Evening star., 1934-05-10
DICKINSON MAY RESIGN
COMMERCE POST AFTER
SENATE REJECTS THORP
Continued From First Page.)

NSOIlllIlucu rlUill + hot dsCD
nounced last July /. Yesterday a
subcommittee of the Senate Com
merce Committee gave the appoint
ment an unfavorable report. That
report was adopted by the whole COM
mittee and the Chief Executive
yielded by recalling Thorp's name
after having addressed a letter to
Senator Stephens, Democrat, OF
Mississippi, chairman OF the subcom-
mittee, urging confirmation.
First Refused Confirmation.
Thorp is the first member OF the
so-called brain trust" to fail OF Sem
ate confirmation. He was opposed on
the ground that he was Republican
and that he has Disseminated against
Democrats working under him.
Senator Stephens, however, denied
that the rejection Of the young Am.
herst College professor was based
upon politics. His youth. the senator
said, was the reason. BY vote Oh ~
to 5 the Commerce Committee de-
cided he had not had enough business
exnerience for such an important as
signment.
"rhere is no politics in the matter
at ALL Stephens said.
Nevertheless, there was open opposl.
ton to the appointment on the grouno
Thorp had registered as a Republican
at Amherst during his tenure as pro
fessor Of economics there. only last
week the Democratic Protective Com
mittee" filed charges with the SUBJ
committee accusing Thorp OF discharg-
ing Democrats among the G. w. A.
workers employed on a real properly
inventory, and retaining Republicans
to finish the job. Thorp Is said 10
have denied this and to have blamed
the Relief Administration. The Rellei
Administration in turn denied 1t mao
any connection whatever with the Sc
lection of the workers to be dropped
from the c. w. A. rolls.
Classed With advance Thinkers"
DR., Thorp came here from Am
herst. Only "a now. he graduated
from Amherst with q M. A. degree at
81, and the next year earned mas
ter of arts degree at the University
of Michigan. Three years later he
was graduated as doctor OF philoso-
ply from Columbia.
From the beginning OF his service
in Washington he has been clasSed
with the group of advance thinkers"
headed first by DR.. Raymond Moley
and now by DR.. Rexford Guy Tugwell,
who are reputed to be President
Roosevelt's closest advisers.
In addition to the Presidents letter
requesting Thorp's confirmation, Sec
retary of Commerce Roper appeared
before the Senate subcommittee to
urge his acceptance. Roper from the
beginning was one Of the young pro-
fessor's strongest supporters.
Dickinson openly resented" the
Senate Committees action. Dickin-
son charged that Thorp's rejection
raised the question whether the job
as director Of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce should be
turned over to "low-grade political
mongering for patronage, or be con-
Quoted on an efficient basis, as 1t
should be-"
Viosca Is Withdrawn.
Associated with Senator Stephens
on the subcommittee were Senator
Barkley, Democrat of Kentucky. and
Senator Nye, Republican Independent
of North Dakota.
The President also withdrew an
other nomination yesterday after SEN
ator Huey Long. Democrat of Louisi-
ana, managed to block confirmation
of one of his home-State political
enemies, Rene A. Viosca, named as
United States district attorney for the
eastern district Of Louisiana.
At the same time, 1t developed that
Long may be successful in blocking
the confirmation Of Daniel D. Moore
as internal revenue collector at New
Orleans. Long has made q strenuous
fight against Moore and, 1t was
learned yesterday, Senator Overton
Longs colleague. Is prepared to op-
pose Moore on the ground that he is
rAreon a 1lv ohiecfiInab1e