Evening star., 1938-08-04

Tne . n ave
committee to investigate senatorial
campaign expenditures has just sent
its investigators into Kentucky to
INQUIRE into the charge that the
w, P. A. workers are forced to back
Barkley. The investigators also have
looked into charges that State en-
ployes are forced to support Gov.
A. B. Happy" Chandler. Barkley's
opponent.
The Senate committees investiga-
tors apparently have made vastly
different report from the one given
to Mr.. Hopkins. For the committee
itself has put out a public statement
in which it says 1T is certain that
organized efforts have been made to
control the vote of those on relief
work" The committee adds that it is
certain, too, that contributions have
been sought and obtained from Fed
eral employees in behalf Of one OF
the senatorial candidates. The only
senatorial candidate who could obtain
such contributions and who could
expect aid from the w. P. A. is
Senator Barkley, although the COM
mittee did not use his name.
Aim Fire at Chandler, Too.
The committee, however takes Gov.
Chandler and his supporters for a
ride, too 1T is equally certain" it
says, that State officials, charged in
part with the distribution of Federal
funds for old age assistance and for
unemployment compensation, have
been required to contribute from their
salaries and of their services in the
interest of another candidate for the
Senate" That other candidate. Of
course, Is Gov. Chandler
It seems perfectly clear that an
impartial investigating body Is better
fitted to go into charges that the
w. P. A. or any other governmental
agency, Federal or State, is engaged
in politics than is the w. P. A. itself.
The Senate committee has made q
start But that Is all. 1t has dis
closed no names. no details. 1t has
so far contented itself with saying
there Is something rotten in Den
mark"
The Senate committee could per-
form service If it would 60 to Ken
lucky and into other States where
charges have been made and are be-
ing made that the huge funds of
the w. P. A. are being used for po-
litical purposes and hold public hear
ings. That Is the way to ventilate
the charges and let the people really
know what is going on.
No Recourse.
The statement made by the Senate
committee almost on the eve Of the
primary election is not likely to have
the slightest effect one way or an
other on the voting in Kentucky next
Saturday. Indeed, the committee has
in effect said to the Barkleyites and
the Chandlerites, "a plague on both
your houses" The voters in Ken
lucky must necessarily choose be-
tween Barkley and Chandler. There
is no other course open to them in
the primary election. According to
the Senate committee, the campaigns
waged for both are polluted"
Senator Sheppard. chairman of the
Senate Campaign Investigating Com
mittee, when asked if he planned
public hearings in Kentucky, replied
NO" He added that the committee
was getting along very well with its
present procedure-sending its in
vestigators into the States to report"
will there be contest over the
Kentucky election when the victor
presents himself to the Senate?" Sem
ator Sheppard was asked.
His reply was that he did not be-
lieve there would be: that there was
no evidence the candidates had any
connection" with the wrongdoing. He
| did not admit that the evidence gath
cred by the committee justified q
contest.
Yet the committee in its statement
to the public said definitely that the
evidence was the w. P. A. was being
used for political purposes by some
one OF by a lot of people in Kentucky.
The committee said that the in
vestigation in Kentucky should con-
tinue, no matter who wins in the
senatorial primary, so that the facts
may be presented to the Senate. The
Senate does not meet until next Janu-
ary. If the conscience of the coun-
try" is to be aroused, as the commit
tee expresses a hope that it will, the
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