Evening star., 1938-08-28
MORGAN CHARGES
OMIT CORRUPTION
Insists at T. V. A. Quiz He
Does Not Accuse Former
Colleagues of Graft.

BACKGROUND
President ROOseDeH renoued DR..
Arthur E. Morgan as chairman OF
T.sV. A. last March When he failed
to elaborate on charges against his
colleagues. Dauid E. Lilienthal and
DR.. Harcourt A. Morgan, tollowing
dissension on policies. Claim OF
Senator Berry for damage to marble
lands ,pas inuolped.
~ the Associated Press.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Aug 27.-Dr.
Arthur E. Morgan, deposed chairman
Of the T. v. A., bitterly renewed
charges of dishonesty in public Of
fice" against the remaining two direc-
tors. before the congressional inves-
tigation committee today, but made
it clear he did not accuse them of
personal corruption or graft.
Or. Morgan went deeply into his
philosophy of ethics in public life,
acknowledged frankly he had mis-
judged certain actions and conse-
quences during the feud leading up
to his dismissal by President Roose-
welt from the Craftsmanship. but Wig
orously defended his efforts in sup
port of his ideals
He said he wished he had made 1t
clear. when the three directors ap-
peared before the President last
March. that he did not accuse either
David E. Lilienthal or DR.. Harcourt
A. Morgan of personal corruption.
Questioned by Biddle.
At that time. which was just prior
to his removal by the President for
"contumacy," he said the Idea of
making that distinction did not occur
to him. He explained he felt certain
his and the Presidents conceptions
of honesty in public life we're. and are,
the same, that they brooked OF no
distinctions
But under questioning by Francis
Biddle, committee counsel, he acknowl-
edged he now felt 1t would have been
"fairer" to have made his accusation
more specific
Mr.. Biddle asked If he now felt that
way because Of the grave suspicious
cast upon T. V. A.. the conjecture as
to whether "a second Teapot Dome"
was involved. Dr. Morgan said:
Il was under extreme pressure. I
didn't analyze the situation pro or
con, as l can from this distance i"
Asked to justify his continuing charge
against the other DR.. Morgan and
Lilienthal. the former chairman indi-
Gated clearly that his differences were
sharpest with the youthful. dynamic
Mr.. Lilienthal. He frst said. Il con-
slider DR.. Morgan was guilty of always
going along" with Mr.. Lilienthal.
Cites Report to Press.
To fiat question as to whether he
considered DIR. Harcourt A. Morgan
guilty OF dishonesty in public ONCE, :"
he replied. Yes. do" and cited a
report which Dr. Morgan gave the
press OF conference with Wendell L.
Willkie. president of Commonwealth
dS Southern Corp. early in 1897. He
branded that as a clear and unequiv-
ocal' case of Misrepresentation"
Queried specifically as to his charges
against Mr.. Lilienthal, he cited his
allegation that Mr.. Lilenthal dis
couraged consideration of bad mo-
tives" in the marble claims of Senator
George L. Berry. Democrat, OF Ten
nessee, and said:
Mr.. Lilienthal was aware Of the
very great probability of an effort to
hold up the Government and took a
friendly attitude - That does not
correspond to my idea of honesty in
Government" Mr. Lilienthal has tes-
tified he only tried to get the quickest,
cheapest settlement.
Retracts Criticism of Dunn.
At the start of the days session, Dr.
Arthur E. Morgan read a statement
retracting charges he had made
against Evans Dunn. T. v. A. counsel
to the effect that he had tried to soft
pedal" prosecution of condemnation
proceedings against the Berry claims
He said members of T. v. A. staff
had offered strikingly different testi-
mony from the information they first
gave him about Mr.. Dunn, that he
could understand how they might
earlier have misjudged certain aspects
of the matter He asked the commit
tee Ito strike from the record any
criticism I have made of Mr. Dunn {"