Evening star., 1944-05-13
Choice Of ForrestuI
Held One of the Best
Washington Oficialdom Is Seen
Needing Bit of Rejuvenation
Bv Dapfd laurence

Needing Bit of Rejuvenation
BY David Laurence
President Roosevelt did much more
than reward James Forrestal when he
appointed him Secretary Of the Navy.
He really recognized the Importance
of putting younger men at the helm.
For what oiaSial Washington needs
nowadays is bit u rejuvenation. Too
many old men whose ideas are sound
enough in their way but who are not
equal to the tremendous problems that
lie ahead are in key positions.
War is young mans game. And
SO are the dilemmas OF reconstruction.
Most people are inclined to think that
official Washington with its many desk
jobs presents an easy time with lots
of social leisure. AS matter OF TACT,
8 out of 10 men who occupy impor-
tant jobs in Washington work 10 or
IL hours a day and then carry their
business home in briefcases. The
stories of those who drop by the way
side due to Iii health are numerous,
though they do not often get into
the newspapers because many of these
officials are not prominent enough to
warrant attention.
But the whole war period has taken
toll of officials in high and low
places. The war cabinet, which means
not only the heads of peacetime de-
partments but the heads Of agencies
dealing with war operations-civilian
and military-are carrying burdens the
like of which nobody in Government
has ever known before. For while the
| World War was just as intense, 1t was
not as lengthy. The strain on public
officials who have now been hard at
work since September, 1889, is some
thing new in American public life.
Few Periods of Rest.
| Periods of rest and relaxation are
occasional. Every now and then some
official is authorized to take vaca-
ton due to the physicians orders, but
actually most of them work on until
they are compelled to drop out
The same is true of the legislators
nowadays Members of Congress find
the war strain more severe than ever.
| Not only are they belabored by the
usual problems of legislation but they
| are asked to run errands here for their
constituents in connection with the war
| Every member of Congress finds the
| going harder than usual. Then on top
| Of it all, the entire House of Repre-
sentatives and one-third of the Senate
must go before the people in national
| campaign this year.
! In many respects. it is unfortunate
that there has to be an election at this
time. The Constitution, of course, pro-
vides for it and there is not the slight
est intention of avoiding an election,
as so many hostile critics have suspect
| ed and charged. 1t Is enc thing to say
! that an election will not be held, and it
is another to argue that it ought not to
| be held. There is no way that an elec-
ton can be deferred because the Consti-
| tuition provides for it. But neither the
| Canadian nor the British governments
have found it necessary to hold elec-
| tions in the midst of war.
! Under the Canadian and British
parliamentary system, an election can
be withheld. Thus, If the parliamentary
system was in vogue in America, an
election could be postponed till peace
is declared, when a new President
would be elected instead of retaining
one tired out from the labors of the
war period
Respected by Leaders.
The appointment of James Forrestal
to be Secretary of the Navy brought a
wave Of. satisfaction throughout official
Washington, This was not merely be-
cause Mr.. Forrestal is a competent
official who deserves the promotion, but
because he is young man and the very
type who ought to be given weighty
responsibilities these days.
Mr.. Forrestal has not only the re-
spect of the people,, inside the Navy
Department with whoiiase has worked
intimately-both naval officers and
civilian ofdcials-but he has the re-
spect and confidence of members of
Congress. This is most important be-
cause the Secretary of the Navy has
| W w Will SOl4SlCoo Ill SCGGlllS
appropriations and with keeping Con-
! gress informed on various changes in
naval policy as the appropriations are
| put into use.
| Mr.. Forrestal will bring to the cabi-
net table sound business Judgment. He
! is neither an anti-New Dealer nor a
| New Dealer. He is what might be called
true liberal He knows that neither
| people nor governments can remain
static and that certain reforms are long
overdue, but he has always insisted that
| because reforms are necessarily painful
at times, they should all the more be
administered by those sympathetic to
the problems of the citizenry The
Forrestal appointment is one of the best
ever made by President Roosevelt.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Reserved)
ST. Georoe on Seq Horse