Evening star., 1940-04-17

gia. Democrat, were confirmed.
The S. E. C. has been given broad
powers by Congress over the public
utility business-so broad, in fact,
that there is scarcely any transac-
ton which this $4,000 100000 in
dustry can consummate without
subjecting itself to the scrutiny of
the commission at any time
Congress-and not the S. E. c.
brought about this condition, and
Congress alone can remedy it. That's
one reason why comprehensive in
vestigation of the way the Securi-
ties and Exchange Commission uses
its powers has lately been urged on
Capitol Hill. 1t is not novel. Many
governmental commissions are now
exercising arbitrary powers in
similar fashion as natural result
of the young brain trusters" idea
OF brooking no opposition, or court
review or appeal from their deci-
sions
Threat to Get" Willkie.
About fortnight ago, Wendell
Willkie, president of the holding
company which owns the Georgia
company that is now being investi-
gated by the S. E. c., told a reporter
in Boston that an S. E. c. official
had threatened to get him if it's
the last thing we do The report
was ridiculed by President Roosevelt
at press conference, and Mr.. Will
kie replied somewhat tartly that 1t
was easy to laugh off things when
there was no other answer.
Today it becomes clear that what
Mr.. Willkie suspected was the in
quiry started by the S. E. C. into
the alleged political contributions by
the Georgia Power Co. to the 1888
campaign of Senator George, who, it
will be recalled, was to be the victim
of the administration purge policy:
Preston Arkwright, president of the
company, denies that any one in
the corporation made any contribu-
ton and says the investigators have
been in his Office three times since
1888 on the same charge without
finding evidence of wrongdoing He
calls it political plot and refusal
of those who were defeated at the
polls to take their medicine as good
sports.
What is more important, however,
Is that the administration here has
never enforced the Federal Corrupt
Practices Act against those who
plainly violated it in the 1886 cam
paign by selling autographed cam
paign books to corporations at prices
far above the intrinsic value of the
books themselves. Likewise, the
Justice Department recently has
squelched other law violations by
officials of the Government who went
so far as to confess publicly that
they had disregarded Federal stat
utes.
Breeds Resentment.
Under such circumstances, it is
unfortunate to find impressions
growing that political government
and punitive government have be-
come synonymous. Violations of
Federal statutes should, of course, be
prosecuted vigorously at all times
against any who are guilty, but to
apply the law against political oppo-
nents of the administration while
ignoring those within its own ranks
who have violated similar laws can
only breed bitter feeling and wide
spread resentment at a time when
national unity is so vital.
The S. E. c. is an important
agency of the Government. It has
a whale of job looking after the
sale of securities, the issuance of
new capital issues and the applica-
ton of the death sentence" under
the holding company law. How it
can find time to busy itself with
petty politics is mystery, unless
there are influences at work inside
the S. E. c. which are more inter-
ested in political punishments than
In public service 1t would be sur
prising if any of the members of
the S. E. C. were themselves guilty
of setting up sort of financial
"Gestapo" in America because they
are all high-minded men and, while
sensitive to criticism, certainly do
not appear to be ready to cast to the
winds the traditional spirit of fair
play which has always been charac-
teristic of government bodies. Have