Faculty Foresees Congressional Struggle

"The Democratic majority in the 84th Congress should provide serious opposition for Eisenhower's domestic policies," H. Bradford Western field, instructor in Government, said yesterday in a round-up of faculty opinion on the new balance of power in Washington.

Westerfield, who served last year on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and also as Legislative Assistant to Congressman Brooks Hays, expects "considerable agitation on the Eisenhower program, although not much drastic action."

Commenting on particular items in the Congressional program, Western field said it was likely that the 90 percent farm parities would be restored by the House. He doubted, however, whether such a move would meet with Senate approval.

Westerfield believes the fear of a pro-Communist label will prevent the Democrats from "going out on any limbs" regarding Civil Service security, but he anticipates action on Public Power. "Eisenhower, however, should have very little trouble with his foreign policy," he added.

Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. '38, professor in History, hoped the Democrats would stick to their campaign platform. Schlesinger, who is National Chairman of the ADA, added that unless the Democrats' policies had changed since the campaign, they should find much of Eisenhower's program unacceptable.

Schlesinger added that he expects the widest party differences to occur in the Farm, Conservation, Labor, and all special interest programs, with Civil Service security also causing disagreement.

Arthur A. Maass, associate professor of Government, said that although he believed some intensive and highly critical investigations were possible, on the whole this Congress would be more amenable to suggestions than its predecessor. He said Civil Service and power policy changes are the most likely.