The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-11

The house was acquired before
1t was against the law for a
member Of Congress to own q
house at Lake Macdonald. That
was In 1915 when Wheeler was
U. 8. District Attorney In Mon
tana and when part Of the Lake
MacD Donald area was under the
Forestry Service.
Later wheeler was elected in
the Senate, and all Of the Lake
Macdonald area was made part
Of Glacier National Park. The
year after Wheeler's election, 1924,
he himself raised the point that
he could not legally sign permit
to keep his house In the national
park. ,,,.S "t ".''''"
This Is based upon Title Al,
Section 81 Of the U. 8. Code which
prohibits q contract with the
United States by which q member
Of Congress would share or profit.
Il wheeler, hQwayef, was allowed
To- retain his house In the ma.
tiOHlal park without ssisningEa
permit. He was q sQuatter on
/ government sufferance. This
continued for ~ years until
September, 1914, when the
Wheeler cottage was damaged
fire and he asked permission to
rebuild. .
The Senator took the matter up
with the then Undersecretary Of
the Interior Jack Dempsey, IN
charge Of national parks, who
authorized the remodeling Job, and
since 1t was illegal for Wheeler
to sign q remodelling permit,
Dempsey suggested that 1t might
be- signed by Mrs. Wheeler.
Accordingly Mrs. Wheeler on
October 8 last year made an oral
request for such a permit. How
ever, Assistant Secretary Of In
terror Burlew ruled that 1t would
be contrary to law for any men,
Der Of the Senator's family to sign
a permit. This decision was TAX
en- just before Christmas and there
the matter now stands. No one
knows what the next move will
be; whether Wheeler will continue
to keep his summer place, and If
so, how he can rebuild 1t with
out a permit.
SOMERVELL'S PENTAGON
1t. Gen. B. B, Somervell, ei-
ficient Chief Of the Services Of
Supply, accompanied President
Roosevelt to Casablanca. While
there, he peppered his subordin-
ates in Washington with cables
ordering this, that and the other
thing to reinforce Gen. Eisenhow-
er's army. So.
Gen. Somervell has become IA
nous for building army camps,
jacking up the Quartermaster
Corps, putting new life in the Ord
nance Department. But prob
ably his greatest pride and JOY
is the 'Pentagon Building, largest
office building in the world, where
people who have worked there
weeks still get lost, where legend
has it that a Western Union mes
senger boy spent 50 long in its
labyrinth that he came out a
lieutenant colonel.
So after General Somervell had
sent reams of cables ordering all
sorts Of supplies, his weary chief
of staff, Mai. Gen. w. D. Styer,
cabled him:
"Why not ship PentagOn?"
THURMAN ARNOLD RESIGNS
Trust-husting Thurman Arnold,
who has done more to protect the
doctrine Of free competition laid
down by the Founding Fathers
than any man In three decades.
has finally decided to bow out
as Assistant Attorney General
and sit on the clolsered bench OF
the U. 8. Court Of Appeals for
the District Of Columbia.
In doing so. Thurman set O
precedent. He turned down q
100000 law Job IN New York.
That much money Is tempting
even 10 q Republican, but es-
peeiaily 70 q man Is poor 81 Thur.
man Arnold.
Stepping into q lucrative law
Job after the relstige poverty. OF
q government salary has been
the accustomed thing COR years,
but Arnold said No.
He haa ana haESshilffng