The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-02

OOWIGyp 4lib pckOOAldA dJVOAlCyb AA Clements place. Downey is a fol- lower of Upton Sinclair, was the candidate for lieutenant governor on the EPIC slate in 1884.
 Conservative Townsend leaders are vehemently opposed to Dow ney's being elevated to 8 position of power in the organization. They consider him 8 radical, contend that his succession to Clements post would result in EPIC captur- ing the Townsend movement and usin git for their own socialistic ends.
 When Politicians Disagree
 In opposition against Downey, Rev, R. J. Wright of Cleveland, Ohio state manager is threaten ing to resign from the Townsend board---to which he was elected only Q few weeks ago--if Dr. Townsend goes thruogh with his plan.
 At the root of the warning are the basically divergent political leanings of the chieftai1s.
 Wright and others against Sheridan D0wney are republi- cans. Downey and the EPIC leaders are democrats. Their foes fear that if Downey should get into 8 position of control in the Townsend organization, he would swing the movement toward some liberal republican like Senator Bill BOrah.
 Dr. Townsend, personally, is friendly to the Idahoan. Clements, on the other hand, privately fav- ored Senator Vandenberg. This difference over presidential favor ties was one of the important causes of their rupture.
 EmancipatOr
 On one of Dr. Townsend's re- cent visits to Washington-when the stage was secretly set for evicting "Co-founder" Clements he took a group of friends to see the stately Lincoln Memorial overlooking the Potomac.
 As the sightseers stood looking up in awe at the huge statue of the Matryr President, Townsend put his hand on the pedestal and said solemnly:
 "Lincoln freed 4,OOO,OOO negro slaves and this is what the country did to perpetuate his name. I wonder what they will do for me for freeing 40,00O,OO0 white people from economic .slavery?"
 Housing Delay
 It looks as if one of the major legislative efforts of the Congress sional session - the Wagner Housing Bill = would get nowhere. It has been begged down by dead ly undercover knifing and general inertia.
 Senator Wagner, born in Ger many, raised in the tenements of New York, made up his mind to put through Congress 8 new pro- gram for low cost housing and stub clearance. Long before Con- gress convened he had his bill ready, delivered radio speeches emphasizing it's importance.
 Then something happened. Weeks passed and Wagner car- ried his bill in his breast pocket. Made no move to introduce 1t in Congress.
 Roosevelt Delay
 Reason was that Roosevelt had stepped in and quietly asked him t lay off. The President ex- plained that he wanted com- plete study of the housing situa- tion made in order to coordinate different housing activities of the government-PWA, Resettlement, Federal Housing Administration.
 Placed in charge of this study was Peter Grimm, New York real estate operator, at that time an assistant to Young Henry Mor- genthau in the Treasury.
 Grimm got the job on the recommendation of Henry Mor- genthau, Sr., who built up the Morgenthau millions on real es- tate.
 But Grimm didn't fit, either
 in the Treasury or in cOOrdin-
 ating housing. He favored pri-
 vate real estate operators, which
 didn't go down well with tene-
 ment-raised Wagner.
 Finally, Grimm resigned.
 Late Congressional Session
 THEN, once again, the Presi- dent stepped in. Once again he in- timated that he didn't want the Wagner bill introduced immedi- ately. He wanted nothing which would prolong the session.
 so amiable Bob Wagner waited. Meanwhile some of his colleagues got impatient. Schwellenbach, fortnight senator from Washing ton, had planned a housing bill, but held it out in deference to Wagner. Congressman Ellenbogen of Pittsburgh, also had drafted a bill, but marked time waiting for Wagner.
 FINALLY Wagner decided to go ahead without presidential bless ing. But with Congress heading for adjournment before the June