Evening star., 1944-02-24
Casey Letter Reveals
Worry Over Drive Of
l.
Foes

ment of anti-fourth term sentiment
in the country and seeking a news
paperman's aid in combating it was
spread on the record of Senate
committee yesterday.
Carroll Beedy, counsel for an Ag-
riculture Subcommittee investigat-
ing the Rural Electrification Admin
istration. produced copy of the
letter and said 1t was written by
Eugene Casey. special executive as
sistant to the President, to Irving
billiard, st. Louis newspaperman,
last August II, after an article by
Mr.. billiard, THE Anti-Fourth Term
Drive" appeared in the New Re
public.
Mr.. Beedy read the letter in in
quiring of Harry Slattery. REA ad-
ministrator, whether Mr.. Casey was
promoting the fourth term among
REA co-operatives The admin
istrator replied that the presiden-
tial aide was active in making
speeches to co-ops throughout the
country"
Copy Obtained for Mcintyre.
Mr.. Slattery testified that he had
obtained copy Of the Casey letter
for the late Marvin H. Mcintyre,
presidential secretary, at the latters
suggestion.
There was no love lost between
Col Mcintyre and Mr.. Carey" Mr.
Slattery told the subcommittee.
Col Mcintyre called him the lit
tie Mr.. Casey" and Casey at the
bat"
The letter to Mr.. Dillard, who now
is in the armed forces, read
Dear Mr.. billiard:
Miss Helen Fuller, whom I have
come to know and admire, has
provided me with copy of the
March % issue Of the New Re-
public, featuring your uncannily
correct article entitled, The Anti
Fourth Term Drive
up until read your forceful and
cogent observations arguments and
conclusions, it was my belief that
there 1 was a lone voice crying in
the wilderness. Now 1 know that
there are two voices.
What are and what can these
two voices do that will cause the
administration-yes. the President
to open their collective eyes not only
to perceive what is going on in the
Middle West, but all over the coun-
try?
Il have tried In my feeble and
humble way, but must admit that
while I have crusaded and preached
the gospel of potential defeat for
well over year previous to this
writing, nothing has come of it.
The Warning-yes, the actual
crushing defeat, for that is just ex-
actly what it was-of November 3
has not been interpreted cor
rectly. The 'Rasputinations' of the
Machiavellian Richelieus have dis
torted it in such manner as to
have the powers that be- believe it
to be rebuke against the Congress,
because of its disagreement at times
with the President.
There is somebody around Wash
ington who long since found out
about what is going on around the
country before it was too late in AZ.
He is still around Washington, yet I
don't know what purpose he is serv-
ing, for he is certainly unable to put
across either himself or his philos-
ophy, or his observations. 4
"All of which is posing the oues-
tin1 What ic tho
With best wishes,
Sincerely your,
EUGENE CASEY,
Special Executive Assistant to the
President"
Excerpts From Speech Read.
| When Mr.. Beedy read excerpts
from speech Mr.. Casey made at
National Rural Electric Cooper
ative Association convention in St.
Louis in January, l943, to the effect
that those giving Zip service" to
democracy would like to destroy the
New DEAL Mr.. Slattery offered this
observation:
Il was sitting next to Senator
Norris OF Nebraska on the stage and
| he leaned over, cupped his mouth
and whispered: 1t looks like the
White House has sent boy to the
mill"
/ Mr.. Slattery In his testimony
/ contended that he was victim of
perfectly outrageous character as
sassination" through high handed
tactics of the Agriculture Depart
ment.
There were a lot of gentlemen"
associated With his former deputy
Robert B. Craig, the administrator
said, that would do anything to
attack me- adding
The character assassination was
due to Mr.. Craig's winning over of
such weaklings as Ellis Clyde T..
Ellis, executive manager of the Ma
1 tional Rural Electric Cooperative
Association and Tate (Stephen
State, president of that associa-
tom"