Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-07-28
New Deal
Example
Of Disuni+y
Ickes and OIds Battle
Over Power Job
BY PAUL MALLON

WASHINGTON July u -
W While this government is
calling loudly for national unity,
il is furnishing daily examples
that il has not been able TO
achieve much within itself.
II may not be crucially inn
portant that a cabinet officer
accuses q senator of near-trea-
son and the senator retorts the
cabineteer is too old 10 do his
Job. Or that lckeS is loose again
and calling names and caring
right and left, even against Dis
trict Of Columbia motorists for
emitting too much smoke from
their exhaust pipes, paradoxical
though that may seem.
The serious evidence OF mud
died governmental diSSension
redoubleS when a public break
between defense leaders Hen
derson and knudsen is followed
Immediately by such a similar
Souabble AS Mr.. lckeS is stirring
up now with Leland Odds, chair
man of the federal power COM
mission.
The issue is whether one or
the other is going 10 get con-
troll of the Job. There is nothing
of the old public versus private
power involved. Both are public
ownership advocates, lckes wild,
Olds moderate.
4 s THE 1ckes advocates tell IT,
"A he planned 10 issue typical
Ickesian blast against the power
commission. but the commission
learned of IT. rushed a report 10
Roosevelt containing hastily
prepared hodge podge program.
Mr.. Ickes is not one TO let a
sharp word 60 unspoken merely
because il is late. So he blasted
anyway after the report was out,
calling it a hodge-podge.
The Olds people tell II differ
emf. This is their story: Mr..
Olds began a study of the power
situation last January when he
became convinced a shortage
would develop. The head OF the
OPM power section then was
doing nothing. Ickes was doing
nothing. His own controlled
power policy commission was
doing nothing, including its
counsel Ben Cohen, who went TO
London advising Ambassador
Winant.
Mr.. Olds worked out a COM
plete survey of needs. finally
concluded it about week ago,
But a week before il was con-
cluded. Ickes heard about il, and
decided something must he done
acknowledgements his juriSdic-
ton.
A SQUAD of former Security
"A Exchange Commission attor-
neys now working for Ickes
wanted to make him power CO.
ordinator. THE word 'co-ordi-
nator" may yet assume a mean
ing in this defense program
equivalent 10 that similarly coy
term "liquidator" developed
earlier in both Russia and Ger
many.
But before this 1ckes plan
could he barred 10 the world,
Olds rushed his plan TO the
White House. a new OPM
power expert (who had replaced
the one who did nothing) APP
proved the FPC plan and urged
FPC 10 60 ahead with if.
This put Mr. Olds streaking
down the field with the ball to-
ward touchdown. while Mr..
IckeS sat on his back, completely
blocked out of the play The
only thing he could think OF to
say was: "Hodge-podge.
Mr.. Ickes is going TO say
much more than hodge podge'
or even fudge " when he learns
that Mr.. Odds not only scored
the touchdown, but apparently
has kicked the goal.
Mr.. Olds has been meeting
significantly on the sly with
Jesse Jones, holder OF the REC
/ money bag. He arranged 10 get
RFC loans from Mr. Jones 10
finance his program. The eN-
pansion is TO be undertaken by
both private power companies
with RFC money and by the
government directly Half a
billion dollars is supposed tn
have been promised by Jones,
although the first chunk will he
smaller.
IrNLESS Mr.. Ickcs figures
~ some way 10 break this up,