of Montana. Mr. Chairman, I object.

Mr. HOOK. Is the gentleman afraid to hear the truth?

Mr. COX rose.

The CHAIRMAN. For what purpose does the gentleman from Georgia rise?

Mr. COX. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike out the paragraph. and ask unanimous consent that I may proceed for 5 minutes out of order.

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Georgia asks unanimous consent to proceed out of order. Is there objection?

Mr. FISH. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the right to object.

Mr. O’CONNELL of Montana. Mr. Chairman, I object.

Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike out the last two words.

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Mississippi is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Chairman, in reply to the remarks of the gentleman from New York [Mr. Fish] I wish to say that we are never going to control the shipment of munitions of war, we are never going to prevent the sale and manufacture of munitions of war, we are never going to prevent the men of greed from making millions from the blood of the people of this world through the sale of munitions of war, or prevent them from drawing our country into foreign conflicts until this Government manufactures its own munitions and takes this business out of private hands. [Applause.] So long as you leave in the hands of private enterprise the right to manufacture everything from armor plate to cartridges, from flying marines to bayonets, you are going to have those greedy interests who, as I say, make millions at the sacrifices of civilization, stirring up wars throughout the world.

A day or two ago the French Republic, realizing the danger of being drawn into foreign conflicts by their own selfish interests in their own country, nationalized the manufactures of munitions of war of all kinds.

If America would keep out of war, we must take this power of the manufacture and sale of munitions of war out of the hands of private enterprise, and until we do that we are likely, at any time, to be dragged Into conflicts with foreign countries by the propaganda of those selfish interests who made their billions out of the last war.

There arc two things necessary, in my opinion, to maintain the peace of America. One of them is that we should be properly defended. In order to be properly defended we must do one of two things. We must either make our air force an independent department of the Government or else we must put the Army and the Navy and the air force under one head. So long as our air force is hampered by the static attitude of old superannuated Army and Navy officers we are never going to be properly defended.

I said yesterday I should rather have one of these young men that I hear leave this Capital at night to fly a thousand miles through rain and storm, through heat and cold, defend my country In time of war than a dozen old superannuated Army officers, ground officers, who know nothing about flying, trying to run our air force.

So far as I am individually concerned, I should rather have Amelia Earhart -Putnam defend my country than to have half a dozen old superannuated, long-spurred Army officers—who helped to destroy General Mitchell—who have never been off the ground, who are trying to control our air force, attempt to defend it.

We must make our air force independent of the Army and the Navy, of this old group that controls both of these institutions, and have an independent air force, or we must put them all under one head, so that they may be directed by the heads of different bureaus so as to give us a real up-to- date air department. Then, if we are to perpetuate the peace of the world, we must take out of the hands of the private manufacturers the right to coin their millions from the blood and tears of the suffering people of the world through the manufacture and sale of munitions of war. [Applause.]

[Here the gavel felL]

The CHAIRMAN. All debate upon the pending amendment has expired. The question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Fish].

Mr. RANKIN. Mr. Chairman, may we have the amendment again reported?

The CHAIRMAN. Without objection, the Clerk will again report the amendment.

There was no objection, and the Clerk again reported the Fish amendment, as follows:

Amendment offered by Mr. Pish: Page 19, line 9, after the abbreviation “Sec. 3 (a)", strike out all of page 19, and on page 20 down through line 8. On line 9 change “(d)’’ to M(b”, strike out all of paragraph “(e)” and Insert the following, so as to read: “Sec. 3 (a). It shall be unlawful to export or attempt to export or cause to be exported arms, ammunition, or Implements of war from any place In the United States In peace or war.” The question was taken; and on a division (demanded by Mr. Fish) there were—ayes 74, noes 101.

So the amendment was rejected.

Mr. GIFFORD rose.

The CHAIRMAN. For what purpose does the gentleman from Massachusetts rise?

Mr. GIFFORD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike out the last word.

The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. GIFFORD. Mr. Chairman, most of us have been very patient in considering the arguments made by members of the committee. Some of us are extremely doubtful how we should vote on the final draft of this legislation. A little phrase has been running through my mind this morning like