The daily independent., 1937-08-07

OF Trade Commission, Gets
Brass Ring; Lame Duck When
Appointed; Now More in Lime
light Than Brother Norman;
Fought Lynching When Ten
nessee Judge; Beat Ship Sub
sidy In Congress; COmbated
Radio Monopoly; FDR May
Shift Him To Communications
Agency.
Editors Note: The Brass Ring,
awarded by the authors of The
Washington Merry -GO-ROund
to outstanding Capital figures,
is good for one free ride on
The Merry y-Go-ROund." 1t goes
this week to Judge EWin Lamar
Davis, chairman of the Federal
Trade COmmissiOn.)
Washington-When Ewin Davis
was appointed to the Federal
Trade Commission in 1888 he was
derided by some news commenta-
tors as a lame duck Congressman
who couldn't get a job anywhere
else. and upon whom Roosevelt
had taken pity as a favor to his
brother, Norman Davis.
Norman Davis at that time was
committing avroSS the Atlantic in
| feveriSh attempts to diSarm the
world and negotiate debt agree
m7ntS. He was ambaSSador-at-
| large for both Hoover and RooSe-
welt, and a very much limelightcd
man.
His older brother, on the other
hand, was known to his colleagues
in Congress, The people Of Ten
nessee, and that was all. Just at
that particular moment, more
over, he was so indifferently
known to the people of TenncS-
see that they failed to re-elect
him to Congress. Ewin Davis, az
the time Roosevelt rescued him,
was out of luck, out of a job.
But in the years that have
passed, the See-Saw of fate has
somewhat reversed the status of
the Two Davis brothers. Norman.
although quite prosperous. thanks
to large fees as reorganizer Of
the Kreuger match properties. no
longer is in the limelight. Dis
armament, through no fault of
his, is out of style.
On the other hand. EWin, as
a member of The Federal Trade
Commission. has become a real
power in the world of American
business, and one Of the most
fortnight crusaders against
monopoly in the game.
Three Davis Brothers
1t is unique that one small
corner of Tennessee should have
turned out three brothers, all of
whom were to make their mark
on The nation. They were born
in Bedford County, the third and
youngest brother being Paul Da-
Wis, now a Nashville bank preSi-
dent and director of the Fed
eral Reserve Bank.
EWin, the eldest. soon dipped
into Tennessee politics, and when
only "a years old became judge
of the Seventh Judicial Circuit of
Tennessee, a job which he per-
formed with deadly and painstak-
ing seriousness He decided 10000
cases in eight years, and was re-
verSed only eighteen times by the
State Supreme Court.
1t was as a judge that Davis
let drop the first tell-tale indiCa-
tions of his budding liberalism.
Anti-Lynch Law
He dared to jail Two wealthy
violators of the prohibition act.
at time when it was said
throughout the State that no
judge would dare impriSon them.
Awakened by a lynch mob on an
other occasion, Judge Davis tuck
ed his nigho-goWn into a pair Of
pants and ran down to the Jail,
where crowd had gathered be-
fore the cell of a Negro accused
of speaking indecently to white
woman.
Il can recognize the faces of
everyone here" he shouted to the
crowd, "and if you don't get out
I'll jail every mothers son of you
for contempt of coulV!"
The crowd dispersed. Another
time, Judge Davis had to arrest
the ring-leader of a mob for con-
tempt, in order to break it up.
Throughout Tennessee, Davis was
known as the judge who despised
lynch law. MobS gave his district
wide berth.
Pitiless Publicity
EWin Davis docs nCy posses
personality which radiates fire
and enthusiasm. He is mcthodi-
Cal, slow, and careful. His speech
is Il slow, southern drawl. almost
tantalizingly slow.
But perhaps because of its
sloWneSs, the barb which Davis
frequently puts on the end. stings
all the harder.
When the Federal Trade Com
mission investigated the milk in
dustry to see why 50 little cash
went into the farmers jeans. Da-
Wis insisted that the lush salaries