Evening star., 1939-01-11

misuse of relief funds in last
years elections.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Harry L. Hopkins vigorously de-
Tended the Works Progress Admin
istration today against charges that
1t had been used as political Or
ganization, asserting he had done
everything in his power Ito keep
petty, partisan politics out OF the
w. P. A."
At a hearing before the Senate
Commerce Committee on his noml-
nation to be Secretary of Commerce,
the former w. P. A. head also denied
emphatically that he had ever made
the oft-quoted remark: I'VE will
spend and spend, tax and tax and
elect and elect"
In this connection, the three news
papermen who quoted him to this
effect-Arthur Krock of the New
York Times, Frank Kent of the Bal
timore Sun and Joseph Alsop of the
North American Newspaper Alliance
were to testify this afternoon con-
corning the source Of the statement.
At another point in his testimony
Mr.. Hopkins said that if he had his
job as w. P. A. administrator to do
over again, he would not make any
rnfnrr0d
four speeches he had made during
the last campaign.
Wouldn't Repeat Iowa Stand.
Questioned by Chairman Bailey,
he admitted that his statement, Il
would vote for Wearin if lived in
Iowa." made when Representative
Wearin, a New Dealer. was running
against Senator Gillette in the Dem
ocratic primaries, had its political
implications.
Mr.. Hopkins withdrew nothing,
but said if he had it to do over
again, he would not have made that
statement. His frank statements to
the committee made favorable i'm
preston. !
The committee recessed until 2
o'clock this afternoon, when 1t was
to hear Mr.. Hopkins again and
then the three correspondents.
Questioned at length concerning
politics in relief, Mr.. Hopkins said
at one point:
I'm the last man to quibble re-
garding politics in relief. I don't
think it's funny. I know you don't
like it, Senator Vandenberg. You
have never approached me regard
ing relief"
Record Is an Open Book.
Mr.. Hopkins told the committee
that during the last six years Con-
gress had appropriated $4,000, 900 900
for relief, the expenditure of which
had been administrated by him.
THAT record is an open book" he
said. II have had to deal with mil
lions of people all over the country. I
never dealt with tens of thousands,
but with IS to Is million people"
He said that many people ap-
pointed to jobs in the w. P. A. nat
Ul ally lldu pUllllCdl views.
But I have done everything
could to keep politics out" he added.
II think that an examination of the
Sheppard Committees report is the
best answer"
He said nothing had been found
showing political activity of the w.
P. A. in such great centers as New
York City, Boston, Chicago, Cincin-
natl, Los Angeles, San Francisco
and Cleveland.
ut gets down to few counties in
the whole country" Mr.. Hopkins
said. II contend that the record is
good. Anybody who knows how
county and local politics run in
America must not be surprised if
some of the employees of the w. P. A.
have engaged in politics.
Implication Held Unfair.
1.-THE implication drawn from the
press by the Sheppard Committee
l. report was totally unfair. It also
gave the impression that was play
ing politics"
Mr.. Hopkins said he did not wish
the committee to understand him to
mean that there had been no poll
tics in relief, but he did wish it to
understand he had tried to keep
politics out.
II do not tolerate or condone
anything in the Sheppard Commit
tee report" he added.
The nominee did not DENY that
1.-The findings of the Sheppard Com
mittee were correct, but emphatical-
ly did deny the implications placed
on those findings.
In asserting there was no truth
whatever in the quotation attributed
to him on spending, taxing and
electing, the nominee also declared
that 1t was not the philosophy of
the New Deal administration as he
understood it, and certainly was not
his own.
Questioned about once having
registered as Socialist, Mr.. Hop
kins told the committee he had no
recollection of having been SO
registered, although he would not
deny that he might have been. He
did say, however, that he had ever
stated such was the case in con-
versation with former Representa-
tive Pettingill of Indiana and Repre-
sentative Lea of California and
former Representative O'Connor OF
New York. He was questioned on
this by Senator Vandenberg.
Mr.. Hopkins said fatty that he