Evening star., 1938-03-07
By tie Associated Press.


see Valley Authority follows:
Three weeks ago I wrote a conf.
dental letter to a member Of Congress
Representative Maverick) with nc
intention that 1t should be made pub
lie. In view Of the press statement on
Friday and Saturday it seems desir-
able to make public the substance OF
that letter. -
You are a friend and supporter OF
the President and also Of the T. v
A. I believe that I can write you in
confidence.
In your recent speech in the House
as reported in the Congressional Rec
ord. you say:
This lack of frankness is also true
Of Chairman Morgan. About
the only difference is that Mr.. Lilien-
thai smiles and evades all questions
and Mr.. Morgan looks solemn and
evades all questions"
Invariably Vote Together
On All Board Matters.
I believe that if you should fully
understand the situation you would
not support that statement. AS
think you know, Mr.. Lilienthal and
DR.. H. A. Morgan invariably vote to-
eether on all board matters. When
ever there is difference OF opinion
I am invariably in the minority. EX-
cept for possibly two or three detail
incidents, I think there is not an ex-
ception to this rule in the entire his
tory Of the T. v. A.
President Roosevelt, by executive
order, had put ME in charge OF Norris
Dam. so that was left In my hands
Since neither of the other two dl-
rectors knew anything whatever about
dam building, the enlarged construc-
ton program until recently was left
IN nv hands. Also, the President
designated me as chairman, and the
other two directors knew very little
about business administration. so II
was left to me to organize the gen.
eral administration Of the T. Y. A
Otherwise, the other two directors
took over most functions, and arranged
that in their special work each OF the
three directors were made responsible
for almost independent organizations
Because of unexpected congressional
appropriations for the constructor
of additional dams, the construction
program under my direction came te
be about twice as great in money
expended as the part of the work
which was directed by the other tWe
directors combined. Mr.. Lilienthal
steadily opposed additional dam con-
struction in board meetings, but moi
in public. When the two directors
had divided up the field they an
nounced to me that the T. V. A. was
primarily concerned only with power
and fertilizer, and that nothing shoule
be undertaken which was not Incl
dental to this. Muscle Shoals ther
seemed the center of the stage. They
told me that they had divided the
work there among themselves and tha'
It would not be necessary for me tc
20 to Muscle Shoals.
As you know very we'll, the enemies
Of T. v. A. and of the President are
eager to use any discord in the T. V
A. to destroy it. am in hearty &C.
cord with the purposes OF the Ne"
Deal as announced by the President
and with the purposes of the T. V. A
as stated in the act. But how to BRING
about a correction Of the faults in
the organization,, without injuring the
T. v. A. and the administration, has
been a difficult problem. have gone
to a few persons in key positions and
have stated the facts. I have asked
to be given facilities to make definite
report with facts and data. I have not
been supported in that request.
L have talked to certain Senators
and Representatives and have told
them enough so that they could In
quire If they wished.
Declares Company Directors
Do Not Want Probe.
The two directors, who always vote
together and thereby control T. v. A.
organization matters, do not desire
any inquiry or publicity. Their propa-
randa has been that I am unduly
favorable to the utilities, or that it
Is just family quarrel" or cat
and dog fight" and that I am ex-
posing the T. v. A. to its enemies.
They have needed only to cloud the
issue to keep in control. -"
I have tried to give public notice
that certain T. v. A. policies were not
mine, without going further than was
necessary ir publicity. It has seemed
to be a situation where any course I
should take would seem to be wrong
from some point Of view Under the
circumstances, in addition to letting
the public know in a general way that
I did not approve the prevailing T. v.
A. policies, 1t seemed best to wait until
those in key positions should come to
realize that the public interest is not
being served by the present control.
Since they would not take my word,
they would have to learn by events.
I think that probably the time has
come to 60 further than that.
Some of the reasons for my con-
Germ are the explicitly misleading and
evasive reports, and, in my opinion,
explicitly false reports, which have
been made to the President, to Con-
gress and to the public concerning
conditions In the T. v. A. by T. v. A..
director or by the two directors acting
Ia unison.
With reference to the Aluminium Co.
contract. I feel that the relations of
the T. v. A. and the Aluminium Co.
have failed to protect the public in
terest. have protested to the board
repeatedly on this matter. When I
have protested on general policy
matter and have been overruled, it has
not been my custom to object in case
Of the detailed applications of that
policy, for that would only cucumber
the work Of the authority. ""*
Although protested strongly and
repeatedly against the policy estab-
lished toward the Aluminium Co., and
recorded these protests by negative
votes and by formal statements. yet