Evening star., 1934-11-25
Moffett Follows Ickes.

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came public.
Moffett Follows Ickes.
Ickes arrived at the executive office
shortly after 10 am. He literally ran
through the lobby to the Office Of
Stephen Early, one Of the presidential
secretaries. Thirty minutes later
Moffett entered Early's office.
When the conference broke up, Ickes
and Straus we're the first to leave.
Mof1ett. his horid complexion almost
gray, left a moment later. They met
again on the front porch of the White
House and rode away in the same
automobile.
There have been indications in
recent days that Ickes and Harry
Hopkins, the relief administrator, did
not see completely eye to eye on all
points. Recently in magazine article,
Ickes contended that enlargement Of
the P. W. A. program might result
in disappearance OF the need for relief
from other agencies. This assertion
IS known to be contrary to the belief
of Hopkins and his aides that even
though every construction worker were
taken of relief rolls, it would not re-
move several classes Of persons. in
Guiding women and so-called white
collar workers.
Statement Is Issued.
Shortly after Ickes and Moffett left
the White House yesterday mimeo-
graphed statement was issued, con-
tanning the following:
1T seems pity that either mis-
Interpretation or desire to stir up
trouble where no trouble exists should
have given rise to stories which create
the impression that there is a diver
gence of views between the Housing
Administration and the Public Works
Administration.
mo conflict or overlapping exists.
I'VE met today at the suggestion
of each of us. 1t was the first occa-
sion We had to sit down together and
discuss the jurisdictions of our re-
spective administrations. We found
that we were in substantial accord
on what We considered to be the policy
of the administration, both as to
public works and as to the housing
administration.
Conspiracy Is Seen.
1--WE suspect that there is a DISPOSE
tion in certain quarters to make it
appear that there is difference of
opinion between us. We decline to
furnish the material for a Roman
holiday for those who are trying to
create this impression"
A wide ferment was created by
Moffett's statements Friday, as con-
traSted to those of IckeS the day be-
fore. What reaction Ickes received
to his Government financed housing
plan was not made known at P. w. A..
headquarters.
Other administration quarters yes
terday, however, were the recipients Of
a batch of kilograms and telephone
calls, applauding Moffett's statements
and asking what could be done to
prevent Government competition with
private housing program.
The United States Conference of
Mayors at Chicago, however, had
adopted a resolution backing Ickes'
demand for an increase in the public
works program as the best stimulus
to recovery"
Just what went on behind the
locked doors of Earlys Office at the
White House nobody would disclose
after the conference There were in
dications of a four-way telephone
conference between the President at
Warm Springs and his three aides.
Ickes Announces Speed.
Mofett said that if Ickes confined
his program to slum clearance, sub
sistence homesteads and rural homes
where private capital would not help,
1t would work out all right.
An hour or so after he left the
nounced the P. w. A. Slum clearance
and loW-coSt housing program now
under way was picking up speed.
Ickes announced bids would be in
vited tomorrow for the first Federal
1ow-cost project to reach the con-
struction stage-the lockwood de-
velopment in Atlanta.
There were numerous other build
ing and housing developments dur
ing the day, also. From Moffett's Of
flee came a statement that after an
intensive course in real estate valuat-
ing. So architects and real estate ex-
perts from all over the country had
been appointed as architectural su-
pervisors for the Housing Administra-
ton.