Evening star., 1936-09-20
ROOSEVELT T'SHR|NE'
|PROBE CONSIDERED
in PENNSYLVANIA
W. P. A. Inquiry May Come
Before Lonergan's Sem
ate Committee. 4
SIGNS URGING PRESIDENT
BE REELECTED SCORED
Republican National Committee
Claims Work Is Done at
Taxpayers Expense.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Senate Campaign Investigating
Committee may investigate charges
that the w. P. A. in Pennsylvania Is
being used to coerce relief workers to
vote for the reelection of President
Roosevelt. Such an investigation, once
started. might move to other States,
West Virginia, for example.
Senator Lonergan of Connecticut,
chairman of the Senate committee,
issued q statement yesterday saying
that the matter would be laid before
the committee at its next meeting,
September %. At the same time he
made public q letter from Senator
James J. Davis Of Pennsylvania, Re-
publican, strongly urging that an in
vestigation Of political activities of the
w. p. A. be made in his State. This
letter, Senator Lonergan said, would
form the basis Of the committees
action"
Specific charges" continued Sena.
tor Lonergan, given out by the Re.
publican National Committee regard
ing the Pennsylvania situation have
never been formally presented to the
committee"
Specific Charge Revealed.
The G. o. P. National Committee
more than q week ago made public q
long series of specific charges Of polit.
ical activity by the w. P. A. in Penn.
sylvania, which the committee said
was backed by afidayits. While the
committee did not lay these afidavits
before the Senate committee, it made
clear that the Senate committee would
be given all data and information 1t
had should the Senate committee
ask for 1t.
Last night the Republican commit.
tee added to its charges that the w.
P. A. is operating politically in the
Keystone State.
w. p. A. workers paid by the tax
payers are being forced to erect
monuments and roadside signs urging
the reelection of President Roosevelt
and State and local Democratic can
didates in Pennsylvania" the COM
n1ittee statement said. ''Tnese So
called Roosevelt shrines' are the latest
step In the New Deals brazen and
shameless attempt to divert relief
funds to its own political ends"
The broad charge has been made BY
Republicans that Federal relief funds
and work relief funds have been and
are being used to gain votes for ths
New Deal candidates all over the
country. They have pointed to the
arguments made by New Deal can
didates and their supporters, urging
the voters to support them because of
the millions Of dollars Of Federal funds
they have been able to obtain for
their municipalities, counties and
States.
In fact, the Republicans have sought
for weeks to make the use of Federal
funds an issue in the campaign. They
lay particular emphasis on the fact
that these funds are raised from the
taxpayers all over the country.
Letter Brings Charges to Issue.
Senator Davis letter to the Lonergan
Committee, under date of September
10, oCCAAAAeAy 4Ado DlOu6Alt W hIl Acouo
the charges that the W. P. A., despits
protests of Harry L. Hopkins, relief
administrator, and of President Roose-
welt, is engaged in the coercion Of
voters. The Davis letter follows:
1.-THE newspapers inform me that
you are making an investigation in
the matter of the coercion Of voters
in the State of Pennsylvania. I am
opposed to the coercion Of voters.
either by the Government, by in.
dustry or from any other group.
America can only be safe when citizens
are free to vote their convictions. As
chairman of your committee, you are
not going to overlook the coercion Of
voters that is taking place on the
Works Progress Administration N
Pennsylvania. know Of nothing SO
(See SHRINE. Page A-6.)