Evening star., 1934-05-18

The most vociferous gang against
Morgenthau is the silver gang, al
/ though it is not the most important.
They have made little effort to con-
ceal their feelings about the way the
Secretary handled the silver bill.
However. when they get what they
are going to get on silver they may
quiet down.
Not so 1Dith the Democratic
Senators hoDling about patronage.
A leader in that croUd is Senator
Mcclellan. His associates are
charging, the Secretary with ap-
pointing Republicans. Just at the
present time that charge is as seri-
Gus in the congressional inner
circles as il Morgenthau had ap-
pointed lepers.
Floor Leader Robinson tried to
straighten the matter out a few days
ago by having Morgenthau in for a
private pow-wow with Democratic
Senators. The meeting could hardly
be called a success.
Morgenthau explained to the Sena-
tors how he made appointments to
the liquor unit. He had to have a
lot of men in a hurry and believed
the law required him to make the
appointments under civil service. So
he called for the civil service rolls of
the old prohibition unit and took the
men with the highest grades. There
was no time to hold new examina-
tions. One of the foremost Demo-
cratic leaders stalked out of that con-
ference and said:
II the law requires Mr. Morgen-
thau to make appointments that way
we will amend the law"
The Senators were generally mum
about what happened in the confer
ence. When Morgenthau found they
had said nothing he declined to talk
also. That is why so little got out
about it.
Third Attack Launched.
.These@two movements might not
be serious, except that simultaneously
congressional lobbying campaign
against Morgenthau was undertaken
by disgruntled Treasury official.
This official found out that Nor
gepthau wanted to get rid of him a
few weeks ago. He has a good many
friends in both houses of Congress
and to those he hastened. He told
them that Morgenthau had put Secret
Service agents On his trail and a lot
of such stuff.
1t made merry cloak room talk and
stirred up more animus At present
the matter has not developed beyond
that stage, but it may be aired soon.
To round out the game. Send
tor CouzenS is getting ready to open
up against the Treasury on the
ground that it has been paying too
much in interest rates.
That is what is behind the resolu-
tion Couzens introduced not long ago,
calling on the Treasury for a record
OF all rates on Government securities.
Probably no one ever will be able
to settle that argument. The Treas
ury can point out that rates grad
ually have been reduced since the new
administration took hold. 1t will say
that it conSultS Government bond
market experts and fixes the interest
rate on its own best Judgment as to
what the market will bear.
But, Of course, the real reason Mr..
Morgenthau has been able to reduce
interest rates is because Mr.. Roose-
velt promised a balanced budget in
1895 and the additional fact that Mr..
Roosevelt is avoiding greenbacks.
All of which seems to be just about
enough trouble for one man to handle.
No one will be happier than Mr.. Nor
genthau when and If Congress ad-
journs for the Summer
II you can get Wall Streeter
to bare his soul he tDiH tell you
the ne1D stock regulation bill is not
so bad; at least, not as bad as they
painted it. They can work under it.