Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-15

! versus private power figures In speeches
on both the Republican and the Demo-
cratic side; and that is not surprising
| since Wendell Willkie got his political
start In the course Of a relentless feud
over T. v. A., great Federal power
project. The issue of power will be
argued chiefly around Wilkes record
and the T. v. A. record. Facts will be
subject to Interpretation with two dia-
metrically opposed points of view.
The following is an attempt to sum-
Marie on the one hand, the point Of
view of advocates Of T. v. A. such Is
Senator Norris and the New Dealers
around the President and, on the other
hand, the point Of view Of Wendell
Willkie himself.
In the course of a lengthy interview
with this correspondent recently, WiIlkie
| discussed frankly many phases Of the
| power question, taking up point by point
the criticisms leveled at him by the New
Dealers. WILKES power record is fairly
clear and proponents Of T. v. A. such as
Norris have worked sssiduously to point
it up.
1t is WILKES contention that the New
Deal attack is largely irrelevant because
it ignores the essential fact that the
Republican candidate, as head OF Com
monwealth 81 Southern Corp, was hired
to represent a large group of security
holders who owned a private company
with assets Of many million dollars.
Naturally he spoke for the private own
ership Of power production and power
distribution.
Wilkes Position.
MY present position on power is this"
said Willkie in the course of the inter-
view II say that public power projects
are here to stay. You can't turn the
clock back. You must administer them
In the public good
They forget when they criticize me on
this power issue that I was trustee for
a number Of stockholders. What did
they expect me to do? Give the com.
pany away?
IF I were a public official, then I
would have the Governments interest
as my interest and I would work in be-
half Of the Governments interest. The
only test that could be logically and
-airly applied was whether or not was
an effective representative Of the people
whom I was hired to represent.
Look what did for them! I got
S25 900 900 more than the Government
offered me for the Commonwealth &,
Southern properties in the T. v. A. area.
l was a special pleader, yes. I was get
ting 1000 year to be special pleader.
With regard to the dispute over the
constitutionality of the T. v. A., why
was a party to that dispute. 1t was
my duty. I helped to develop the issue.
That was my social function
In other words, Willkie has confidence
in his skill as an advocate He would
represent the Governments interest with
the same craft the same persistence.
the same energy that he brought to his
defense of private power interests.
Points Of Attack.
The New Deal criticism of Willkie on
T. V. A. emphasizes two points. First,
say Norris and the New Dealers, WILKES
Judgment was fundamentally wrong,
since he argued at the outset that no new
power facilities were needed in the Ten
nessee Valley. This was while T. v. A.
representatives were arguing before APP
pripriation Committees of Congress for
funds to expand the project. Today
Commonwealth a. Southern companies
necessity of buying power from T. V. A.
The increase in power use all through
the States served by T..V. A. has been
enormous.
1T Is true" Willkie said, that several
years ago I did state that there was a
surplus in the Tennessee Valley. The
power load in this country increases from
10 per cent on up every year-that is, 10
per cent on 10 per cent. In every county
In the United States equipment has been
built since 1888 to take care of the in
creased load.
Look at the Commonwealth companies
in Ohio, Illinois and Michigan Look at
the increase there. If you asked me If
there were adequate power resources to-
day, would say Yes but if you came
back to me 10 years later and said I had
made such a statement that there was
adequate power, why I'd reply, naturally,
adequate power for that time"
The other point of attack by the New
Deal concerns the genuineness of Will
kies early attempt at cooperation with
T. V. A. In 1884 Commonwealth COM
panies signed with T. v. A. a working
agreement covering certain operations in
the Tennessee Valley. Not long after
ward a group Of minority stockholders
filed suit, known as the Ashwander
suit, to stop T. v. AS progress. The
Alabama Power Co., a Commonwealth
subsidiary, was linked with the T. v. A.
in the stockholders suit.
Edison Institutes Fund.
Later, it developed that the Edison
Electric Institute had put up $50 900 to
prosecute the Ashwander suit. Willkie
was member of the Executive Board of
the Edison Electric Institute. Here. saw
the New Dealers, was Willkie apparently
conniving in support of an attack on T.
V. A. at the same time that he was sup
posedly cooperating with T. VA.
"Of course, they can say that if they
just ignore all the facts" says Willkie.
Here are the facts. At the meeting of
the Edison Electric Institute at which it
was decided to provide funds to aid in
the prosecution of the Ashwander suit