The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-23


 Henry's greatest attribute is loyalty. This is true in his atti- tude toward his friends-some- times to his sorrow-but especial ly so in his attitude toward his chief. To Roosevelt, Henry is al- most supine in his obeisance.
 Sometimes you catch other Cabinet memebrs in unguarded moments of presidential criti- cism, but not Henry Morgenthau. His loyalty to Roosevelt is of that blind variety which sees no wrong, and not for one instant would he voice it, even if he did.
 Should the President ever oust his Secretary of the Treasury which probably he never will Henry would take it in mute silence, like the hound dog which has been Wantonly kicked but continues to look with hurt and adoring eyes at his master.
 Let Elm Resign"
 During the first years of the New Deal, Henry Morgenthau did little talking in Cabinet, and less arguing at the White House. A very young and inexperienced Cabinet member, he was seen and not heard.
 Now, however, Henry is begin ming to assert himself. One of these assertions took place only recently in connection with the tax bill, now the subject of much controversy in the House and Senate Conference Committee. In the opinion of Morgenthau, the Senate bill (his subordinates call it the "Berny Baruch" BilD favors the big speculator and is discriminatory in its treatment of big and little business.
 So aroused was Morgenthau over this, and over the sabotage done the Presidents tax stand by some of his associates, that he went to the White House and urged Roosevelt to mobilize his entire Administration to fight for the House version of the tax bill.
 "Tf I were you, MT. President" preached Young Henry, "I'd call your Cabinet together and say that the Administration has an important issue to go to bat on, and that if anyone is not ready to go out and make speeches on it, he should resign from his job"
 This is new and unexpected bel- ligerence for the mild MT. Nor genthau. But on any issue of morals or loyalty he can be forth right and forceful.
 Humanitarian Henry
 Henry is not what one would call a liberal. He goes along with all of MT. Roosevelt's policies quite conscientiously (with one excep- tion), but you get the feeling that he is not wildly enthusiastic about some of them.
 Basically, Henry is a humani- tarian. He is conservative in his economic theories, but he has never hesitated where hu- man needs were at stake. Thus he has always gone along with the President on relief appro- priati0ns, but when it comes to the larger spending picture, Henry is skittish, if not down. right negative.
 This is the one exception in which he differs with his chief in the White House-namely, bal ancing the budget. Henry hates to see the money roll out and not come in. It sends acute pains up and down his financial nerves, and causes positive nausea to the fine sense of monetary house. keeping Henry inherited from his millionaire father.
 The thing that worries Henry. of course, is that he has to find the money for all this spending, and the mere thought of 1t makes him one of the most jittery men ill the Administration.
 Efficient Executive
 Whatever else he may be called, Henry Morgenthau will be known to future Treasury generations as one of the most efficient adminiS- trators it has ever had. He has done a powerful lot of house. cleaning, and it has been all to the good. He has eliminated un- told graft in the customs service and speeded up inspection. He has cut out favoritism in the Coast and given it up-to-date equipment. He has abolished politics from the examination of