Democrats Push Republicans to Drop Poll Probe

WASHINGTON, July 24--Congressional Republicans, stalled in moves for a Senate investigation, were forced today to drop the idea of a House inquiry into Attorney General Clark's handling of the Kansas City vote fraud charges.

Senate Republicans said they would press a special investigation resolution, but their chances for success appeared dimmer hour by hour.

Democratic leader Rayburn chilled talk of a House investigation. Belligerently, the Texan told the chamber that if any such effort developed he would try to block and delay all other legislation.

Rayburn declared he could tie things up for two weeks with stalling tactics. That would mean wrecking the G. O. P. high command's plans for Congress to adjourn Saturday.

Senator Kem (R-Mo) had suggested that the House take on the job. He has a resolution pending for a Senate investigation but Democrats are threatening to talk it to death, under the Senate's rules permitting unlimited debate, if Republicans persist in seeking a vote.

Rayburn's stand tossed the matter right back to the Senate and Senator Wherry of Nebraska, the Republican whip, said that chamber might be held in session all night in an effort to get action.

There were reports that Senate Republicans might seek to bypass the stalemate by efforts to have either the Senate expenditures or rules committee make an inquiry similar to that suggested by Kem.

Either committee might do this by a majority vote of its members, without requiring action by the full senate.

But chairman Aiken (R-Vt) said he doubts that his expenditures group has the wide authority necessary to take up Kem's charges that Clark "whitewashed" a justice department investigation of alleged vote buying in the Kansas City primary.