Evening star., 1938-03-12

regularities in the I
nahaeemene Vi David Lawrence.
the first entry on
a large scale of the Government in the
field Of public ownership.
Mr.. Roosevelt the other day really
disqualified himself as a judge because
he allowed the White House to be used
as a means of making public letters
from two members of the T. v. A..
Board of Directors rejecting on the
third member and virtually demanding
the resignation of that third men,
ber-Dr. Arthur Morgan.
Likewise the President has chosen
to ignore the rights of Congress to
investigate the acts of agencies and
organizations which it has created.
The law says a member Of the Board
of Directors of the T. V. A. can be
removed only by concurrent resolu-
ton of both Houses OF Congress. The
President has nothing to say about 1t
and presumably has no right to intlm-
tdate any public official. Congress was
careful to write the law that way be-
"a use II ulu llOU NdI1U ShtNullNC I1llSl-
ference at any time.
Discrediting Seems Goal.
But Mr.. Roosevelt has striven by
his public investigation at the White
House to discredit an important ofh-
cial whose testimony and evidence are
bound to be required when Congress
does investigate-that is assuming the
administration doesn't force rubber
stamp majority in the legislative body
to refuse the investigation asked for
by Chairman Morgan.
1t is most unusual to have public
hearing at the White House with
stenographers and copies of the testi-
mony being given sheet by sheet to
the press. 1t is most unusual also
that President could not have gotten
whatever facts he wanted or needed
by calling in separately the two di-
rectors who are on one side of the
dispute and the chairman on the
other. In private conferences he could
have obtained the necessary data.
But the President. for obvious rea-
sons. did not want the data. He
plainly wanted to put Chairman Nor
gan ''on the spot so that the ad-
niinistration henchmen on Capitol
Hill would be persuaded against
agreeing to an investigation simply
by reading in the press of the
stenographic record of what had hap
pened on Friday at the White House
hearing.
Holds to Congressional Probe.
Chairman Morgan showed remark
able steadfastness in refusing to testi-
fy and in insisting that the Congress
alone should investigate. Apparently
Mr.. Roosevelt was irked by Chairman
Morgans refusal, but at he same time
he himself did not deny that the
chairman had appealed to him before
to give adequate consideration to the
facts of the dispute. There was no
previous unwillingness on Chairman
Morgan's part to tell the President
everything, but the latter. for reasons
of his own, kept the chairman out
In the cold the last few months.
In the past few days it has been
apparent that the President was TAX
ing sides against the chairman and
wanted him to resign, but could not
actually request it because he has no
authority of removal under existing
law. Also it is doubtful whether both
houses would ever vote to remove
Chairman Morgan without holding
the committee investigation which
he is seeking. Doubtless the chairman
does not feel he can serve any longer
anyhow, but he does not intend to give
up his strategic position as member
Of the T. v. A. Board to demand that
light be shed on the conspiracies and
intrigue that 60 on inside the T. v. A.
Democratic Principle.
When Mr.. Roosevelt announced that
all three directors should either recon-
cile their differences or resign he un-
doubtedly realized that his public in
quisition of Chairman Morgan had
been failure. He knows perfectly
well that the feud is not going to be
settled by all three of the directors
themselves and that the only thing
Chairman Morgan wants is to have
the whole case disclosed to the public.
The chairman's refusal to give facts
now even to the President is an example
OF courage of public official who
really has nothing to hide and Moth
ing to fear, because he Is convinced
he is doing his duty in demanding
what democratic government has al
ways thrived on, namely, pitiless pub
licity by legislative committees.
Curiosity is growing more and more
every day as to just why President
Roosevelt is struggling 50 hard to
squelch q congressional Investigation
which involves the integrity OF some
Of his appointees and also money!
making claims Of q member of the
Senate Of the United States. It has
been alleged by Senator Bridges of
New Hampshire that T. v. A. scandal
worse than Teapot Dome is being
hushed up. In the face of such charges
1t is being asked why should the ad-
ministration be fighting so strenuously
against a comprehensive inquiry.