State Reps Approve Anti-War Bill; Majority Vote Required in Senate

The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill yesterday, by a vote of 136-89, that may challenge President Nixon's right to pursue an undeclared war in Vietnam.

If the measure succeeds in the Senate, and is signed by the Governor, it will test the constitutionality of the war in the United States Supreme Court.

According to the bill, the state attorney general will appeal to the nation's highest court if any Massachusetts serviceman is ordered to a combat zone outside the United States, without a Congressional declaration of war.

During the three-hour House debate yesterday, several representatives argued that passing the bill would "give Hanoi unlimited propaganda." Rep. Thomas Farrell (D-Worcester) warned the House of "the Four Horsemen of the criminal Communist conspiracy-world opinion, peaceful coexistence, academic freedom, and civil disobedience."

According to the House rules, a motion to reconsider the measure will be in order tomorrow, but yesterday's 47-vote margin makes the possibility of a setback unlikely.

Rep. James Shea (D-Newton), the bill's sponsor, called yesterday's House vote a "decisive victory," The fight for passage in the Senate is expected to be much less difficult now that the measure has solid support in the House.