Evening star., 1927-04-13
SLUSH FUND POST
DECLINED BY FESS
Ohio Senator Turns Down
Dawes Appointment to
Reed Committee.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.


today declined to accent Vice Presi-
dent Dawes appointment to the Reed
slush fund committee.
Senator Fess' declination writes the
close to another chapter Of the row
over the existence or non-eXistence of
the Reed committee.
Vice President Dawes, in opposition
to those members of his party who
denounce the Reed committee and in
sist it is dead. decided that the COM
mittee does live. Whether he will inn
mediately appoint Republican SEN
ator in place Of Senator Fess or
wait until the status of the Reed
committee is passed upon by the Penn
sylvania courts, remains to be seen.
Some of the Republican leaders in
Washington believe the latter would
be the wiser course for the Vice Pres
ident to adopt.
Fess Opposed to Plan.
Senator Fess. in declining to ac-
cept appointment to the Reed commit
tee. pointed out that he had been OPP
posed to the continuance of the Reed
committee with carte blanche to go
into any State it desired to 1nvesu-
gate elections. He would have voted
for the continuance of the committee,
he said, IL the resolution had been
framed so as to limit the investiga-
tions Of the committee to PennSyl-
vania and Illinois.
Furthermore, Senator Fess believes
that the Reed committee ceased to
exist with the close of the Congress
during which it was created. He be-
| lieves that it could have been con.
| tinued by the adoption of the Reed
resolution, filibustered to death in the
closing hours of the last Congress.
But it was not, he pointed out.
The Ohio Senator insisted he was
| in full sympathy with the desire to
prevent corruption in elections. but
that he believed such Investigations
nized committee.
Situation More Complicated.
! viii Vice President Dawes be able
to find a regular" Republican who
will accept appointment to the Reed
committee, to fill the vacancy created
by the resignation of Senator Goff of
West Virginia? Senator Fess'
declination has complicated the situa-
ton still further.
The resolution creating the COM
mittee called for two regular Re-
publicans, one progressive Republican
and two Democrats. What some or
the Republicans appear to believe is
that the Reed committee may under
take this Summer to go into Colorado
and other States to investigate the
senatorial elections Of last year.
The committee, however, has been
seriously handicapped by the declina-
tion of Senator Keyes Of New Hamp-
shire, chairman Of the committee on
audit and control of the contingent
fund of the Senate, to approve vouch-
ers for further expenditures by the
committee.
In a formal statement declining the
appointment to the Reed committee
Senator Fess said:
when honored by the Vice Presi-
dents appointment to the so-called
slush fund committee to succeed Sena-
tor Goff, resigned, 1 took the matter
Of acceptance under advisement be-
cause of the respect due the Vice
President and the Importance of the
matter itself, realizing that immediate
action was unnecessary now that the
status Of the committee is before the
courts for decision.
All Angles Considered.
My inclination from the nrst mas
been to decline the appointment, but,
being willing to submerge my desires
If public service could be rendered,
have considered 1t from that angle.
"My vote was not cast for the
resolution creating this select COM
mittee, for the reason that all neces-
sary investigation should be made by
the standing committee created for
the purpose, but after the select COM
mittee was established and had start
ed its Investigations in the Pennsyl-
vania and Illinois primaries, stated
in the Senate the evening before ad-
journment that I would vote for the
resolution continuing the select COM
mittee If it We're limited to complete
the work already begun, but that
did not like to have q committee re-
main at the beck and call of some one
who may wish to make charge,
whether it be a responsible or ire
sponsible charge-Set up as it were a
grand jury. and make public the in
formation that every Tom, Dick and
Harry may come in and state his
charge.
Although there may be no call for
it at all, yet because it is news. all
Continued on Page A, Column 81