Evening star., 1933-12-29
POLITICAL ATTACKS
IGNORED BY |CKES
Former Progressive Goes On
Spending as Foes Whisper
He Is to Go.
Continued From First Page.)

Oll several OCCdSlDilo llidJ 4sll 1IhCo ioo
a mania on the subject Of lobbyists;
that he lies awake nights conjuring up
Specters of graft and corruption. This
committeeman has predicted. too, that
when Congress gets back awful things
will happen to Mr.. Ickes. And here
there have been Senators, also OF the
Democratic faith, who have asserted
that Mr. IckeS has made failure OF
the Public Works Administration and
that before long he would be out OF a
job. These men have talked privately.
II they are correct, the public attacks
on Mr. Ickes and his administration
will not come until after the session of
Congress opens and will be delivered
from the floor of the Senate or the
House.
Attack by Al Smith.
Alfred E. Smith, in his magazine, the
New Outlook, cracked down on Mr..
Ickes, declaring that the Public Works
Administration had been a hzzle and
that comparatively few men had been
put TO work.
Mr.. Ickes, however, has gone right
on his way with the public works pro-
gram, until of the huge sum which was
placed in his hands only about $780,
900 900 remain to be allotted And so
attached to the administration Of the
public works. And Mr.. Ickes is doing
everything in his power to prevent
causes of scandal.
Despite the fact that some of the
Democrats in Washington have pre-
dicted that Mr.. Ickes is on the way
out-out of the Public Works Ad-
ministration at leaSt-it is known that
the public works administrator has had
the approval Of the President and of
many of the leading Democrats in the
course ne has pursued. And some OF
them have gone so far as to say this
former Republican Progressive has
done an excellent job for the Demo-
cratic party.
Disgruntled Democrats, those who
have not succeeded in getting approval
of pet projects or in getting all the
appointments to Jobs under the P. w.
A.. are here and there picturing Mr..
Ickes as a kind of political franken-
stein. developed by the Roosevelt ad-
ministration; they see him as a posi-
bic candidate for President few years
hence on a new ticket or on the
Republican ticket-not, of course. on
Democratic ticket. They say that
through the handling of the great pub
lie works expenditures Mr Ickes is
getting himself into the lmelight and
into favor with lot of people. But
these Democrats are "Seein' things at
night" in the opinion of Mr. 1ickeS and
his friends. who scout such an idea.
Nevertheless. there are those who say
it is time that Mr.. Ickes' progress to
popular approval was checked, for po-
litical reasons.
With the approach Of the opening
Of of xxhn
been predicting that the ak was ssre
to fall on Mr.. Iickes are not so sure
that this is to be the case. Either
they have become more satisfied with
the conduct of the public works, plus
the civil works, which is an offspring
of the Public Works Administration,
or they have come to the conclusion
that public opinion is likely to sustain
the public works administrator.
Attorney in Opposition.
Robert Jackson of New Hampshire.
secretary of the Democratic National
Committee. an attorney with offices in
Washington, and reputed to be the man
who made it possible for President
Roosevelt to win the New Hampshire
delegation to the Chicago Democratic
National Convention over the Al Smith
candidates is reported to have no love
for Mr.. Ickes. Mr.. Jackson has had the
same telephone number as James L.
Bernard. one of the men whom MI.
Ickes has placed on his persona non
grata list The Secretary OF the Inte-
rior has not proceeded in any way
against Mr.. Jackson. nor has there
been produced any evidence that Ber-
nard was acting for Jackson when he
did those things which brought him
int0 r0lliciOn with Mr. TpkpS
The case Of Mr.. Bernard has been
aired in the newspapers. The Gov
ernor or Florida. David SholtZ, brought
it to the attention Of Mr.. 1ckes, as
serting that Bernard had threatened
to block State projects in Florida II
the Governor did not get behind a
project for a loan by the P. W. A,
for the manufacture of vegetable oil,
and did not aid in seeing that con-
tracts for State projects went to par
ticular contractors.
Bernard was called in and questioned
by Mr.. Ickes. He denied that he was
a lobbyist. that he had influence"
with the P w. A. and said that he
was Just irving to get the right people
together. He said further in answer to
questions that he was not a lawyer
nor an engineer He also denied that
he was representing Mr.. Jackson. Mr..
Jackson also declared that Bernard
was not representing him in this case.
Mr.. Ickes told Mr.. Bernard that he
was thereafter persona non grata at
the Public Works Administration, and
wrote him a letter to that effect, and
Mr.. Bernard, it is said, has not been
was not barred" from the Department
of the Interior building. where the P.
w A is located, for that is a public
building. He was merely told that he
was not a welcome guest.
Suggest 1870 Payment.
Richard Bonnell, jr., also has been
placed on Mr. Ickes' persona non grata
list. The Public Works Administrator was
informed that Bonnell appeared before
the City Council of Moline, ILL.,, and
discussed a possible P. w. A. grant for
a public swimming pool, etc. 1t was
represented to Mr.. 1ckeS that Bonnell
had told the council that he had friends
and employers who were intimately ac-
quainted with the Public Works Ad-
miniStration. and that he could have
the grant made. For the preparation
of plans and their proper presentation
Bonnell is said to have suggested pay
ment of 10 per cent. Mr.. Ickes in
quired into the matter and wrote to
Bonnell a letter stating that he was
persona non grata in the future at the
P. w. A. Mr.. Ickes also took the case
up with the principals of Bonnell, who
declared that Bonnell had made the
statement to the City Council against
their express instructions.
Mr.. Ickes has Topped off several Off
cial heads in his determined effort to
have the P. w. A. live up to his declara
tion, made last July, that there is no
inside track to public works contracts"
He said at that time: "Since enactment
of the public works law there has
sprung up in Washington a rapidly in
creasng corps of self-styled experts,
agent and advisers who are attempting
to get money from contractors in ex-
change for alleged inside information
a1larana Some nerSQnS