The Washington times., 1934-08-18
SULTAN No TED
FOR CLEANUP
IN CHICAGO
New Engineer Commissioner
of D. C. Held Well Fitted
for important Post
BY EARL GOODWIN

Lieut.. Col. daniel 1SOn Ou1CdA,
the man who chased the grafters
off the CWA jobs in Chicago, will
be the next Engineer Commits
sioner of the District of Columbia.
The announcement, made late
yesterday at the White House,
puts an end to a tug of war for
the best job in the engineer corps,
and gives to the District of Column
bia one of the most conspicuous
engineers in the service.
Col. Sultan is now in Texas on
army business, and it is not
definitely known when he will re-
turn to take office. Meantime,
the term of Major John c. Got
walls, present engineer commits
sioner, has expired, although he
holds office until his successor ap-
pears. Technically Major Got
walls is on leave.
Dark Horse In Race
In a sense Col. Sultan is dark
horse in the race for the engineer
commissioners post. Five names
were sent to the White House by
General Markham, chief engineer,
and it was taken for granted by
many of the highest army officials
that Major B. B. SomerVell would
receive the appointment.
However, the insistent backing
of Senator Pat Harrison of Mis-
sissippi, coupled with the strong
recommendation of Commissioner
George E. Allen, won the day for
their fellow MiSsissippian, the new
commissioner having been born IN
that state in 1885.
The new commissioner is West
Pointer; has been in the engineers
since he graduated and became a
second lieutenant in 1907; he was
an All-American football star back
in the days when Walter Camp
usually gave Yale and Harvard
a monopoly in his picks"
Cleaned Up Chicago
His most CONSPICUOUS recent
achievement was his cleanup OF
the CWA situation in Chicago. He
was made CWA administrator OF
Cook county, Ill, where graft
and inefficiency were rampant,
He was appointed administrator
in January. 1892, and he had no
sooner started setting the CWA
work in order than the entire I'LL
nois Relief Commission resigned
in a body.
Chicago politics was used to the
limit in an effort to make Colonel
Sultan resign or to force him
into a new appointment. Federal
officials here, understanding what
was going on, refused to heed the
politicians from the Windy City
and gave Colonel Sultan their
complete backing.
He found relief work being ad-
ministered on a purely local po-
litical basis, and stopped it by
a board to which appeals could
be made without fear or favor.
It was found that local politi-
clans were building up the relief
rolls by putting their constitu-
ents on it. Colonel Sultan broke
up this graft and caused a Chi
cago furore by so doing.
Won 2 Medals
Colonel Sultan was a member
of the War Department General
Staff during the World War, and
was awarded the Distinguished
Service Medal.
For service in Nicaragua from
August, 1929, to July, 1881, he
was awarded the Oak Leaf Clus-
ter, which marks the second
award of the Distinguished Serv-
ice Medal.
The close bond between the
new Engineer Commissioner and
Mr.. Allen, plus the Mississippi
political influence which yokes
the two, will have an important
effect upon the District govern
ment, it was believed today at
the District Building, where there
are rumors of changes in more
than one office.
Coupled with the rumor that
Miss Sibyl Baker, playground
superintendent, is to be super
seeded by Miss Frances Woolley,
is the understanding that on the
retirement of DR.. William c.
Fowler, Health Officer, the
county will be searched for an
outstanding health authority to
head and revamp the present
health organization.