Evening star., 1944-12-01
Summers Backs
Full Probe Of.
.LitteI! Custer
Promises Thorough
Job if Voorhis'
Resolution Passes

With a move afoot for a House
inquiry into the Justice Depart
ment row, which was climaxed
by President Roosevelt's custer Of
Assistant Attorney General Nor
man Littell, "a thorough job" is
promised by Chairman Summers
of the House Judiciary Commit
tee in event the investigation is
authorized.
The resolution, providing for the
Judiciary Committee inquiry, was
introduced late yesterday by Repre-
sentative Voorhis, Democrat, Of
California. New Deal supporter.
The action was taken a short while
after the Justice Department an
nounced the removal of Mr.. Littel
for INSTRUMENTATION" growing out
of a long-Standing feud with Attor-
ney General Biddle.
The resolution was sent to the
Rules Committee for approval-or
otherwise-and there was no indica-
ton today when action would be
forthcoming.
Before the resolution was intro
duced, Chairman Summers had said
If my committee is called on to in
vestigate the Biddle-Littell contro-
versy, it will do thorough job"
Series of Differences.
The trouble between Mr.. Biddle
and the 45-year-old head of the
departments Lands Division, started
when the Attorney General asked
Mr. Littell to resign after series
of differences. In refusing to quit,
Mr. Littell charged the Attorney
General with conduct contrary to
basic principles of good govern
had intervened in Justice Depart
ment case in behalf of Thomas G.
Corcoran, one time New Deal BRAIN
truster now in private law practice.
In announcing he would press for
an inquiry, Representative Voorhis
recalled that the reason given for
the Justice Department aides custer
is INSTRUMENTATION" and then
added:
However Littell issued no state
ment himself, but on the contrary
the statement was requested of him
by the Senate War Investigating
Committee and released by that
committee.
For these reasons I have today
introduced simple resolution pro-
viding for an investigation of all the
circumstances surrounding Mr.. Lit
tells dismissal. My resolution pro-
vides for the investigation to be
made by the Judiciary Committee.
since it is clearly matter that be-
longs within the jurisdiction of that
committee"
Senators Drop Inquiry.
The House is stepping into the
case after it had been dropped by
the Senate War Investigating Com
mittee which pursued its own in
quiry briefly because of sugges-
ton that the Biddle-Littell differ
ences had their origin in testimony
Mr.. Littell had given to the COM
mittee After obtaining statements
from both men, Chairman Mead
said the committee had gone as far
as it could, and after Mr.. Littells
removal, he said his group CON
templates no further action"
Mr.. Littell was in the process Of
moving from his Justice Department
offices today
On his massive desk lay kilograms
which he said were Just beginning
to pour in" from friends and from
MANY persons don't know at all"
May Maintain Office Here.
He said it would require several
days to gather his belongings and
personal records together and much
longer than that to move from his
nearby Arlington, Va, home.
After ALL" added Mrs. Littell. who
was helping him with the packing.
we have a house to sell before we
| leave
Mr.. Littell said he might main
tain an Office in Washington and
establish a residence in California
but his plans are not complete.
! Dismissal of Mr.. Littell recalled
two other instances when the Presi-
dent ousted high Government Of
! ficials
1 One was the removal of William
E, Humphrey, former Republican
member of Congress, as Federal