Evening star., 1945-06-20

reasons for not cOnIlnulnS ulIa III
his present position. AS matter
of fact. President Truman does not
need any reason at all Tor rlodlng
himself of Mr.. Ickes. 1t Is clearly
the new Presidents right to have
in his official family men OF his own
choosing, congenial to him person.
auv as well as politically. He has
Mr.. Ickes' resignation on his desk
and could not be criticized for ac-
cepting it at any time.
These being the facts, it seems a
pity that sources supposedly close
to MIR. Truman should advance, in
publications supposedly friendly to
him, and over the radio, reasons
which, If true, reflect discredit not
upon Mr.. Ickes, but upon Mr.. 1ru-
man.
Article Cited as Example.
For example, one article, "on good
authority" asserts that though Mr.
Ickes has the confidence Of the
President, eventually he will be re-
placed by some one recommended by
Democratic Chairman Robert Han
negan, because the total contribu-
ton of his departments employees
in the last campaign was only $500"
which, it is said, is regarded by Mr..
Truman's political managers as "eX-
cessive nonpartisanship."
It is further declared that failure
ITO contribute adequately" was one
cause for the ousting OF Attorney
General Biddle. Also, it is asserted
that Mr.. Morgenthau's present Sc
curity' in the cabinet is due to his
championship of Mr.. Hannegan
when the l2tter was under fire for
political operations in st. Louis, and
that Mr.. Hannegan's choice for Mr..
Ickes' post is Mr.. Pauley, Demo-
cratic Committee treasurer, whom
he recently had made chief OF our
Reparations Commission.
When one reads statements such
as these in a reputable magazine OF
large national circulation it is nat
ural to assume that their source,
If not Mr.. Hannegan himself, is
some one closely affiliated with him.
If this is not true, one would ex-
pect immediate resentment and de-
nial from Mr.. Hannegan. In more
than a week there has been neither.
Perhaps he has not noticed them,
or thinks best not to take notice.
At any rate, few will dispute that
the unchecked PRONUNCIATION of
political ideas such as these is a
direct disservice to Mr.. Truman.
Eventually, if permitted to con-
tinue, this sort OF thing will create
a very unpleasant smell, indeed,
around the White House. For one
thing, it places administration poll
tics on the lowest possible plane;
for another, 1t elevates Mr.. Han
negan to a plane of influence far
higher than the one to which he
Is entitled.
Has Made Good Start.
Mr.. Truman, it is conceded, has
made a very good start. Commen-
dation of him is general and non-
partisan. Republican, as well as
Democratic, leaders have been in
vited and have gone to see him,
Offering cooperation and support.
Nearly everything he has done
has been we'll done. 1t would be too
bad if the fine impression he is
making upon the country should
be spoiled by the untimely insist
ence of not very smart Missouri
politicians upon thrusting them
selves, their unsavory political OBJ
jectives and crude ideas too far to
the front. Yet, exactly that could
easily be done.
A very sharp contrast exists be-
tween Mr.. Truman's broad and toll
Grant attitude which leads him to
ask advice from such Republicans
as Mr.. Hoover Mr.. Dewey and Mr.
Landon, and that of Mr.. Hannegan
who, in speech short time ago,
urged that I'VE should work at all
times to replace Republicans with
Democrats" and to whom is at
tributed power to throw out Demo-
cratic cabinet members because
their campaign contributions were
not satisfactory.
There is every reason to believe
that the statements above quoted
do not reflect Mr.. Trumans views.
He did not remove Mr.. Biddle for
the reason suggested. He would
not remove Mr.. Ickes because his
department employees contributed
only $780, He is not retaining Mr..
Morgenthau because he befriended
Mr.. Hannegan and Mr.. Hannegan
Is not making Mr.. Truman's more
important appointments.
All these suggestions do Mr.. Tru-
man injustice, which is all the more