Evening star., 1933-12-28
HUMPHREY CARRIES H
DISMISSAL ORDER :
TO FEDERAL COURT
Continued From First Page. }

I regret that the present demands on
my time make it impossible at the mo-
ment to grant your request for a per-
sonal interview.
Without any reflection at all upon
you personally or upon the service you
have rendered in your present capacity
I find 1t necessary to ask for your resig-
nation as a member Of the Federal
Trade Commission. 1 do this because
I feel that the aims and purposes Of the
administration, with respect to the
work Of the commission, can be carried
out most effectively with personnel Of
my own selection.
May I take this opportunity to tell
you that at the earnest request Of SEN
ator Dill (of Washington, have been
withholding this action for some time
but have now reached a definite de-
cision to proceed along the lines I
have In mind.
Il congratulate you upon your long
and active service"
Asked for Time.
Humphrey said he replied that he had
lost all communication with his former
profession and asked time to consult
his friends before deciding upon his
action. He quoted the following reply
from the President, dated August 4:
II have your letter and ! fully ap-
preciate your desire to have a little
time to make arrangements. Therefore
/ am accepting your resignation, but
not to take effect until August Is.
Please acknowledge receipt"
Humphrey said he replied In q letter
to Mr. Roosevelt that he had not Of
fered his resignation "and cannot do
So" and that he received an answer
again requesting his resignation and
adding:
You will. I know. realize that I do
not feel that your mind and my mind
60 along together on either the policies
or the administering Of The Federal
Trade Commission. and. frankly, 1
think it is best for the people Of this
country that I have full confidence"
Humphrey said he replied by letter
that he knew of no official act of his
that would "in any way show our
minds do not go along together, and
had next received the brief letter say
ing he was removed"
Humphrey himself raised the ques-
ton of whether a resignation by MIN,
after his controversy with the Presi-
dent became known, would not make
the matter party issue"
lowing copy of a letter by him to the
President, dated September n:
"It Is nv understanding that you
desire me to consider the question as
to whether it would not be best for the
public good, in view Of your feelings
toward me, to resign regardless OF any
legal questions involved in the matter
Misunderstanding Blamed.
misunderstanding is entirely the
cause of your attitude toward me, put
as you have refused to permit me 10
give you the facts, Of course 1t Is I'm,
it is futile to discuss this proposltlon
further.
referring to your wish, as have
stated above. I beg to suggest that
by reason of the wide publicity given
to the controversy, the situation has
been greatly changed. want you TO
anoT t, that a1d ao aDd fried to prevent
1t.
"This publicity shows that II | leave
the commission. at once the matter vii!
tSse have Pases SEEN in the Press
less Of party afnhation, universally con-
demned anything that would tend TO-
ward this result. The worst possible
thing that could happen to. the com
mission. short of aboiishing it, would be
to make it a partisan body.
III this Is done, every time q con-
firmation for the appointment OF q
commissioner comes up, or an appro-
priation is to be made, or any matter
in connection with the commission Is
to be considered, the commission would
be attacked, condemned and misrepre-
sented, regardless OF what the truth
might be.
Predicts Injurious Effects.
"To make the commission a political
body would be in letter and in spirit
a violation and disregard OF the statute
creating 1t, and would be contrary to
the hopes and aims of all parties who
joined in passing the Federal Trade
Commission act.
"My resignation, after this wide pub
licity, would be, in my opinion, great
injury to the commission and to the
public"
Humphrey also disclosed that after
the commission had agreed to accept
the executive order that he be removed,
he had written to George c. Mathews,
who was appointed as his successor, as
follows:
you are hereby notified that your
appointment as Federal Trade Commits
sioner is invalid, because there was no
vacancy to which you could be ap-
pointed. and you are notified that !
am still a member of the Federal Trade
Commission, filling the term for which
you are supposed to be appointed, and
that claim and shall claim the efiiolu-
ments of said ONCE to the expiration