Evening star., 1934-09-02
CHOICE Of BUDGET
CHIEF IS WATCHED
Sign of Move to Fright" or
"Left" Is Looked For
in Appointment.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The twin designations Of Director
Of the Budget Lewis w. Douglas and
Assistant Director Of the Budget
Frederick W. Lowery, announced by
the President at Hyde Park late yes
terday, left Washington gasping last
night.
It has long been known that the
director Of the budget was not in
sympathy with many things the ad-'
ministration was doing; that Mr..
Douglas had left the House and en-
tered upon the arduous task Of di-
rector Of the budget In the hope Of
balancing the Government budget,
and that he has been disappointed.
The fact that Mr.. Lowery, assistant
director of the budget, should have
transmitted his resignation, along
with that of Mr.. Douglas, to the Presi-
dent, seemed to indicate serious
break had come finally between the
ONCE of the director Of the budget and
the New Dealers.
Bell Acting Head.
Daniel W. Bell. who was named
acting director yesterday, will con-
tinue to serve also as commissioner
of accounts and deposits, 1t was an
nounced, tending to the belief his ten
ure of the dictatorship may be only
until the President has time to pick
q permanent budget offlcer.
If the President decides to do so,
his selection will be closely inspected
for indications of movement Of the
administration to right" or left"
Mr.. Douglas was regarded as strongly
opposed to the swing of the admins
tration to the left" He did his best
to sit on the lid and prevent the ever
increasing expenditures by the Gov
ernment.
When the resignation of Mr..
Douglas had been reported early yes
terday, although it had not been Of
fcially confirmed, discussion OF his
possible successor got under way.
Among the possibilities" for the office
was mentioned former Representative
j. Swagar Sherley of Kentucky. Mr..
Sherley was once chairman Of the
House Committee on Appropriations
and later director Of the division OF
finance of the United States Railroad
Administration. He resigned that
ONCE In 1920 to resume his law prac-
tice. He has been residing in Wash
ington.
Cummings Mentioned.
Others whose names were mentioned
included Walter ]. Cummings, treas
urer of the Democratic National Com
mittee, who formerly served the pres
ent administration as an assistant to
the Secretary of the Treasury and
later as director of the Deposit In
surance Corp; George N. Peek,
who was formerly with the Agricul-
tural Adjustment Administration and
more recently has been an adviser on
foreign trade and head of one Of the
import-export banks, and Represent
ative Joseph P. Buchanan of Texas,
chairman of the House Appropriations
Committee. Whether Mr.. Buchanan
could be prevailed upon to leave the
House, as was Mr.. Douglas, to take
the Office Of director of the budget is
q question. eu -
Another former chairman Of the
House Appropriations Committee
might be available for the job If he
would take it-Representative Joseph
Byrns of Tennessee. Mr.. Byrns, how
ever, would not consider such an ap-
pointment if it were offered to him.
He is at present Democratic leader of
the House and a candidate for the
Epeakership to succeed the late
Speaker Rainey when Congress con-
VeneS again. Mr.. Byrns would accept
no appointment to Federal office.
Army May Provide Director.
The President may, it was Sug-
Rested, turn to the Army for budget
director or to one of the technical
bureaus of the Government. The
Office calls for great deal of techni-
cal knowledge as well as familiarity
with the Government methods of ap-
preparation. The job is regarded as
one of greatest importance and at
the same time as one of the most
thankless in the Government service.
The withdrawal of DR.. Douglas
from the administration was regarded
as the first serious breach in its set
up. 1t is true that Mr.. Douglas in
fluence as adviser of the President
had appeared to be on the wane for
some time. Nevertheless, his con-
tinuance as director of the budget
kept him in very important place
in the administration. The economy
act, put through early in the first
session of the New Deal Congress,
was regarded as largely the work of
the budget director. 1t was this law
which provided for huge reductions
in compensation paid to war veterans
and for further reductions in the pay
of all Government workers And
early in the administration this act
was highly praised by Democratic
leaders as the means of arriving at
balanced budget. Since then there
has not been so much talk of a bal
anced budget, with Government ex-
penditures mounting rapidly for pub
lie works, relief work and other ac-