The Washington times., 1936-08-06
ICKES-H0PK|NS
ROW FLARES
UP AGAIN
BY EARL GOODWIN

here who are taxing mana III
the campaign to reeleCt President
Roosevelt, wonder why it is that
each time Secretary Ickes makes
a hit with one of his vinegary
speeches, that something happens
to him to make it more difficult
for him to run his administrative
job at the head of the Public
Works Administration.
Some of the insiders in the Ad
ministration believe that Secre-
tary IckeS is still being pursued by
the old jinx from the office of
Harry Hopkins, who is looked
upon as a political liability by the
campaign managers.
At the same time. Mr.. Hopkins
Is ace.high at the White House,
and apparently continues to be
the fair-haired boy when it comes
to the theories of the Administra-
ton of public moneys for relief.
Good Vote. Getter
However, Democrats who have
to raise money and aSsuage the
grief of business men with respect
to Federal taxes, and other irri.
tantS, say that Harold IckeS is the
one high light in the Presidents
Cabinet. They declare he has han.
died a trainload of public money
without a breath of suspicion as
to graft or scandal. And although
his chief scandal hunter, Louis
CLAWS. had to be coldly thrown
outdoors because he and his
Sleuths were said to be too as
siduous in chasing down personal
matters connected with officials
high up in the administration,
practical vote-getting campaign
managers say the IckeS' admins
tration has been much more of a
vote -getter than many other de-
partmentS.
Secretary Ickes' speech attack
ing Governor Landon'S record as
a liberal was received with &C.
claim by the Democrats, who feel
that Mr.. Ickes drew blood. He
will be one of the heavy guns
of the campaign, and will prob
ably show up very we'll in con.
trast to other Cabinet members
who are not as good in political
combat.
Hopkins Row Renewed
Therefore, those who manage
the campaign wonder why it is
that no sooner had he finished his
speech attacking Governor Lam
don than things began to happen
to make it hard for him to carry
on his current public work pro-
gram.
In New England it came to light
that there was a dearth of relief
labor on the Ickes projects and he
was told to get more relief workers,
or drop the work.
It may be that the reports as to
the number of workers fit for jobs
was not correctly reported. In
Michigan, it is pointed out, Harry
Hopkins office reported that there
were no skilled workers on relief:
and this made it impossible for
Mr.. Ickes to put through certain
projects until Mr.. IckeS made a
search himself and found 10000
skilled and expert workers whom
he could use for Public Works
projects. 1t appeared to many of
Secretary IckeS' friends that the
Hopkins group was trying to put
something over on their ancient
foe, Harold IckeS.
Opposition in Ranks
The President demands that
public works money shall be spent
on projects which will show 100
per cent employment CT workers
on relief. In many places there
are said to be not enough iron
workers, bridge workers, skilled me-
chanics generally, on relief TO
build the Ickes projects; however,
the Ickes' faction in Washington
believes that there is some skull
doggery going on with the figures.
Therefore an independent survey
is about to be made by some Treas
ury agency.
Campaign managers say that
the HopkinS-Ickes row is Just one
more evidence to them that Presi-
dent Roosevelt is having as much
opposition within the ranks as
without the Democratic army.
They point to lack of team work
in New England among Demo
Gratis, and declare that the tough
est spots President Roosevelt has
to carry are marked by internal
Democratic factional strife E.
Their chief worries are in New
England, principally Maine which
the Democrats desperately want
to carry for its psychological value
under the old idea that "as Maine
goes so goes the nation