Evening star., 1938-07-30
SMITH AND D0DD
COME TO GRIPS
Representative Says Ickes
Attempts to Muscle In
Virginia Race.


Abandoning his policy of ignoring
the 32-year-old son of the former
Ambassador to Germany, Mr.. Smith
lashed out first at his opponents New
Deal hacker, Secretary of the Interior
1ckes. and went on to defend his own
record as an independent thinking"
Democrat who had never campaigned
ION promises"
Replying to Mr. Smith in a radio
talk an hour and half later over
the same station, Mr.. Dodd reiterated
several of his previous charges, in
cluding the one that Representative
Smith had offered to change his vote
on bill at the last session of Con-
gress if he (Mr Dodd) could be per-
suaded to withdraw, and had pro-
claimed himself Roosevelt Demo-
crat."
Smith Reverses Charge.
Mr.. Smith, who was charged by Sec
retary 1ckes with attempting to
muscle in" on credit for securing P.
w. A. appropriations for the University
of Virginia, declared Mr.. Ickes was
the one who was trying to muscle
In" He said:
The unhappy Harold Ickes has
been muscling in all his life. He
nnuscled into the Republican party
and helped to ruin that He deserted
that and muscled into the Bull Moose
party and helped to ruin that He
deserted that party and muscled in on
the Democratic party, and is trying
to ruin that.
He is now attempting to muscle in
on Democratic primary in Virginia
IN his frantic effort to destroy the true
Democratic party. Having no party
loyalty himself. he is unable to un-
derstand the bitter resentment of life
long Democrats at his untiring efforts
to destroy the real Democratic party,
which has given him his only place in
the sun during a lifetime If muscling
in"
Dodd Makes Reply.
In reply. Mr.. Dodd said of Mr. Ickes:
In view OF the Official statement
Of the man who by his sheer respect
for honesty and truth has become Mr..
Eoosevelt's strong right arm. I am
wondering how We can reconcile Mr.
Smiths attack on the Secretary with
his profession Of friendship for the
administration"
Mr.. Smith defended his labor rec
ord, claiming he had voted against
only two of six strictly labor meas
ures during his term in Congress, the
Guffey coal bill and the wage and
hour bill Neither bill, he asserted,
would affect any Of the voters in his
district except to raise prices to the
consumer
He claimed reports that he was un-
favorable to labor emanated from the
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
ton, and declared he was proud to
say he was one Of AZ Congressman
"blacklisted" by that organization. He
said:
TT will be remembered that it was
the c. I. o. that originated and car
ried on the iniquitous and lawless sit
down strikes that terrorized and par
alyzed business. Almost immediately
upon the heels OF the sit-down strikes
the present business recession fol-
lowed.
'"The G. l. O. was then and it is
now shot through with Communists
and other un-American agitators.
They were trying openly and boldly to
take possession and control of the
Democratic party and your country.
Points to Endorsements.
Mr.. Dodd answered this charge by
pointing out he was not indorsed by
n n h,1t hat hA laI
Endorsed by the Alexandria Central
Labor Union, an American Federation
nf Labor affiliate, and by the railroad
brotherhoods, affiliated neither with
the A. F. of L. nor the c. I. O..
The disavoWal made by Mr.. Smith
Of any knowledge of the charges circu-
lated throughout Arlington County
that Mr.. Dodd was associated with
Communists was accepted by Mr..
Dodd without further comment.
Mr.. Smith denied that he had in
troduced or favored the business priv
ilege tax in the District, as claimed by
Mr.. Dodd, and read letter from an
ofhcial Of the Virginia Maryland Milk
Producers Association thanking him
for representing the association views
opposing the measure.
However, Mr. Dodd repeated his
charge that Mr.. Smith was responsible
for the law which requires every
farmer to pay direct tax on every
thing he sells in the District" He
declared:
Mr.. Smith led the fight on the
House floor to kill the District in
come tax, which provides for taxes
on those receiving income in Wash
lngton who were best able to pay.
Mr.. Smith denied unequlvocally
that he had ever agreed or even dis
cussed any deal with the White
House to change his vote on any
measure in an effort to have Mr.. Dodd
withdraw from the congressional race
and declared he had not even called
at the White House since November,
1897. He described the charge as
"willful and malicious falsehood"
Despite his denial, Mr. Dood re-
peated the charge. which he said was
first disclosed by reliable and we'll
Informed Washington newspaper cor
respondent and was carried quite gen.
orally in the national press
Addressing his remarks to the lit
tie band of c. 1. o. burgers" sitting
In Washington hotel room listening
and preparing Mr.. Dodd's reply, Mr..
Smith asked what were his oppo-
nents qualifications outside his
willingness to be rubber stamp; his
political associations during his ex-
tended absence from Virginia; if he
had ever voted the Democratic ticket
''in the IL years he has been of voting
age and why he did not vote for
President Roosevelt in 1886 and for
Gov. Price in 1887"
Mr.. Dodd replied that he was a
"real Roosevelt Democrat and had
voted in Virginia and that he would
answer more fully in another radio
talk Monday night.