Evening star., 1940-02-10
Hoover Charges
|nept Red Tape
ToCiviI Service
Attack Forecasts
Commission Reply to
Chief of F. B. ].

Chief Of F. B. !.
The row between the Civil Serv-
Ice Commission and J. Edgar
Hoover, director of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, was still
sizzling today as the commission was
reported preparing a counter-attack
in reply to the F. B. l. chiefs latest
criticism of reputed defects in the
commissions system of selecting
personnel for the bureau
The controversy f1ared anew late
yesterday when the chief of the
G-Men issued a statement denOunc-
ing the red tape, cumbersome and
inept methods of appointment which
have been clearly shown in the
bureaus experience with the Civil
Service Commission"
Characterizing the controversy as
mot one between arbitrary power
and democracy, but the ancient bat
tie between red tape and efficiency"
Mr. Hoover said that in resisting ef-
forts to place the F. B. I. under
civil service, II have been motivated
solely by the desire to maintain the
bureau upon the highest plane OF
efficiency and accomplishments"
The method of selecting personnel
employed in the bureau and the
merit system which it has developed,
he added, "are demonstrably super
ior to the civil service system, and
l do not want the bureau begged
down with mitfits and incompetents
or by persons possessing communis-
tic beliefs"
Favors Principle.
He emphasized that he is strongly
in favor of the civil service principle
and its extension, but that he o.
jected to the inefficient and utterly
inadequate administration of the
civil service statutes which have
been manifested so clearly in the
functioning of the Civil Service
Commission, at least so far as its
contacts with this bureau are con-
cerned"
Referring to the commission
statement that if the F. B. l. had
not investigated its job applicants
the commission would have done so
and that. therefore. there would
have been no duplication and ad-
ditional cost, Mr., Hoover emphas-
sized that the reason the F. B. /.
insisted on conducting its own in
vestigations was because I was
definitely of the opinion that the
| Civil Service Commission was un-
able to properly perform this task
He added this opinion was based on
the 'unfitness displayed by the
commission in providing us with
inferior personnel"
Few Certified Found Suitable.
The bureaus records, he said,
show that during the period from
/ January, 1886, to November. 1899,
5.109 names of student fingerprint
classifier eligibles were certified for
appointment by the commission. OF
these, he said, only 1863 were found
to be suitable.
Another difficulty experienced by
| the F.. B. l., in connection with
filling technical fingerprint posi-
tions has been in obtaining names
of eligibles from the commission,
he said. Indicative of the delays,
he said the record shows that a
request was made for a fingerprint
classifier register on August IT, 1887,
and the first eligibles were not
certified to the F. B. l., until Au-
gust. 1888.
A House appropriations subcom-
mittee recently voted to continue
the rider which first was tackled on
the Justice Department appropria-
ton bill last year and prevents pay
ment of salary to any civil service
employe except fingerprint classi-
fiers.
Mr.. Hoover branded as false the
commissions statement that he
wants to operate his civil service
personally and without regard to
democratic principles
Il know of nothing more demo-
cratic and 1 know of no more COM
petition so Sweepingly comprehen-
sive as that afforded by the F. B. l..
to applicants, for appointment" he
said
Defends Nom Commu mist Stand.
With regard to the policy of the
F. B. l. in refusing to appoint per-
sons with Communistic views the
F. B. I. chief said he would admit
the truth of any charge of this kind,
because these individuals do not
belong in the ranks of the F. B. /.
or any other law enforcement agen-
cy."
On this question the commission
had said it was opposed to having
any such persons actually enter the
employ of the Federal Government,
but that it refuses to place any
individual or group of individuals
in this category until it has evi-
dence which would justify its &C
ton. Mr.. Hoover replied that his
Investigations are Of such a charac-
ter as to establish beyond the
shadow of doubt the known atti-
tude of these Individuals
Mr.. Hoover denied that the F. B.
I. has refused tc furnish the Civil
Service Commission with informa-
ton from its files on former en-
ployes but said the files are not
turned over to the commission be-
cause the F. B. I. does not wish to
disclose the identity of persons fur
= nishing such information.
Education Association