Evening star., 1934-08-12
BY OWEN L. SCOTT.

Not often does a cabinet officer
fash into prominence during these
days of exciting developments in the
p. w. A, the A. A. A, the N r. A,
the F. e. r. A. and the F. H. A. With
agriculture to save, pumps to prime,
industry to revive and relief to ad-
minister, regular department heads
quickly are lost in the shadow of the
dominating new deal creations. Only
Henry Wallace and Harold Ickes,
until now. have cut a wide swath,
and they have made their records IN
the A. A. A. and the P. w. A. rather
than as Secretary of Agriculture and
Secretary of the Interior.
So ii is something of a Washington
sensation when a cabinet officer,
with no other tags attached, cuts
up in way to cause Europe as well
as America to take notice. This is
peculiarly true when Henry M9rgen-
thati. jr.. Secretary Of the Treasury,
performs that feat. For, less than
nine months ago, Mr.. Morgenthau
came into his present Office amidst
blaze Of unfavorable publicity. He
had, as his first order, imposed on his
department what newspapermen in
terprstsd as a>oensorshap. They pre-
pared to give the Secretary "a ride "
But those days now are past. The
censorship is, no more and the press
writer's have altered their plans. The
other day they found Mr.. Morgen-
thau, back from a vacation spent
among the Montana cowboys, ready
to start things in way that must
have raised hope in tie breasts of
other cabinet officials With Hugh
Johnsonesque technique, he made
rapid fire decisions and issued state
ments that brought his department
decidedly into the limelight. Among
other things, the Secretary of the
Treasury, in quick succession, an
nounced that:
l. Politics is to be banned from
the Treasury "You can't work for
the party and the Treasury, too"
was the dictum. Eleven command
mentS were outlined by the Secre-
tary. Among other things, no worker
for the department may hold any
other public or political Office, be-
come a candidate for Office, be a
member of any party committee, dis
play 'obtrusive partiSanship, use his
position to interfere with an election,
or neglect his public duties. Long a
center Of political activity of the
most important sort, because of its
contact with sources of campaign
contributions, the Treasury now
should be simon pure.
2. The presses at the Bureau of
Printing and Engraving are to hum
with their job of turning out new
paper dollars to represent the silver
bullion that is being bought on order
of Congress. Fifty million of these
dollars will be printed as fast as the
machinery can do the work. How
many more there will be, Mr.. Nor
genthau will not say. Congress said
there should be enough new dollars
to pay for a quantity of silver that
would equal one-quarter of the value
Of the gold on hand. AS gold stocks
now represent nearly $4,000 OOO. 600,
that could mean $4,000 900, 900 in
silver certificates and might well
mean that many now that silver has
been nationalized, just as gold has
been nationalized and put under con-
troll Of the Federal Government.
When Europe heard the presses had
started, it quickly sold dollars short.
There was more excitement in Paris
and London than in New York or
washington.
4
3. Either bootleggers are going to
be licked. or Secretary Morgenthau
VIII be ready to go home. The period
OF trucking with manufacturers or
distributors of Illicit, tax-evading
liquor Is over. A force of 5000. with
l,oOO investigators, now is ready to
move against distillers and brewers
who are evading the law to an ex-
tent that is surprising. The estimate
Is made by officials that only about
half the liquor sold. much of it in
licensed stores, is being taxed. Mr..
Morgenthau says he is convinced
that there never has been a real
effort to enforce prohibition or to
COA4CCI liquor taxes he Is going 70
make that effort now.
4. There will be no more ornate
mausoleums built to serve as post
offices. The Treasury Secretary is
going to see that poStoffice buildings
Of the future are constructed for util-
ity and not to serve as a monument
to some deserving official. Gold leaf
and fancy trimmings are coming out
The mails are TO move faster and the
taxpayer is to get q break.
y y
Those plans of the Secretary at
tracted attention, but in reality the5
are Just side jobs Mr.. Morgenthau':
real job is much more sensational. II
is TO get the money with which tC
operate the new deal. Astronomical
figures are involved. In fact. thC
chances are that during the /.
months that started July / he mus
obtain close to $4,000. 600 900. Thert
will be two sources Of supply. Ont
will be taxes. the other borrowing