Evening star., 1943-07-17

clash in per- David Lawrence
sonality.
The truth is these feuds have
a deeper point of origin and they
will not be eradicated altogether by
the Presidents order to public Off
cials not to air their disputes in
the press. The reason for these
feuds is the conflict between the
persons in the bureaus below the
level of top management.
The inter- bureau and inter-de-
partmental jealousies and rivalries
are numerous and they lead to such
cleavages as to affect the admins
tration of public Office. The mere
fact that the chiefs higher up will
not be permitted to blow off steam
against one another merely means
that underneath the feuding will
60 on as vehemently as ever.
Why should there be contro-
versies? Primarily because there is
a lack of definition on authority
and because too many of the bu-
reaucrats are interested in their
own pet theories of sociological or
theological reform and, whether
they are radicals or conservatives,
the fears and suspicious grow to
the point where everybody in and
around those bureaus begin to look
on it as skirmish that ultimately
becomes one of the many battles
OF Washington"
Instigated by Others.
Vice President Wallace is usually
an even-tempered man and his
sense of devotion to public duty is
not excelled by anyone else in the
Government. But when he lost his
temper and blazed forth against Mr..
Jones, he did SO at the instigation
of those around him in the Bureau
of Economic Warfare who could see
IN the RFC only a corps of ad-
versaries bent on taking power and
authority from them.
Mr.. Jones is man of high in
tegrity and rare efficiency. He is
cautious to the extreme, sometimes
even overcautious in the disburse-
ment of public funds. Perhaps in
time of war, when battles overseas
are being fought and economic
warfare is of the essence, it may be
that extravaganza and even waste
are necessary to carry an objective
related to the war. But perhaps
also there is time to be business
like, to get proper authorizations, to
insist on proper papers asking for
the disbursement of funds and even
for memoranda that can be SUBJ
mitted to higher officers for ap-
proval.
AS the President says. it is a
waste of time to try to decide who
was right or wrong on the issues
themselves. But Mr.. Roosevelt evil
IDENTIFY decided that Mr.. Wallace was
wrong in taking the initiative in
carrying the controversy to the
press and that Mr.. Wallace was
right when he wanted some other
agency of the Government to super
wise foreign economic warfare.
II j. D.
But it isn't really important who
was right or wrong-the damage
has been done The President
acted because, from one end of the
country to the other, the people
seemed shocked that two high Of
flclals could have such a contro-
Versy in wartime. Mr.. Roosevelt
had to do something about it. and
what he finally decided will doubt
less be widely approved.
Yet to the casual observer of
these episodes in Washington, one
can only express regret that there
isn't in these official precincts a
more forgiving and more concilia-
tory attitude toward the mistakes
ii they are miStakeS-of fellow Of
flclals. The giving out of gossip
here and there, the feeding of little
morsels Of biting satire against this
or that official goes on even in the
higher circles until it reaches the
explosion stage.
There are some officials in WASH
ington who have within them a bit
terneSS that is like a cancerous
growth. They do not manifest to-
ward their fellow men an attitude
of tolerance or comradeship in COL
laborating for the best interests of
the country in wartime. They
seemed to be interested in publicity
for themselves or wisecracking at
the expense of others in the Govern
ment service. This kind of a smart
aleck attitude is but the result of
the inflated ego which sometimes
gets the better of men in public life.
New Spirit Might Work.
The lnfiltration of a spirit of
humbleness and even of contrite-
ness, the willingness to repress ones
anger and resentment and the ac-
knowledgement of error are all part
of Christian philosophy which if
followed in the day-by-day affairs
OF Government, would do more to
end feuds here than a thousand
orders of suppression Or silence is
sued from the executive Offices.
1t is pity that men working hard
In Government do not set aside a
few minutes each day for medita-
tion, prayer and reflection on these
things so that the work of Official
dom may be lifted to the high plane
that is expected of it from a God
fearing citizenry.
80 Reproduction Rights Reserved)
ID l.