Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-13
LORD PAYS TRIBUTE
TODEMOCRAT|C AID
Budget Director Launches
Era of Political Courtesy
by Praising Minority.
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

Democratic taunts, emanating CHIEF.
~ from the militant headquarters of
Chairman Oldfield of the Democratic
congressional campaign committee,
that the Republican administration
seeks to monopolize the glory of Fed
eral economy have provoked re-
markable retort courteous.
1t apparently has fallen to the lot of
Brig. Gen. Herbert NJ. Lord, director
of the budget, to enact the gallant role
Of assigning the Democrats generous
praise for their part in cutting and
keeping Government expenditure down.
Gen. Lord singles out in particular the
last Democratic chairman of the House
appropriations committee. former Rep
resentative Swagar Sherley of keh-
lucky, and Representative Joseph W.
Byrns of Tennessee, ranking minority
member of the appropriations commit
tee, as worthy of special praise.
In the course. of his tribute to the
Democrats the budget director also
acclaims the "clean record" and
many constructive achievements" OF
the Wilson administration. Gen. Lord
recalls that he was chief of Army
finance under President Wilson and
takes pride in the great accomplish
ments connected with Army diSburse.
ments of billions during the latter
part of the World War" The budget
boss states that extraordinary expcn-
ditures were made under conditions
that afforded no opportunity for care
ful control. but no war was ever
fought with fewer cases of breach of
trust.
Strikes NOn-Part;San Note.
Declarations 10 this effect are to be
conspicuous features of the public
addresses which the director of the
budget makes all over the country at
this season of the year. His first ut
terance was delivered in Atlantic City
on September 20, when Gen. Lord adj
dressed the National Wholesale Drug
gists' Association. Later this month
he is billed to talk before another ma
tional business convention in Detroit
and before similar gathering in
Chattanooga. On both occasions Lord
intends to strike 'the non-partisan
note" which he insists is the keynote
of the budget system.
Here is the part of the gospel the
budget director is preaching. for the
plrpoSe of exploding the theory that
Federal economy is one-party affair:
Following the armiStice, brave
effort was made to demobilize the
appalling expenditure, and to check the
rising debt. The first, and one of the
most important steps in the direction
OF national saving was made by Con-
gress under the lead of Representative
Sherley of Kentucky. chairman of the
appropriations committee during the
Wilson administration. Billions of
dollars in the hands of the war
making and allied agencies of the
Government at the close of the war
were available for expenditure. The
danger of waste of some of these
colossal sums was very real. Mr..
Sherley. alive to the danger. attacked
tRe problem promptly and courage
ously. He took from the holding de-
partments and bureaus more than
seven billions of dollars cash and nut
them back in the Treasury.
He took away from the war-makfne |
agencies contract authorizations in ex. |
cess OF eight billions, which if left nm
disturbed could have Leen trans /
formed into actual obligations The !
amount involved was in excess of fif. /
teen billions OF dolIars-the most OK.
ira0rdinary recovery of public funds |
IN history Mr.. Sherley's defeat fo,.
Re election was personal loss to the
present budget director and an meal |
cniaoie loss 10 the Federal Govern
ment.
Product of Both Parties.
The installation of budget control
in the Federal Government can he
credited to no political party. 1t was
the joint product of leading men of
both dominant parties in Congress.
WORKING tremendously for the general
welfare. To the director of the budget
the budget work knows no party. no
person, no geography. Budget rec
concentrations are based on obvious
budget principles. A budget affected