The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-10

Sovernmenf Censorship
st1 his Wnssrs
eyFnsk New Economics
oess. Knows His Onions
Dyvnes Wss Conservative
On ihs Supreme Bench
N RAY TUCKER
WA8uW0roH-Attorney Gen.
ora1 Biddle several months ago
mt N -official secret bin to the
HOUSE md Senate with q request
for prompt passage- Il provided
usvers penalties for publication Of
any docunent held BY federal off,
oeFs - contain material helpful
% IL ~ The proposal precipi-
tote1 = Storm Of protest and was
1nmediatsly pigsonholed BY beth
judc1nxy cummiftcea.
Despite congressional refusal 70
grnnt such authority 70 executive
agenciea TIE ONCE Of War Infor-
nation h gaining the same end by
lndIrection- II labels numerous
data confidential and likely 70
give aid 10 the enemy within the
meaning Of ths Espionage Act
Hsw q the reports % character
lid could b of any comfort 10
the Axis. For the most part they
consist q sampllngs Of general
sentiment On questions which do
not have the slightest relation to
military matters. On his return
from his nationwide jaunt. F.D-R-
himself broke one q these releases
when he announced that. in his
opinion. the American people were
ready 10 make supreme sacrifices.
Dissenting correspondents can
not even discover whether these
rulings on the contents Of can
vasses were made BY = minor press
agent or . lawyer. Together with
other happenings the situation Inn
presses veteran writers and OBJ
servers ~ . long stride toward
Censorship Of . semi-totaiitarian
aaturS
ne appointment Of former jus
dee James y. Byrnes 10 check in
flation has several significant an
giles which escaped general atten-
ton No recent presidential selec-
ton has provoked more general
acclaim from members on both
sides Of the aisle.
In addition to being one Of the
most popular and able figures on
Capitol hin In the last generation.
the south carolinian il an eco
nomic realist- Even when he was
leading white House forces during
the early and more radical days Of
the New Deal he exhibited unusual
Independence. He was patient and
considerafe toward his legislative
enemiea MS choice may mollify
cengrea which without regard for
partisan lines - ben riled by
F.D.R's price and wage control
ultimatum and Leon Henderson's
ignoring their feelings. -Jimmie"
= an appeassr In the best sense
q that word
The president may have killed
two birds with one stone. Az
supreme court jurist the ex-sen-
ator had almost invariably agreed
with the conservatives. giving
them . five-to-four majority.
Roosevelt now has9a chance to
redress the balance toward LIBERAL
ism. The type Of man he names
for the vacancy may reveal wheth-
Or the wars impact has caused =
deep and permanent change In
presidential philosophy. His friends
believe Il has but they are keep
sng their fingers crossed. They
would prefer . candidate like sena-
Tor Prentiss ~. Brown Cd Of
Michigan to Attorney General
Biddls. whom they consider ''siight-
" pinkish-"
Representative Albert J. Engers
charges Of excessive and allegedly
illegal expenditures In construc-
tion a the new War Department
building highlights . situation
which has irritated members Of
The appropriations committees.
For several years they have grous-
"a privately about executive dis
regard Of congressional mandates.
TIE juggling Of financial figures
ana the secrecy surrounding such
ncfions-
II may Be true that unforeseen
emergencies necessitated spend
Ing twice - much money a. con-
Kreas granted But critics contend
that there was no reason Why
downtown agencies could not have
: supplemental appro-
from constitutional hold