The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-17


Executives Who Testify
Have Tough Job. Anyway
BY RAYMOND CLAPPER
WASHINGroN-This is Just
niekers worth and II isn't part
Of any plot to get rid Of congress-
It isn't typewriter strategy. nor
is il intended 70 be destructive Of
our institutions As a matter OF
fact it isn't anything worid-shak-
ing, but just a small suggestion
that might save the time Of busy
men who have TO win the war.
Why do the house and senate
military affairs committees have
10 hold separate hearings. on the
same day with the same witnesses,
over legislation TO draft IS and 10
year-olds? General Marshal must
be rather busy with the war right
now. Yet he had 10 60 first TO
the senate military affairs COM
mittee and testify. and then hustle
across the capitol plaza TO give
the same testimony before the
house military affairs committee,
making the same points. answer
ing about the same questions-but
taking twice as much time as
was necessary away from his desk
at the nerve center Of the army.
Congress is moving with all de-
sired speed on the draft legislation,
and this isn't a complaint on that
score. Actually the house leader
ship is putting on a demonstrs-
ton now on how congress can act
efficiently even in an unpleasant
matter. These men are all up for
election in less than three weeks
and il isn't easy to face mothers
on an issue that touches them as
closely as this one Of calling for
their sons still under 20. But the
president and the war department
feel that il is a military necessity,
and congress is responding to that
necessity with prompt action. A
few instances Of this kind viii 90
a long way toward restoring pub
lie confidence in the ability Of con-
gress TO do the hard things that
have TO be done for the war.
The point I am raising Is a de-
tail-and yet not a detail, because
over a years time the duplicating
committee hearings consume many
unnecessary days for hard-pressed
executive officials.
The draft legislation Is a good
illustration. The top men in the
army are compelled to go over
the same testimony twice and an
swer the same questions twice.
Admiral King. with the entire
burden of all our naval operations
on his shoulders, had TO sit around
in an empty committee room for
40 minutes because the senate
committee was out to lunch. Sim
liar waste Of time has been not
able in manpower hearings re-
Gently. Several committees of con-
gress have had Paul McNutt, Gen.
eral Hershey and other officials up
for hours Of testimony time and
again, each committee going over
about the same ground as the
others.
So far as I know there Is no
reason for continuing this time
wasting practice except the in
ertia of habit. Possibly there is
a feeling that the self-importance
Of each branch Of congress re-
quires it to run its own committee
shows. But appropriations hear
ings, tax hearings, and most Of the
normal business that goes through
the house and senate might be
handled at the committee level by
joint hearings, after which each
group could prepare its own legis-
lation or amendments. The waste
of time is particularly regrettable
when II concerns high officials
who are carrying the load of war
operations.
This Is in no sense a suggestion
for suspension Of Investigations Of
the executive branch. Apparently
President Roosevelt il annoyed at
the Truman committee and the
house military and naval commit
tee investigations Of war waste.
But his cracks about that won't
stop this kind Of useful checkup
on the administration He can
shut the press off from the facts,
II he wants TO carry 1t that far.
but he will have trouble cutting
congress off from checking up.
In fairness to busy executive Of
ficials. however. and in fairness
to itself, congress could improve
its own efficiency with good re-
suits to government all around.
We soon viii be coming into
complicated reconstruction prob
lens Of feeding and rebuilding
war ruined countries, adjusting
our tariff and trade policies to
postwar needs. recovering our
own economy back. These oues-
tons very likely VIII come before
the new congress about 70 be
elected
Prompt Improvement Of con-