The daily independent., 1937-07-31

By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT S. ALLEN

. I WdO lllOlllllO OFS1SbSs ~ "S$S -
praiseworthy job, and he manag-
ed it very quietly. Today, the
mention Of Corcoran's name in
connection with the transaction
would bring forth a storm both
of praise and criticism.
Too Much Limelight
This illustrates what every
White House Brain Truster is up
against, and the more effective he
is, the more he is up against it.
The minute he gets into the
limelight, he gets pulled to pieces.
Some White House advisers, as
for instance Moley, crave the
limelight, get pulled to pieces
more quickly. Some, like Tug
well, can't avoid the limelight,
eventually retire.
Tom Corcoran has a passion
for anonymity" In fact, he is
the man who devised that phrase,
once used by the President in de-
Scribing the quality of good
White House secretary. Keeping
in the background to him has be-
come almost a religion. He has
a disorderly little office in cor
ner of the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation, and although he now
devoteS all, his time to the White
House, he holds no rank or Off
cial position.
The others all went after the
epauletS," says CorCOran, refer
ring to the more spectacular
Brain TruSterS. But since l have
no epauletS. they can't take them
away from me-
This is true, even today, when
CorcOran has lost his anonymity
despite his passion for it-and
became a very much limelighted
young man.
Lush Job Offers
There has been a vigorous drive
TO Oust CorCOran recently. This
has come from two sources. One
source has attempted to coax
rather than oust him. For, rec
ognizing the skill with which Cor
cOran handled the holding cOrpor-
alton fight, one law firm offered
him and his associate. Ben Co.
hen a minimum retainer Of $780,
900 annually. He also has been
| given the turndOWn of the gen.
eral financial and legal work for
newspaper properties at a salary
which he could more or less name
himself.
The source Of the other drive
against Corcoran has come from
his enemies on Capitol Hill-the
Burt Wheelers the leactionary
Democrats the Liberty Leaguers,
/ who realize that Tom is the
right arm of the President in
most of his important fights in
Congress. If they can Gust him,
they know that a part Of their
battle against Roosevelt is won,
and so they have used the Wea-
pom which COrCoran hates most
publicity, mixed. incidentally,
with lot of duplicity.
No Retirement
But it will be a long time be-
fore they ouSt Tom Corcoran- if
ever. He is the last man left a.
round the White House who does
engage in a chorus of "yeSeS" not
to the President and Roosevelt ap-
preCiate it COrCOran and RoOSe-
welt think alike. share the same
ideals, the same objectiveS. But
COrCOran is realistic and tells
the Skipper. as he calls him,
facts which other White House
advisers hold back.
The two men understand each
other perfectly. There is a feel
ing of affection almost of father
and-son love between them
This guy" he says of Roose-
welt, has SO much on the ball,
and every minute Of his time is
SO valuable to the life of this
country, that 1 figure I'm lucky
just to be around and run some
of his errandS."
AS long as Roosevelt continues |
the fight, CorCoran will be in
the thick of it.
Copyright, 1887. by United
Feature Syndicate, IncD