Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1938-04-07


have authority and he used it. He
removed Arthur Morgan and pro-
NOTED Harcourt Morgan to the iva
Craftsmanship.
Well, there had been a lot of
hemming and having around the
senate over the general iva in
vestigation proposed by the fighting
young Styles Bridges of New Hamp-
shire, who was joined in the battle
by Sen. William H. King of Utah.
Senator Norris succeeded in stalling
the investigation for quite awhile.
But after the White House investiga-
ton which Senator Bridges con-
temptuously referred to as "comic
opera trial." things began to happen
In the house of representatives as
well as in the senate and so now
there is scheduled an investigation
in which house and senate will Join,
an inquiry that will 60 into every
phase of iva to see what makes it
tick.
There can be no doubt at all that
instead of satisfying the country,
especially congress, as to the merits
of the iva row, the White House
investigation had the effect of bring
ing about far-reaching investiga-
ton in congress. Many bitter words
have been uttered about the White
House course in firing Arthur Nor
gan, observations that Mr.. Roose-
welt had 'railroaded" the chairman
out of the IVA job; assertions that
it constituted an American version
of the famed French "Dreyfus
case" assertions that "contumacy
is a crime only where dictators OPP
crate" etc. Try as they may now,
the public ownership advocates, so
ciahsts and others who believe in
the state owning everything, are due
to have the varnish removed from
iva. The country at last is going
to have look at the real wood:
they will get some facts that hither-
to have been concealed or hushed
up. That is, these things will come
out for an airing unless the presi-
Dental lash whips enough commit
teemen into line to develop a white
wash.
Aside from the tragedy of having
Arthur Morgan's name smeared,
-. the iva row and
Oooo Tor the White House
the Country investigation prob
ohlx, ,x,;1I L. z1.l
for the country. Anybody who knows
Arthur Morgan's record, must agree
that it is one of which any man
could be proud. 1t is too bad, there
fore, that he has to be the goat in
the case. But l repeat that the af-
fair will result in considerable good
II the whole IVA record can be
brought into the open and the GO
ings-on of public ownership advo-
Gates can be exposed for once in
solar as IVA is concerned.
There is, however, something
much more significant, much deep
er, in this situation than just justice
or injustice to one man. In this I
refer to the use Of authority by the
President to make an independent
official do the bidding of the Chief
Executive. II is a case comparable
in many respects to the removal of
the late William E. Humphreys as
a member of the federal trade COM
mission. That was done, President
Roosevelt said at the time, because
Mr.. Humphreys failed ito see eye
to eye" with the Chief Executive. It
is to be remembered, too, that the
Supreme Court Of the United States
held unanimously that Mr.. Roose-
welt did not have the power to re-
move Mr.. Humphreys. Thus, there
is again a legal question whether
the President had the power, al
though Homer. S. Cummings, the at