Evening star., 1935-03-12
.|CKES IS SILENT
ON MOSES CASE
"Reck of Gibraltar Is Not
What Is Was Before Air.
planes" Is Comment.

BY the Associated Press.
THE Rock of Gibraltar isn't what
1t was before airplanes."
This was the reply made today by
Secretary of the Interior Ickes when
reminded by newspaper men that only
last Friday he had insisted that the
famous "Order l29" of last December
stands like the Rock of Gibraltar.
1t was revealed yesterday that on
February 26 Ickes had written Mayor
La Guardia of New York interpreting
the order so as to abondon the Roose-
welt Administrations attempt to oust
Robert w. Moses as a member Of the
New York Tri-Borough Bridge au-
thority. 1t became known at the
same time that the Public Works Ad-
minisiration has advanced another
81 500, 900 for the bridge project.
Order l29, which In Ickes' letter to
La Guardia is construed as non-ret-
roactive, had declared no funds would
be advanced to p. w. A. project II
a city official is on the administering
authority Moses, who was the Re-
publican gubernatorial nominee
against Gov. Herbert Lehman. IS New
York Park Commissioner.
Ickes declined today at his press
conference to explain the delay in
making the announcement. The ex-
change of letters between himself and
La Guardia, he said, wasn't held up.
We were letting nature take its
course"
I'VE were having a contest of wits
to determine how soon you would find
out" he added.
Ickes smiled when reporter re-
minded him that he had the CORE
spondence and so had an advantage.
His press conference was held i'm
mediately after comforting at the
White House. but he said "Mr. Moses
wasn't discussed" in the talk with
President Roosevelt.
A reporter told him this was his
last chance" to explain whether
Z
the order
why should clear 1t up?" Ickes
replied. 1T has been such pleasant
topic of discussion"
He declined to comment on sug-
gestion that the construction" Of
the order was defeat for the ad-
ministration, asserting that news
papers are fully capable Of forming
their opinions"
Asked if the President was con-
suited before he wrote La Guardia,
Ickes replied:
"I can't be quoted on the awareness
Of the President. He usually knows
what he is doing"
Opposed Lehman.
In several quarters here it was wide
ly reported during the attempt to shove
Moses out that both President Roose-
welt and Postmaster General Farley
were kept fully informed of all steps
in the effort.
What most observers here felt was
particularly strange was that even
after Ickes had written his letter to
La Guardia, both he and other high
administration and public works Off
cials gave no hint publicly that the
order had been construed" SO Moses
might stay on.
Last Friday at his press conference,
President Roosevelt dropped a hint
that Ickes might have something to
say about the Moses case this week.
Smilingly the p. w. A. admins
traitor asserted that Mr. Roosevelt was
Just trying to "alibi for himself"
Similarly, after former Gov. Alfred
E. Smith championed Moses a week
ago. Ickes replied that Smith seemed
to consider Moses the only suitable
person in New York for parks COM
missioner or membership on the
Bridge Authority.
In fact, twice since the order was
made public, Ickes had insisted that
the next move was up to Moses"
Publicly this attitude was maintained
even after his letter to La Guardia.