Evening star., 1934-05-22
BR|TTEN DEMANDS
CONGRESS QUIZ ON
AB0L|SH|NG n. R. A.
Illinois Republican Would
Look Into Charges in
Boards Report.
JOHNSON ACCEPTS
DARR0W'S CHALLENGE
Pledges Answer to Second Ver-
dict-Aides Say Some Prices
Declined in Recent Weeks.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A congressional investigation of the
N. R. A. and the Roosevelt -Darrow
Board of Review" to learn whether
the N. R. A. should be abolished was
proposed in a resolution today by
Representative Britten, Republican, of
Illinois
Meanwhile, Hugh S. Johnson, the
N. r. A. administrator, said at press
conference that the forthcoming Dar-
row report on additional codes would
be answered by N. r. A. as the first
one was.
He predicted, however, that with
the review boards general conclusions
out of the way. answering the second
report would be much simpler.
Challenges n. r. A.
Yesterday Clarence Darrow, head of
the Review Board, and his associates
issued statement challenging Donald
Richberg, N r. A. general counsel
and Ibis expert staff of evasionists"
to dispose of the second report in $50
pages as they did the first.
Beyond that comment. and repeat
ing that he still thought it would be
"all to the good" to have a semi
judicial body with a detached attitude
pass on N. r. A. codes and suggest
improvements johnson declined to go
any further with DarrowS discussions.
The Britten measure provides that
"the Roosevelt -DarroW Board of Re-
view be maintained as an integral
part of the National Recovery Admin
istration until such time as special
committee of five members of the
House. appointed by the Speaker. shall
have investigated every phase of the
basis of the report just made public,
which exposes a condition that is in
complete conflict with the desires Of
the President and his policies
Would Initiate Bill.
Should the investigation Of the
select committee of the House sub
stantiate the findings of the Roose-
velt-Darrow board. it shall then rec
ommend to the House proper legisla-
ton for the immediate abolishment
of the National Recovery Administra-
ton"
Economic advisers to N. R. A said
statistical studies had failed to show
any direct connection between either
increase or decrease in public buying
and code provisions.
Studies so far made indicate, they
said, that purchasing volume is fol-
lowing general consumer preferences.
Also. johnson aides pointed out,
while there had been a good many
price increases under codes, there also
had been declines especially in recent
weeks. In one line of textiles, it was
said, there had been a drop of 80 per
cent in 40 days.
The Darrow Review Board, headed
for extinction before many more days,
drew its lines sharply today for
parting shot at N. R. A
Although it was an open secret that
the agency set up to look into COM
plants of little business would cease
to exist by the end of the month or
sooner, Darrow and his board men,
bers refused to say they had any
understanding to that effect.
In the face of fresh assertion from
johnson that it perverted facts in its
attack on N. R. A.. the board pre-
pared another report on N R. A
codes which it said yesterday would
be harder to answer.
Whether President Roosevelt will
take that report as the last or let the
board make further findings on cur
rent Investigations has vet to be es-
tablished.
Darrow Charges Evasion.
Johnson's latest statement in the
round of exchanges was issued because
of the attack the Review Board loosed
yesterday on the administrator and
his aides. Darrow contended N. R. A.
had evaded the real issue-which was
the boards finding that monopoly did
exist and that little fellows were op-
pressed in certain industries. To that
johnson said:
If they do (exisD, his report does
not specify what or where they are
1t simply finds generalities. 1t could
have said all that without any hear
ings at all The report is simply
dogma"
The administrator indicated he
blamed others than DarroW for the re-
pO4I' VI tl4c fi-yedI -OlQ CTIullndl
lawyer he said:
He is a grand old man who has
long had my admiration and affec-
tion. If we had only Clarence
Darrow and the original board to deal
with. We would have seen some real
constructive action. 1t was the camp
followers who came in later that made
the trouble"
Russells Hand Seen.
1t was indicated that he was talking
mainly about Charles Edward Russell,
noted Socialist, who has been at ,Dar-
rows elbow through the report draft
ing and whose phrases are spotted by
many who knew him throughout the
boards general findings. Some
thought he might refer also to Lowell
Mason, Illinois lawyer and former
State legislator, who is the boards
general counsel. A third personality
not in the original group is William o.
Thompson, board member and one
time Darrow law partner
johnson said again that generally
little enterprises have not been op-
pressed. but saved by codes He cited
coal lumber, retail and rubber tire
codes as outstanding examples of N.
r.. A. interpoSing with the destruc-
tion of small units by big operators,
chains and mail order houses.
This is not just argument" said
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