Evening star., 1938-07-03
Why Not Kentucky?


Weeks and weeks ago the chairman
of Gov. A. B. Happy" Chambers cam
paign committee wrote to members of
the Senate charging the w. P. A. was
being used" to bring about the renomi-
nation of Senator Alben w. Barkley and
the defeat of Chandler, who is seeking
Barkley's Senate seat. Newspaper re-
ports from Kentucky have been full of
cases" of political activity by w. P. A.
officials and workers in the interest of
Senator Barkley. Yet the special SEN
ate committee set up to investigate politi-
cal activities on the part of the w. p. A.
along with any other improper and cor
rupt use of money and influence in
senatorial primaries and elections has
so far made no move to go into the
Blue Grass State. Why not?
The committee has now been organ
lied for a couple of weeks, with Senator
Sheppard of Texas at its head. Several
statements have been Forthcoming,
warning senatorial candidates that their
activities and those of their friends will
be watched. The committee has gone
so far as to slap Aubrey Williams,
deputy w. P. A. administrator, on the
wrist for speech he made to members
of the Workers Alliance. It has yet,
however, to make any first-hand investi-
CATION. with public hearing, of w. P. A.
activities in Kentucky or anywhere else
There is still ample time for the Senate
committee to look into charges of politi-
cal activity and undue influence by the
w. P. A. in Kentucky in behalf of
Barkley and time to investigate charges
OF the use of State employees by Gov.
Chandler for his own political advantage.
There is time to make the inquiry be-
fore the primary, which takes place
August 6, more than month away.
According to members of the committee,
no request has come from Kentucky,
from either side, for an Investigation
by the Senate: Almost one would be-
lieve that both sides were afraid of the
light of day. But with so much smoke,
the Senate committee may well believe
there is fire in the mountains and valleys
Of Kentucky.
Harry l.. Hopkins, w. P. A. admin
istrator, with great show of indigna-
ton. has attacked series of newspaper
articles making specific charges of the
Kentucky. He said that his own investi-
gators had looked into twenty-five
specific charges, and only two had been
found to have basis of truth. Thomas
L. Stokes, author of the articles, has
replied that he is still convinced the
w. P. A. is being used to aid Barkley
and that Gov. Chandler is using his
State organization to whip State en-
ployes into line. Mr.. Stokes has also
said with much justification that Mr..
Hopkins investigation Of the w, p, A.
charges in Kentucky could by no means
be considered impartial Nor can 1t.
Mr.. Hopkins said that I'VE will deal
swiftly and summarily with any proven
charge Of political coercion" in the
w. P. A. ranks. That sounds well. But
what are the facts? What are Mr..
Hopkins and the State administrator
in Kentucky doing about the two w. p,
A. workers in Kentucky, whom even Mr..
Hopkins admits were politically active?
Lee Garden, described as chief w. P.
A. supervisor for the district in Edmon-
ston County, KY, has had charge of a
political project" seeing that the
w. P. A. timekeepers make out political
check lists of w. P. A. workers, presum-
ably to line up the vote. Mr.. Hopkins
admits that Mr.. Garden did distribute
registration cards, and he added: I'VE
have taken steps to see that this man
minds his own business. He was told
that amy such activity on his part in
the future would result in his being
fired" Well, well, here was swift and
summary action by the head of the
w. P. A. in case where political activity
and coercion had been proved even by
his own investigators! Or was it?
Cleve Keeney, w. P. A. foreman in
Kentucky, was reported to have told
at least one worker that "the fellows
on the job were going to have to support
Barkley if they stayed on w. P. A." Mr..
Hopkins, having obtained a report that
this was correct, said: I'VE regard this
remark by Mr.. Keeney as reprehensible
and State Administrator Goodman has
been instructed to take the necessary
punitive action" There is doubt as to
whether Mr.. Keeney was reprimanded
or not. Certainly nobody knows If he
was discharged
The suspicion arises that these w. p,
A. workers will not be dealt with either
swiftly or summarily-that If they were
thrown out they might become too
talkative.
Surely the Senate committee, in view
of all that has occurred, could use In
Kentucky some of the $50, 1000 it has been
given to carry on Investigations and feel
justified.
No nation is willing to be known as a
bad neighbor," but each is determined