United States Senate
Washington
Dec. 27, 1940.
My Dear Mother:
I am putting in long
days preparing for the
Session of the 77th Congress.
Confidentially I can
inform you that a Conference
of the Republicans will be
called by me for Jan. 4
Sen. McNary cannot return
until the middle of Jan.
At that conference we will
choose our Leader, Secretary,
and President Pro. Temp.


The Leader chooses his assistant
Leader.  A Committee on
Committees will be announced
and the ratio of membership
announced.  It is part of
my duty as acting Leader
to arrange with Sen. Barkley
Majority Leader the party ratio
on Standing Committees.
I figure it at 2.2
Democrats to 1 Republican.
In applying it we will have
to wade out any disagreements
involved in fractions.
For example: On one Com.
Republicans may be entitled


to 2 1/2 men- on another the Demo-
crats to 2 1/2 men.  Since we could
not operate on Senators to carry
out the fraction in each case,
we count the 1/2 as a whole Rep.
in one disagreement and the 1/2
as a whole Dem. in another-
It is not always so simple as
equal fractions-
Best love,
Warren.