The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-04-07
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EEEkf MMI0f h,E,SS
Of enough things to cause their re-
moval from office. Arthur Morgan
had openly urged a congressional In
vestigation of the iva as well, and
when Mr.. Roosevelt made his own
investigation and Arthur Morgan
refused to offer one iota Of evidence
to support his previous charges, he
was guilty Of contumacy and the
Chief Executive removed, or just
plain fired, him.
And so, we come to another
phase. In urging a congressional
investigation, Arthur Morgan fol-
lowed what he thought was the
proper course. He held that the
iva was a creature of congress
which placed in its law, its legal
charter, that none Of the directors
could be removed unless on charges
that they had played political fav-
orites in IVA appointments. He
thought that the White House in
vestigation was a means of check
ing a congressional investigation
which had been so vigorously OPP
posed by Senator Norris of Nebras-
ka, father Of the iva and Roose-
welt supporter. That is to say,
Chairman Morgan didn't believe
President Roosevelt had any author
ity to call in the three directors
and there, in the presence of all,
compel the chairman to substanti-
ate his charges. So he stood pat.
But Mr.. Roosevelt believed he did
have authority and he used it. He
removed Arthur Morgan and pro-
noted Harcourt Morgan to the IVA
craftsmanship.
Well, there had been q lot of
hemming and having around in the
senate over the general iva In
vestigation proposed by the fight
ing young Styles Bridges of New
Hampshire, 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
investigation which Senator Bridges
contemptuously referred to as q
comic opera trial." things began
to happen in the house Of repre-
sentatives as well as in the senate
and so now there is scheduled an in
vestigation in which house and SEN
ate will join, an inquiry that will go
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
bringing about q far-reaching in
vestigation in congress. Many bit
ter words have been uttered about
the White House course in firing
Arthur Morgan, observations that
Mr.. Roosevelt had "railroaded' the
chairman out of the iva job; as
sertions that it constituted an AM
erican version of the famed French
"Dreyfus case" assertions that
"contumacy is crime only where
dictators operate" etc. Try as they
may now, the public ownership adj
vocates, socialists and others who
believe in the state owning every
thing, are due to have the varnish
removed from iva. The country at
last is going to have a look at the
real wood; they will get some facts
that hitherto have been concealed
or hushed up. That is, these things
will come out for an airing unless
the President lash whips enough
committeeman into line to develop
a whitewash.
Good for the Country
Aside from the tragedy Of having
Arthur Morgan's name smeared,
the iva row and the White House |
Investigation probably will be good
for the country. Anybody who knows
Arthur Morgan's record, must agree
that 1t is one Of which any man
could be proud. It is too bad, there
fore, that he has to be the goat in
the case. But I repeat that the at
fair will result in considerable good
II the whole iva record can be
brought into the open and the go
lngs-on Of public ownership advo-
Gates can be exposed for once in
solar as IVA Is concerned.
There is. however something