Evening star., 1945-01-24
Form Letter Suggested
For Roosevelt Firinqs

SSSSSSsS0
For Roosevelt Firings
Change Wallace, Jones Names
To Hillman, Perkins, Says Writer
By Dapid Laurence
President Roosevelt is such busy
man that maybe 1t would help these
days II he could resort to the form letter
idea by just instructing his stenogra-
pher to I'LL in different name. In many
cases he wouldn't have to change any,
thing else but the name or post
Thus the Wallace-Jon letters afford
q suitable pattern for other letters the
President might write II he felt so In
clined. For instance, in handling the all
important portfolio Of Secretary Of
Labor in the fourth-term cabinet Mr..
Roosevelt might use the following:
Dear Frances:
This is very difficult letter to
write-first because of our long friend
ship and splendid relations during all
these years and also because Of your
splendid services to the Government and
the excellent way in which you have
carried out the many difficult tasks dur
ing these years.
Sidney Hillman deserves almost any
service which he believes he can salts
factorily perform. During the campaign
he displayed the utmost devotion to our
cause, travelling almost necessarily and
working for the success of the ticket In
great many parts of the country,
Though not on the ticket himself, he
gave OF his utmost toward the victory
which ensued.
Fully Suited" for Job.
Sidney hasn't told me but 1 think he
could do the greatest amount of good
in the Department of Labor, for which
he Is fully suited. And / feel, therefore,
that Sidney should have this post in the
new administration.
1T is for this reason only that I am
asking you to relinquish this present
post for Sidney, and want to tell YOU
that 1t is in no way lack of apprecia-
ton for all that you have done, and that
hope you will continue to be a part OF
the Government.
During the next few days hope YOU
will think about a new post-there are
several which are to be vacant. Finally,
let me tell you that you have my full
confidence and that am very proud of
all that you have done during these
past few years"
Now If there was one man responsible
for Mr.. Roosevelts election last autumn,
1t was Sidney Hillman, who, as head of
the CIO-PAC, organized the vote and
did job which DR.. George Gallup and
others who know something about the
statistics OF getting out the vote say was
unexcelled. If the big Democratic vote
had not been gotten to the polls among
the lower income groups, Mr.. Dewey
surely would have won.
Almost everybody here comedies that
the C1O-PAC may be credited with a
political achievement which rivals any,
thing any national political committee
ever did. Sidney Hillman was the OBJ
| 1ect Of considerable criticism during the
campaign-much of it undeserved-iust
because he is foreign born. But this does
not disqualify him from holding office
IN the cabinet. Secretary of Labor Will
liam B. Wilson in the cabinet of Presi-
dent Wilson, and James ]. Davis in the
Harding cabinet were both foreign
born.
Mr.. Hillman has had governmental
experience during the war period. He
was co-chairman of the Office of Pro-
duction Management, which was the
agency that preceded the War Produc-
tlon Board. AS between Mr. Wallace and
Mr.. Hillman, the latter certainly is far
more deserving Of political reward, II
tnat be the basis for selecting public
omclals In the fourth-term admins
| tration.
| Service Rendered.
1t will be argued that the AFL might
not like the selection of Mr.. Hillman
But Mr.. Roosevelt has indicated al
ready that he isn't making appointments
to the cabinet on the basis of what the
persons who deal with a particular
department really like.
In the matter of political service
rendered, Mr.. Hillman stands out above
both Mr.. Wallace and Jesse Jones. A,
1or Mr.. Jones. he probably excelled Mr.
wallace, for the Vice President could
only have had influence with the left.
wing vote, which was already for Mr.
Roosevelt and certainly would not have
gone to Gov. Dewey.
But Jesse Jones helped to swing con-
servatives. Thus it Is reported that ths
famous Chicago speech in which Presi.
dent Roosevelt praised the private
enterprise system and won over so
many conservative votes was really
taken largely from the draft of speech
sent over by Jesse Jones to the Whit.
House which he himself intended to
deliver. He was glad to contribute It
as he has had many suggestion for
presidential utterances that have helpec
In campaign time to swing conservatives
Certainly many Republicans opposed
to several domestic policies helped te
elect Mr.. Roosevelt because they ukeo
his foreign policies. These conservative,
were persuaded by the Chicago speech
that they had little to fear so far a,
sound finance and fairness to business
were concerned.
They thought perhaps they were vot.
Ing for an administration in which Cor.
dell Hull and Jesse Jones would have
voice. But it may turn out that they
were really voting for Mr.. Wallace and
maybe Mr.. Hillman for the cabinet.