Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-02

The birthday Of the circumstances
that led up to the impeachment
charges against Commissioner Fred
erick A. Fenning by Representative
Blanton, Democrat, Texas, is doubtful,
but the bali is believed to have been
set in motion March IS.
On that date, during discussion of
an item of $4,000 for commitments Of
INDECENT insane persons to st. Eliza
beth's Hospital by order of the Com
miSSionerS, which was part of the
District appropriation bill then up for
discussion in the House, reference was
of Il number of World War veterans
for which service he received thou
sands of dollars every year"
Representative Madden, Republican,
Illinois, chairman of the appropria-
tons committee at that time, declared:
III he Is doing this, he ought to be
put out of office" to which Mr.. Blan-
ton replied: THAT is what he has
done, and l hope the committee will
md out something about it," Repre-
sentative Gibson, Republican, Yer
mont, then asked Mr.. Blanton if he
knew how many people the Com.
missioner is guardian for already"
ana when Mr.. Blanton asked for the
Mr; Gibson said, several thousand
dollars
BlantOn Asks Probe.
Five days later Mr.. Blanton intro.
duced q concurrent resolution calling
Ior the appointment of a special Joint
committee OF eight members, five to
pe appointed from the Senate and
three from the House. to investigate
CONDITIONS in the District and bring
OUT all facts in connection with Mr.
fennlngS guardianship of insane
peneflclaries of the Veterans Bureau
at st. Elizabeth's Hospital" This
iesolutlon was referred to the rules
The White House next was heard
loli' PRESIDENT Coolidge let it be
known that he had been informed of
Mr. Jennings law practice at the
time the appointment was made. The
executive was represented as con-
cIuolng there is no statute prevent.
ing q District Commissioner from pur.
suing his private profession at inter-
walls while in office.
Nothing more of the matter was
heard of until April s, when Mr.. Blan.
ton, in bitter speech on the floor of
the House, accused Mr.. Fenning of
"barratry"; charged the record of the
commissioner has been one long list
of blunders," and demanded his re-
moVal from office. In this address he
urged the rules committee to vote out
his resolution which had been before
1t since March %. The speech also in.
Guided reference to Mr. Jennings
private business relationships and his
ACTIVITIES as a practicing attorney
mere 70 years ago, as revealed by the
printed record Of testimony of the
st. Elizabeth's Hospital investigation
held at that time. In short it was
a paraphrase of the impeachment
charges that followed later.
Fenning Invites Inquiry.
The next day Mr.. Fenning invited
an investigation of the charges
brought against him, declaring at the
same time he would not discuss the
matter unless summoned to appear
before Congress.
Legislative notice of the contro-
versy was taken by Chairman John
son, Republican, South Dakota. of the
House committee on world war vet
Grams legislation, who, on April II,
announced he had drafted bill which
gave Director Hines of the Veterans
Bureau authority to act as guardian
Of mentally incompetent war veterans,
and As hours later the committee
agreed to undertake an investiga-
ton OF guardianShipS throughout the
Nation.
This decision Of the committee was
on April 10, to include an
of the guardianships of