The tribune independent of Michigan., 1935-08-17
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NATIONAL TOPICS INTERPRETED
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Settle ent OF transfer
!, Controversy ring two men from
responsible posi-
tions In the Virgin Islands TO JOB
In Washington. lie has taken Pau
NJ. Pearson from the post of clvi
governor OF the Virgin Islands ant
has made him assistant director o.
housing In the Interior department
and has transferred Federal Direc
tor Judge 4. Webber Wilson from
his post In the islands to the fed
eral parole board here In Washing
ton. Each man has accepted his
new appointment and In so far ms
a current controversy Is concerned,
the book Is closed.
II will be recalled that Governor
Pearson and Judge Wilson long have
been at loggerheads over Virgin Is
land affairs. The battle was bitter.
1t came to a head when Paul Yates,
executive assistant to the governor
and a former Washington corre-
spondent, resigned his job and came
back here with a bag full of charges
against his former chief. The
Yates allegations ranged all the way
from minor charges Of poor judg.
ment to gross accusations. He
succeeded In getting a senate COM
mittee investigation and IL was at
that time that the pearson-Wilson
feud fiared so openly that admins
tration officials here were dragged
in and the whole scope OF differ
ences aired.
AS a matter OF fact there Is every
reason tobeieve that Governor Pear
son was far from a successful ex-
ly aroused the ire OF natives and,
according to testimony adduced by
the senate investigation. had very
little To show for the sums of money
he expended In attempting to give
the Virgin islands n new lease on
life. All OF the information tends
to establish that the Islands con-
tlnue to be ian effectual poorhouse"
just as President Hoover described
them on the occasion OF a visit dur
ing his term as Chief Executive.
But Governor Pearson had his
supporters. In the administration
Chief among these was Secretary
lckes whose department Is RESPONSE
bic for administration of the is
lands. Just why Mr.. Ickes has been
so enthusiastic about Governor
Pearson's regime Is not fully dis.
closed In any evidence here except
that the interior secretary has GER
tain ideas about social reform that
some unlIad critics refer 10 as pure
socialism which Governor Pearson
had been attempting to impose upor
the island inhabitants. Governor
] Pearson hns expended vast sums oI
PNA funds In the islands in hi.
Efforts To carry out the lckes pro
gram of rciaria"DUn. X seems, ..0W
ever, that the schemes were not n!
practical as they might have beer
and so trouble started In n rather
extensive fashion.
The President stayed outside o
the row until In the course of tn,
senate inquiry Senator Tydlngs,
Maryland Democrat and usually ai
anil-Roosevclt Democrat. received
letter from Mr.. Icles. Mr.. Ickes nc
cused the investigating chairman
with having whltewashed IA witnes
whose testimony was all anti-Icke
aud antl-Pearson. The senator fare,
up In big way at that letter. Hi
reply Is likely to become a classi
In official correspondence. He di
not mince his words After vcicIn
his general conception of the a,
titude exhibited by Mr.. Ickes an
accusing him of attempting to In
terfere In the investigation. Sena
tor Tydings Informed the interio
secretary that he may as well al
tempt to run the Department of tn
Interior and let the senators ru
the senate. He used just abou
those words.
That was the signal for M
Roosevelt to take hand. II wa
easy to see that a few outbursts {
that kind and Mr.. Ickes might hay
found himself In a splendid positio
to resign from the cabinet. SO th
President got the feudists into HI
office. singly Of course. and whe
those conferences we're over the sci
ate Investigation into the Virgin 4
land situation was suspended Il
two weeks. The transfer Of Cove
nor Pearson and Judge Wilson r
suited.
j One might properly inquire wi
: all OF this agitation has occurrs
.,, about the virg
\ Why the islands. They a,
Agitation? many hundreds
miles from Was
ington. They lie In the Carbide,
sea, considerably out OF the usu
pathway Of ships: they are pop
lated by eDout 22.O0O Individual
% per cent Of whom are negros
and may generally be described as
backward" place.
They may have some military ar
naval value. That has mayer ho,