The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-24
RAPID CLIMB
MADE BY new
BUDGET Chief
Lewis Douglas of Arizona
Wealthy, WeII-Educated
and a Fighter.
CHAMPION OF ECONOMY
Waged Hard Fight in House
to Cut Expenditures
for Veterans.
BY MARSHALL M'NEIL
Times staff Writer

WASHINGTON, Feb. PA good
looking young man With a pro-
fessional air, whose congressional
career has been marked chiefly by
fights against the Boulder dam bill
and government operation of Muscle
Shoals and, latterly, his inSistence
on governmental economy, is Rep
resentative Lewis Douglas of Arr
IONA, who will become director of
the budget.
Representative Douglas, wealthy,
well-educated and in society here,
is known to his colleagues as a
conservative. He worked for the
copper taX-tariff during the last
revenue revision, and voted for the
sales tax.
His interest in federal economy
started when he was named mem
Der of the famous house economy
committee at the last session, and
during his work with that group he
insisted that veterans benefits be
reduced.
Hits Veterans Cost
He appealed to what he called
the unorganized majority" to ex-
press their wishes to congress, to
exert their pressure against the
large expenditures for ex-soldiers
Because he himself is an ex-soldier,
his views got wide attention. Rep
resentative Douglas insisted that
those who had been injured in &C
tual service should have the coun-
try'S help and gratitude, but that
such gratitude should not be car
ried to the extent of granting a
subsidy to those whose disabilities
were not received while in the serv-
ice"
Standing erect, pointing with a
long finger, as though at figures on a
blackboard, Representative Doug
las stood before session after ses-
sion of the house demanding fed
eral economies. That he and his
committee didn't succeed any too
well does not detract from the fact
that Representative Douglas made a
hard fight.
Since that time he has worked
just as hard for economy as a MEM
Der Of the house appropriations
committee.
Ranks High in Arizona
Mr.. Douglas came to congress in
1927, with experience as a soldier, a
mining expert and legislator, hav-
ing served in the Arizona house.
His family is the" Douglas family
or Arizona, the town of Douglas
having been named for his father.
Representative Douglas, who is but
80, was born in Arizona, but came
east to college and was graduated
from Amherst in 1916.
He took special mining courses
at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Out of the officers
training camp he came a second
lieutenant in the field artillery, and
served so CALAMITY in France that
he was decorated by the Belgian
government and cited by General
Pershing.
Back home again, he worked as
an instructor in history at Am
herSt, and taught chemistry at
Hackley school for a month His
mining and business experiences
stretched over six years.
Climb Is Rapid
With his wife and three children,
Representative Douglas has main
tanned home here in fashionable
Georgetown.
Of medium stature, Representa-
tive Douglas holds himself straight,
as a soldier should. His hair is
sparse and dark, his face bronzed,
his eyes sharp and given to quick,
pleasant smiles.
His is a personality and his a
background that has impressed
house leaders, and he has climbed
in Democratic councils in his short
career here.
For exercise Representative Doug
las rides a bicycle.