Evening star., 1938-03-19
THE EVENING WASHINGTON D. {,
ROOSEVELT CALLS
IVA SHOWDOWN
Gives Chairman Morgan
Until Monday to Answer
Questions.
BY JOHN H. CLINE.

BY JOHN H. CLINE.
With the breach between T. v. A.
Chairman Arthur E. Morgan and him.
self apparently beyond repair, Presi-
dent Roosevelt will make final effort
Monday to elicit the facts upon which
Chairman Morgan has made grave
charges against his two associates on
the power agency's Board of Directors.
The President failed yesterday in
his second effort to get this informa-
tion when Chairman Morgan refused
to answer his questions. Apparently
angered at the refusal, Mr.. Roosevelt
declared:
ION the records as it stands today
Chairman Morgan Is guilty of con-
tumacy in his refusal"
The President then announced he
stood ready to proceed with the in
vestigation Monday under his duty as
Chief Executive or under the terms
of the T. v. A. Act.
"Will you be ready to resume?" he
asked bluntly.
Morgan Seeks Delay.
Chairman Morgan said he did not
think he would be prepared to answer
by Monday, but the President insisted
the question was a simple one and
that there was no justification for
excessive delay.
Il regret It," the President stated,
but I can give you only until Mon
day to make up your mind as to
whether you are going to cooperate
in this inquiry or whether you are
going to decline. And when you do
it-when you give me this answer
at l:30 on Monday-I want you to
say yes or no 1t has reached that
point now. I don't want a long ex-
planation as to why you do not want
to appear before the President OF the
United States or appear under sec
ton II Of the T. v. A. Act. want
to know at l:3O on Monday whether
you are going to be guilty of con-
tumacy by refusing to appear in q
continuation of this inquiry or whether
you are going to appear and answer
the questions which are going to be
put to you"
Chairman Morgan previously had
said he wanted to submit his facts at
a congressional investigation and had
also expressed doubt as to the Presi-
dents authority to hold his hearing.
Morgan Stresses Own Duty.
Il also have a grave public respon-
sibility," he declared. The question
does not seem simple to me. 1t is
my full intent to do my full duty
under the T. v. A. Act and under the
United States Government. will do
my best with all speed and -"
Il shall require an answer to this
question to be in my hands by 1880
pm. on Monday" the President In
terposed.
At another point. Chairman Nor
gan disclosed he had discussed the
so-called Berry claims with Under
secretary Of Interior Charles West,
whose ONCE staff recently was abol-
shed by Secretary Ickes. The Berry
claims concerned q demand by Sena-
tor Berry OF Tennessee for $4,000, 900
compensation for marble deposits
allegedly flooded by the waters Of
Norris Dam. A Federal commission
recently decided the marble deposits
were commercially valueless.
Spoke to Mcintyre.
Asserting he had taken the matter
up with Mr.. West after Marvin Nc
1ntyre. White House secretary, had
told him that was q satisfactory pro-
cedure, Chairman Morgan told the
President:
II had two motives for taking
that action, one, because Of the bur-
den on your time, the other was that
by approaching him-I did not know
whether he talked to you or not. II
anybody would have asked me If 1
had told you, Id say no. I was
protecting your position ="
At the opening Of the hearing,
Chairman Morgan said he had q 10
minute statement he wanted to put
into the record. He explained the
statement was related to his refusal
to answer the Presidents questions.
Most of the statement dealt with
the Berry case in an effort to show
that his co-directors-Dr. Harcourt
Morgan and David E. Lilienthal-
had or should have had information
indicating q want Of good faith in
the presentation Of the claims.
Cites Four Points.
In support of this contention Chair
man Morgan cited the following
points
Il. The T. v. A. seolosists, inde-
pendent geologists of high standing,
and a wholly independent committee
OF practical marble experts. after a
thorough investigation, had reported
the marble deposits were of absolutely
no value commercially
o. Record titles to the leases (cov-
ering the flooded land) were not in
Senator Berry. He was = stranger
to the record.
49, Maj. Berry in August, 1885, had
positively declined to state to the
board at my request what his interest
was. how he had acquired it, and the
amount he had paid.
a. There was then and had been
continual. improper and unseemly
pressure exerted upon the T. v. A..
Board upon the part of Maj. Berry
for payment by way Of private and
nom public settlement outside. entirely
Of the regular procedure for the ac-
QUESTION of lands and rights of lands
by the T. v. A."
Mr.. Lilienthal said he did not con-
slider that these matters indicated a
lack of good faith on the part Of