Evening star., 1943-05-19

funds to pay the salaries of the
three officials came at the close of
two hours of debate during which
Representative Hendricks, Demo-
crat. of Florida criticized Secretary
of Interior Ickes for having de-
Tended MI. Lovett before the in
vestigating subcommittee.
"Ickes himself ought to be re-
moved if he hasn't found evidence
of subversive activity in Mr. Low
ett's record" Mr. Hendricks de-
clared.
At the same time William H
Hastie, former United States Judge
in the Virgin Islands. and Walter
White, secretary of the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People, made public a tele-
gram to House leaders protesting
what they termed the current at
tempts to pillory" Mr.. Lovett
Asserting it was utterly fantastic
to call Mr. Lovett a Communist or to
question his patriotism, Mr.. Hastio
and Mr. White said his personal
relationships with the predominantly
colored people of the islands have
been of inestimable value" and his
removal would harm the good
neighbor policy
The Appropriations Subcommittee
was appointed by the House to in
quire into charges of Chairman Dies
of the Un-American Investigating
Committee that there are several
score crackpot bureaucrats' in the
Government service with Commu-
nistic sympathjes.
Committee Defended.
Representative Powers, Repub-
lican, of New Jersey, member of
the subcommittee, said during de-
bate that seven of the Government
officials named by Mr.. Dies already
had been interrogated. AS a result,
he declared, the committee had rec
commended the removal of the three
-Lovett, Watson and Dodd-had eX-
onerated three others. but had
reached no determination in the
seventh case.
Representative Taber of New York,
ranking Republican member of the
Appropriations Committee, told the
House he would vote for the pro-
posed amendment The subcom-
mittee. he declared. had leaned over
backward" in its investigation.
Representative Kerr, Democrat, of
North Carolina. head of the sub
committee. explained that the duty
placed on his group was not pleas
ant one.
The subcommittee understood
from the start" he declared The
seriousness of removing a man from
office and the stigma that would fol-
low him through life"
Court Decisions Cited.
Since the question had been raised
as to the authority of Congress to
take Government workers "off the
pay roll" Mr.. Kerr cited three de-
clsions on that point-two by the
Supreme Court and one by the At
torney General
Representative O'Connor. Demo-
crat, of Montana interrupted Mr..
Kerr to ask whether the three men
the committee wants fired from the
Government service had done any,
thing to obstruct the United States
in winning the war.
I'VE didn't go into that phase of
it, replied Mr. Kerr
Then Mr.. Kerr closed his speech
with this declaration: Il want no.
body but Americans on guard to-
night"
Mr.. Powers centered his attack
on DR.. Lovett, on whom, he said,
the Dies committee, the FBI and
an interdepartmental committee
had complete file"
DIR. Lovett, in my opinion" he
declared, was a professional joiner
and joined several score of foreign
organizations. Of course, he has
the right to do it. but he will not
do it while on the Government pay
roll as long as 1 have anything to
do with it."
Mr.. Powers said Il wouldn't have
DR.. Lovett or the two other gen.
tlemen mentioned in the committee
report on my payroll for Is min
uteS."
Mr.. Dodd is the son of the former
Ambassador to Germany. and sought
the House seat of Representative
Smith, Democrat, Of Virginia In 1885,
but was defeated in the primary
election. His address is given in the
committee report as 220 North
Greenbrier street, Arlington, Va.
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