The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-09-18

By Christmas Kennedy expects to have started American ship- ping back on an even keel, at which time he will leave Wash- il1gton.
 In that case the New Deal will lose its most gifted trouble-shoot- CT. For Joe Kennedy is the man Roosevelt has called upon more frequently than any other to handle important emergency situ- atlons. As far as the public knows his two big jobs have been. the organization of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Maritime Commission.
 But behind the scenes, Joe has done everything under the sun. At present he, rather than
 COrdell Hull ig chief adviser to Roosevelt on neutrality and the
 protection of merchant vessels in the Far East. He is also
 Roosevelt's 1ight.hand man on
 the problem created by the slip
 ping stock market, did heavy lobbying on the Supreme Court
 reform bill, and was asked to
 take over the reorganization 0e the Federal Communications
 Commission.
 In fact, Joe even helped the Presidents son-in-law, John Boettiger, get his job as publisher of the Seattle Post t-1ntelligencer. Nine Children ,,
 :. Every man loves prestige and power, and Joe Kennedy Is no exception. Every man also loves physical comfort, and Joe lives in one of the most ornate and com. tortable houses in Washington. His bathrooms have gold plumb ing, his motionapict,tre theater seats 200 people, his swimming pool frequently is used by the President, and his view of the Potomac is unsurpassed anywhere long its gorgeS. <.
 NEVERTHELESS, KENNEDY HATES TO LIVE IN WASHING TON. 1' .
 Key to this = in fact, the key to his entire character - is his children. Joe has nine of them. When he first tells you about them you think 1t is just soft sentimentalisrn. But later you can tell 1t isn't.
 Joe honestly would, rather spend hRs time with them than , i'm the most glamorOsaS lob in
 Washington. Also he has an
 early Irish urge to pass on to. his children enough money tO
 make them comfortable.
 Since Joe has large ideas re. garding comfort, this means quite fa bit of money, And the one thing worrying Joe about the New Deal is whether financial irasecur- ity may upset the childreA's in- heritance. -.... S.. .--...,,,.. =. .,
 LAST YEAR JOE PAID seeo;- 900 IN TAXES. HE FIGURED THAT A ROOSEVELT NEW DEALER COULDN'T DODGE TAXES, EVEN IF HE WANTED TO. # < ~, " Trouble Man .l.,
 In private business, Kennedy has been just as much of Q trouble man as in the government. He has been called in on various big congratulations, among them the Radio Corporation of America. After it was over he was asked in 8 stockholders meeting what his fee was. He could have dodged. But with characteristic frankness he replied: T have just come from . commission in Washington (the SEC) where we believe in telling the truth. My fee was $500,0OO." T
 THE STOCKHOLDERS WE'RE 'BREATHLESS.g ,t
 Kennedy made most of his money in the motion picture busi- ness. He has headed the Film Booking Offices, of America, the Keith, Albee, Orpheuni, the Pathe Exchange, and now Q chain of theaters in New England,
 SNu AAc AAG OOc HEN AlSO pSGu active on the stock market, now can almost instinctiveIy tell weeks in advance how the market is go- ing. It was not unnatural, there- fore, that a hue and cry of criti- cisnn greeted his appointment as chairman of the SEC. .:i No Sec Power
 But instead of turning into . reactionary, Kennedy was just the opposite. And his keen Wall Street nose detected carefully concealed pools just as his llnerring eyes once fathonaed the ticker tape.
 Kennedy does net hesitate an : instant when his own business
 interests are st stake. He leans
 ever backward against them.
 For TinstAnces enc of his invest
 AAents (before he joined the nEp TE4P pECOpn S@