Evening star., 1944-10-31
81 900 Club Mystery
Declared Unhealthy
President Should Clear Up
Episode, Says Observer

president Should Clear Up
Episode, Says Observer
By Dapid Laurence
President Roosevelt ought to clear up
the mystery surrounding the One Thou
sand Club-the political committee
which has been soliciting and receiving
contributions of $1,000 each from busi-
nessmen on the alleged promise that
they will In some way benefit from their
political contributions In connection with
administration policies or favors.
1t is never q healthy thing for the
President of the United States to be-
come involved in controversies of this
kind and it would be most regrettable
II any overzealous supporters OF the
President embarrassed him by their
solicitation Of political contributions.
facsimile letter, however, on the
stationery OF the Congress of the United
States has been widely distributed BY
the Associated Press. the original being
In the possession of the Chattanooga
News-Free Press. The letter was writA
ten by Representative Estes Kefauver,
Tennessee Democrat. to Tennessee
businessman. 1t is signed Estes"
Mr.. Kefauver, in a dispatch from
Chicago. admits he wrote three letters
to three close friends and that the
letter in question is one Of these three.
Kefauver's Letter.
tn, tho laftar NSr
II don't know If you have heard
much about the One Thousand Club,
but the idea is this-we want to get
1000 people willing to give $1,000 for
the reelection of our President. The
money will be used for radio time to
put him on the air. The suggestion
came from the President himself. He
said he would like to have 1000 business
people who would show their interest
in his reelection by giving 81 900 and
that he would like to counsel and adj
wise with them through the rest of his
term, If he were reelected. The policy
has been adopted by members of the
club who happened to be in Washing
ton on Thursday afternoon to have
visit with the President at the White
House. We have had five Of these occa-
sions and they have been very pleas
ant. Then, Of course, there are many
matters coming up in which member
ship in the One Thousand Club would
not do any harm. Each member re-
ceives a copper-plated Identification
plate and certificate which is all the
pass they need here in Washington to
60 anywhere"
The question naturally arises whether
the foregoing Is a violation of any
statute. Section lit of the United
States Criminal Code reads in part as
follows:
Whoever. being an officer of tho
United States shall ask, accept,
or receive any promise, under
taking, obligation, gratuity, or security
for the payment of money, or for the
delivery or conveyance of anything Of
value, with intent to have his decision
or action on any question, matter,
cause, or proceeding which may at any
time be pending or which may by law
be brought before him in his official
capacity, or in his place of trust or
profit, influenced thereby, shall /. /.
forfeit his office or place and thereafter
be forever disqualified from holding any
ONCE OF honor. trust, or profit under
the Government of the United States. :"
The question naturally arises whether
the President did or did not make any
promises of the nature described by
Representative Kefauver 1t may have
been an off-hand remark to which those
present attributed more Importance
than 1t actually warranted. On the
other hand, the text of the letter having
been printed and the text of the statute
also being very well known by mem.
bers OF Congress-who, of course, are
bound by 1t, too-it becomes very i'm
portant to clear up the incident so that
faith in public officials will not be
undermined because of the exigencies of
a political campaign.
Surplus Property.
What makes the episode all the
more important at this particular time
is that the Government of the United
States will have to dispose of literally
billions of dollars of surplus propert,
when the war is over These plants
which cost billions to build, will hav,
to be sold at low prices and in some
instances practically given away.
The President of the United States
will have control of the disposal OF
most of the surplus property because
Congress has granted to the Executive
the power to appoint three-man board
to dispose of surplus properties.
1t would be sad state of affairs II
any businessman contributed to the
One Thousand Club on the theory that
he would then have stand In" with
the Federal Government in connection
with the many matters that are coming
up between businessmen and the Gov
ernment. 1t would also seem to be a
grave improperly for any businessmen
who now have contracts with the Gov
ernment or have matters pending with
the Government involving profits to
themselves to become mixed up with
political contributions.
One does not suspect for a moment
that the President or any one con-
nected with him had any intention of
violating the law, but some expla ma :
ton should be forthcoming in order that
the President, If he is reelected to a
fourth term, shall not start his new