Evening star., 1938-07-01

people inside and outside the official
group, who envy the money-making
propensities of the Presidents son.
The fact that James Roosevelt has
been engaged in the insurance busi-
ness Is no secret to Washington folks.
The names of some of his prominent
clients-the big business men of the
economic royalist" group and others
have been banded about for long
time. It was inevitable that the in
surance solicitors who were adversely
affected by young Roosevelt's compe-
tition should recite their grievances
and that thus the whole matter
should get into print.
Whether young Roosevelt mentioped
his fathers position in soliciting in
surance. or in other ways limited at
the value Of giving him business be-
cause of the family relationship is
the one thing on which proof would
have to be furnished If congressional
committee were some day to look into
the matter. For, after all, even a
Presidents son is not stopped from
engaging in any business, including
life insurance. Was there or is there
anything illegal on the part of the
Presidents son in engaging in the
insurance business itself? Certainly
not. It is the connection with his
fathers position which alone raises a
question of ethics
Ruling of Roosevelt.
As for the question of ethics, Presi-
dent Roosevelt himself, when Cover
nor Of New York, ruled as follows:
"It is not illegal for a relative of
Q political leader to be in the surety
business It is not illegal for a con-
tractor to get his bonds through this
relative Yet the whole business is
indefensibly unethical."
It goes without saying that the
President has known about the in
surance activities Of his son. He
doubtless has cautioned him not in
any remote sense to imply that gov
srnmental favors or anything else will
be forthcoming to the clients, but as
for the insurance agents who were
beaten out by the competition, they
are represented as having believed
that thoughts of possible political ad-
vantage motivated the clients in pre-
ferring young Roosevelt to them.
Hardly any OF these clients probably
would testify as to what their motives
were, and even If they did assume
that some political advantage would
ensue from doing business with the
Presidents son, the latter might insist
that so far as he was concerned 1t
was legitimate business transaction
and nobody made mention Of any
such deal 10 him. incidentally it
seems incredible that young Roose-
welt, who knows his way around in
things political, would ever consciously
do anything which would permit
critics to make any such attack.
Since both Jimmy and the Presi-
dent have heard about these charges
from time to time before. they must
have discussed the proprieties and it
would be surprising If the President,
knowing the stories which were being
circulated among insurance men,
would not take whatever steps he could
to clear up any such misunderstand-
ings as apparently now have arisen.
Dilemma Intensified.
The Presidents dilemma is further
Intensified by the fact that nowadays
there is so much class feeling. People
give voice to such bitter expressions
about individuals who make large
sums Of money. Perhaps the present
incident would furnish an opportune
occasion for the President to make a
pronouncement about the value of
private initiative and the profit system
itself, pointing out that there ought
to be no limit to what human in
genuity can earn in a world of free
competition. Then there is the as
sumption that men who earn large
sums of money have no spirit Of
public service. Jimmy Roosevelt has
refuted this by giving his entire time
to the Government in his capacity as
secretary to the President, where he
receives only about $4,000 a year
which is quite sacrifice for any one
to make who has an earning capacity
Of from $3.50, 900 to $1,000,000 a year,
though his income from premiums
u l.