CONGRESS: Fading Star

For 51 years Hawaii has been petitioning Congress for statehood. Last month, when a statehood bill passed by the House reached the Senate floor, Hawaii's chances seemed better than ever before. But last week the 49th star faded again.

The problem, as in the past, was largely politics. If admitted to the Union, Hawaii (pop. 499,794) is expected to send two Republican Senators to Washington. Most Democrats in the Senate want to cancel that prospective G.O.P. gain by granting statehood to Alaska (pop. 182,000), which would be expected to elect Democrats. Some Southern Democrats don't want Hawaii admitted at all, because of Hawaiian disregard for the color line. Last week three Republicans (Nevada's Malone, North Dakota's Langer and Maryland's Butler) joined Democrats in a 46-43 vote to package the two statehood proposals. Senate Majority Leader William Knowland, who had failed to hold his Republican colleagues together for the Eisenhower Administration's Hawaii bill, furrowed his brow deeper than ever and said he would support the package. But almost everyone admitted that this Congress is not likely to pass any statehood bill.