Evening star., 1939-06-22
Gov. Leche 10 Resiun;
Louisiana ". P. 4,
Probe Started
Brother Of Huey Long
To Complete Term
In Surprise Shift
BY the Associated Rress.

BY the Associated Rress.
BATON ROUGE, La, June a.
An unheralded change In Louisiana
Governors that will elevate 1t. Gov.
Earl K. Long, brother of the late
"Kingfish" Huey p. Long, put the
State in a political whirl today.
Gov. Richard w. Leche announced
last night he would resign next
week, with nearly II months of his
term unexpired. AS Lieutenant Gov
ernor, Mr.. Long will succeed auto
matically.
Although Gov. Leche gave i'll
health-two severe arthritis attacks
AS his immediate reason, observers
noted the announcement followed
days OF almost continuous confer
ences and paralleled a Federal in
vestigation of w. P. A. activities in
the State.
Un Washington, w. P. A. off,
cials said they had ordered in
vestigators from their field Office
m New Orleans to go into re-
ported irregularities in Louisi-
ana, but that no information mad
yet been returned.
CThe Federal Bureau of Inves-
tigation, which also has taken
cognizance of the reports, would
make no comment today)
The fiery, quick-tempered, 49,
year-old Lieutenant Governor, whose
whose career has included stanch
support and bitter denunciation of
the late Senator Long, Immediately
rushed to New Orleans for political
conferences. He issued statement
he would carry on the fine work
done in the past 10 years under my
brother, Gov. o. K. Allen and Rich
ard w. Leche."
Two Candidates. Announced.
The unexpected developments
threw several ambitious former
ieutenants of Huey Long and sup
porters of his still-intact political
machine into dismay, since they were
preparing to run for Governor next
January. AS incumbent, Mr.. Long
would hold distinct advantage.
Two already have announced, one
as an outright foe of the admins
tration, and the other as a candi-
date with or without machine sup
port. The latter, State Treasurer A.
p. Tugwell, came out openly two
hours before Gov. Leche acted.
Political storm clouds began gath
ering two weeks ago following pub
lication by the New Orleans States
Of a story that a Louisiana State
University truck. loaded with win
had brought them to a house being
built by close friend of Gov Leche.
Gov. Leche promptly called an
open hearing in Baton Rouge. The
hearing later was indefinitely post
poned pending investigation of
"other matters" Soon afterward
the Shreveport Journal printed a
syndicated article from Washington
in which Gov. Leche's name again
was mentioned, which resulted Iii
prompt announcement by State w
P. A. Administrator j. H. Crutcher
that an investigation had been be-
gun on orders from Washington.
Mr. Crutcher said at that time
that "if the evidence warrants, the
charges will be prosecuted without
delay in the United States courts"
Paul Hansen, chief Of the w. p. A.
investigating unit for five Southern
States, launched the inquiry yester-
day.
Gov. Leche had been unavailable
to newspapermen who vainly sought
him all week. The announcement
was his first public comment follow
ing the w. P. A. administrator ac-
ton.
The 41-year-old Governor, who
took Office in 1886 as a compromise
selection when ambitious Long lieu
tenants threatened to quarrel among
themselves over their candidates.,
remained in his sick bed.
The incoming Governor, two years
younger than his brother, now buried
on the terraced lawn of the State
Capitol, lacks some of the colorful
personality, but none of Huey's spirit
and vindictiveness.