The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1944-03-25

OF the most amazing and controver-
sial characters In Washington. He
Is six feet tall, big but not fat, with
q wide grin and spectacles and thin
ming reddish hair. His looks give no
hint Of his real abilities.
Radio industry representatives
who have done business before the
FEC rate Fly an ADLER citizen than
most other members and they give
him credit for being so times as EN-
ergetic as them all. A smart fella
heading government regulating
agency that really regulates, wheth-
er you like Its regulations or not.
Next to his energy, the attribute
which keeps Chairman Fly at the
top Of the heap Is said to be the
fact that he thinks like Roosevelt.
He has been given credit for run
ming his agency closer to the way
the boss wants II run than any man
In Washington. II this be praise, 1t
can also be condemnation. Ever
since FEC was created 1t has been
suspect, and that has been particu-
larry true In the five years that Fly
has been chairman.
Through all this turmoil Fly has
emerged the winner-up to now. He
has been able to get White House
backing to stop Army, Navy and
FBI officials from testifying on the
grounds that to do 80 would give
military information TO the enemy.
LOT OF UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS
But in this stalemate q lot OF
things which should be known about
FEC have not come out:
Why did not Chairman Fly give
the FBI full access, In Its own iden-
tification division, to fingerprint
records Of oceanic radio operators
suspected OF being Communists and
known to be aliens? Did labor union
officials force hi INTO keep those re-
cords In FEC headquarters, so TBI
men would have trouble In process
sing them?
Were FBI and military and naval
intelligence officers denied access to
copies OF cables from Honolulu to
Japen? And what did that have to
do with Pearl Harbor?
Did the FEC foreign broadcast
intelligence service send the Navy
on a wild goose chase after o phan-
tom Japanese fleet and into trap?
Thus for Chairman Fly has been
able to out-talk the secretaries Of
war and navy, admlrals, generals,
heads Of other government depart
ments, congressman and the six
other members OF his own commits
sion. IT Is no mean accomplishment
for 46-year-old boy from Seage-
vile, Tex, even II he Is O graduate
Of Annapolis and Harvard law with
government experience as counsel In
the Antitrust Division Of the De-
partment OF Justice and the TenneS-
see Valley Authority.
NECK'S OUT TOO FAR
In spite Of his success thus far,
there are those In the radio indus
try who are now beginning to feel
that Chairman Fly has stuck his
neck out too far. Congressional in
vestigations Of FEC have been no.
tiriously inept and futile and have
been tangled In their own private
scandals, but the Senate has just
set the chairman back on his heels
with a terrific slash at his budget
for 1945.
Fly has q host Of enemies in gov
eminent and private business who
would like to see him drawn and
quartered. But he also has strong
supporters within the radio industry
and Is said to dominate" the Ma
tional Association Of Broadcasters.
having forced out one president Of
NAB who could not get along with
him and dictated election OF his sue
cesSor.
Things like this are what make
him Foes principal issue. What his
enemies hope for most IL the cleo
ton Of q Republican Congress In
1914, TO tear him apart.