The New York herald., 1921-06-18
FINE DINNERS PART
. OF PROPAGANDA TO
CHECK ECONOMIES
Bureau Heads Feast Men in
Congress Who Must Act
OH Reorganization.
LITTLE BOSSES ACTIVE
Senate and House Flooded
With Letters Opposing
Needed Changes.
SNUG NESTS ARE FOUND
Forty Instances in One Place
Where Husband and Wife
Are Employed.
SNUG NESTS ARE FOUND
Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau.

Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington. ID. c., june II.
Members of the Senate and House
are being flooded with propaganda let
ters, despite Administration efforts to
put an end to them, protesting against
proposals for the reorganization of the
Government. departments along lines
that would work for greater efficiency
and decreased expenses.
Every mail brings such letters not
only for the members Of the Con-
gressional Joint Committee on Reor-
whose only part in the scheme will be
to approve the final recommendations.
The object, officials insist, is to poison
the minds OF legislators generally
against any changes which might cost
bureau chiefs and others their jobs.
Investigation shows that the most
insidious propaganda is afoot in other
ways to damage the programme OF re-
organization. although there has been
a certain abatement since the vigorous
statement Of President Harding that
all Federal employees who interfered
with the reorganization plan will be
dismissed if found guilty. There is
apparently no way to control the re-
ceipt of independent letters on the
subject, but there Is to curb the activi-
ties of the Government employees.
One of the favorite means of pro-
cedure at this time, members of the
reorganization committee have learned.
Is for bureau chiefs to give elaborate
dinners to Representatives in Congress
whose influence they seek. At these
dinners--which OF course are staged
under the most auspicious circumstances
the merits of the bureau in question
are set forth with view of influencing
sentiment in their behalf.
Halts Work ON Mig Problem.
Every bureau chief has his friend
at court" Representative Reavis (Neb. q,
member Of the committee on reor-
ganization. declared to-day. He will
be depended on when the time comes
to step up and oppose a consolidation
of the bureau In question with some
other bureau.
These little dinners which are being
held OF course are not wrong in
themselves. They are not matters Of
petty graft but they arc an evil thing,
particularly because through them the
bureau chiefs seek to spread their prop
aganda in an effort to halt an unbiased
consideration of the great problem Of
reorganization.
The dinners serve as a means Of
contact between the chiefs who eventu-
ally will be affected and those who
finally will say what is and what Is
not to be done"
The evidence contained so far indi-
Gates that a definite letter ropagan da
IS on foot in several instances to pre-
vent the transfer of rather important
bureaus from the departments which
house them at present. The most glar-
ing instances are In regard to the hydro
graphic Office OF the Navy Department.
which is to be transferred TO the Depart
ment OF Commerce. and the ". S. Coast
Guard. at present part OF the Treas-
ury Department, to the Navy Depart
ment. where II is generally conceded Il
should properly go.
The character of the letters received
by the reorganization committee and
others In the Senate and House indi-
Gates beyond question that the protests
against the transfer OF both the Hydro
graphic once and the Coast Guard have
emanated from common source. The
letters are almost identical. Indicating
that they have resulted from circulars
sent out from some quarter or dictated
by the same person who has been inter-
ested In seeking TO have the bureaus re-
main where they are at present
Coast Guard Very Active.
Within the last two or three weeks
each member of the committee has re-
ceived upward OF 700 letters about the
Photographic Office and the United
States Coast Guard. The letters have
become so common that they no longer
are read except for their general pur-
port. when they simply are fled away
under the heading propaganda
The propa ganda for the United States
Coast Guard caused much surprise The
sentiment has been strong for n long
time for the transfer of this service 20
the Navy Department because OF the
fact that it's work seems 10 fall natu-
rally In line with that OF the Navy De-
psrtment.
The Coast Guard Service as at pres
Continued on Third Pare