The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-20

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That issue precipitated weeks of
Congressional debate and literally
tore the country apart. 1t split
the Democratic Party, and some
of the wounds from that battle
still have not healed.
During the Supreme Court fight,
the authors of this column pub
lished a book called 'The Nine
Old Men" which made it quite
clear that for better or for worse
we concurred with the President
that older justices should give way
to younger men, just as army and
navy officers are required to re-
tire after reaching the age of 81.
with Roosevelt in the Supreme
Court fight we cannot be accused
of inconsistency when we state
that we think it is equally pre-
judicial to the public good for
older men to retain important
cabinet positions-especially in
time Of war.
A Supreme Court justice has
vitality important decisions to
make. But he has weeks in which
to make them. He can discuss the
issues pro and con with his coll
leagues If necessary over period
of months.
However, Secretary of State,
War or Navy in wartime must
make decisions affecting the
security of 100, OOC, 900 people and
must make those decisions in
hours or even minutes. There
fore, if President Roosevelt be-
lieves older men are not quail
fled to make much more de-
liberate legal decisions, then
even more are old men unquali-
fled to make immediate wartime
decisions affecting the safety
of the nation.
THE FOUR OLD MEN
At present, the President has
in his cabinet four men over 10
or in their late sixties holding i'm
portant wartime positions. They:
are:
HENRY L. STIMSON, IS, Sec
rotary of War.
CORDELL HULL, 10, Secre-
tary of State.
FRANK KNOX, 6S, Secretary
of the Navy.
JESSE JONES. 68, Secretary
of Commerce and in charge Of
war loans for rubber, aluminium
and tin which may mean defeat
or victory.
These men are among the Presi-
dents closest friends and support
ers. Some have been with him
a long time. They are men OF
great distinction, dignity and
charm. But if the President is
correct that older men cannot
function as efficiently, then all
the more certainly men around
seventy have not the physical
strength or alertneSs to prosecute
an about war against the most
alert, ruthless and resolrceful
enemies this country, has ever
faced.
Furthermore, whether the
President was right or wrong in
his arguments regarding the age
of Supreme Court justices, it
remains fact that some of his
older cabinet members have made
mistakes of judgment regarding
our raw materials, regarding
our relations with France and
China, which if committed by
regular army officers would
have been court martial Offenses
in any other administration.
BOARD OF ELDER STATESMEN
Therefore, we suggest that the
President be consistent with his
Supreme Court theories and ele-
vate his older cabinet officers to
Board of Elder Statesmen.
For instance, he might take a
leaf from the book of Bernard
Baruch who did such a bang
up job as head of the War Indus
Tries Board in the last war. Time
after time Baruch has been Of
fered an important defense job in
Washington; but time after time
he has refused. Barllch is 70, says
he Is not as strong as he used TO