Evening star., 1940-05-08

on q peTS . II
solution of the tangle while the
question is really impersonal and
institutional.
Mr.. Roosevelt believed that selec-
ton of the man who has been the
head of the Civil Aeronautics Au-
thority to be Assistant Secretary
of Commerce would be received IN
Congress as an assurance that the
same personnel, familiar with avla-
ton, would continue in power. But
the very suggestion itself has
brought votes to the side which
wishes to have the plan formally
voted down in Congress. This is
because the aviation pilots and
people in the aviation industry
generally want a solution that is
permanent and not one that de-
pends on whom happens to be As
sistant Secretary of Commerce.
Strategy Inecective.
Originally, of course, the Presi-
dent proposed that the c. A. A. be
put under the Secretary of Com
merce, but everybody knows that
the present Secretary is away from
Office a good deal because of illness
and hence the duty would devolve
of an Assistant Secretary. Mr..
Roosevelt must have been mlsln-
formed as to the character Of the
opposition to his plan or he would
not have come to the conclusion
that by taking Robert Hinckley, one
of the members of the C. A. A.
and making his Assistant Secretary
of Commerce, the opposition to his
reorganization plan would vanish
or would at least be diminished so
as to prevent congressional disap-
proval.
To accomplish his purpose, the
President had to move Assistant
Secretary Monroe Johnson over to
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. The appointment Of the latter
was heralded as means OF giving
the South important representation
on the I. G. c., but many people here
are saying it was merely means OF
taking care of Mr.. johnson so as to
make vacant the place that the
President wanted tor Mr.. Hinckley.
Thus do complications become
superimposed upon complications If
governmental problems are viewed
as personal. The theory that gov
ernment by men rather than by laws
is desirable has been applied much
more extensively under the present
administration than under any other
in the past. If the reorganization
powers vested in the President after
the bitter fight last year on dele
eating authority to the Executive to
reorganize and transfer govern
mental agencies, boards and COM
missions are to be exercised in the
future as they have been in the
present instance related to the Civil
Aeronautics Authority, it is only a
question of time when Congress will
wish to take back the power it gave
to the Executive, and this would be
most unfortunate because the gov
ernmental machinery does need
overhauling.
Mistake Easily Remedied.
The mistake that has been made
in connection with the effort to
abolish the Air Safety Board and to
= made the Civil Aeronautics Authority
a subordinate division under the
Secretary of Commerce instead Of
an independent commission respon.
sible primarily to Congress Is one
that can easily be rectified by the
White House by Withdrawing the
whole thing. For it appears the
President is slated for defeat or
the question in Congress and it is q
superfluous bit of ammunition that
the administration will have handed
to its opponents.
The issue was not political in its
origin. but now that the question o1
air safety comes into the debate, II
gives the Republicans an opportunity
to 60 back into the files and remine
the American people of the disaster
which occurred when in a moment
of regrettabie impulsiveness the ad.
ministration cancelled the air mai
contracts and several Army flyer!
went to their deaths trying to &C.
complish a civilian job in midwintel
for which they never were trained.
If the President wins on thu
present controversy, the Republican.
gain talking point If he with.
draws the plan, the issue disappear!
and an independent commission
which has done a truly remarkabl,
Job is insured of its independence.