The Wilmington morning star., 1945-08-07


views Of Mr.. Pegler. and often disagree
with them as much as many of his read
ers. His articles serve the good purpose
of making people Think
BY WEsTBRooK PEGLER
(Copyright, 1915, by King Features Syndicate)
NEW YORK, Aug. 6.-The disclosure that
Elliott Roosevelt borrowed 5000, 900 from John
Hartford, the president of the A. & P. grocery
chain. and that the debt was settled three
yea-s later for $4,000 of other peoples money
was published on June IL.
Prior to publication, and with ample time
in which to prepare an answer to run with
the original story Elliott was given a sum-
mary of its contents and invited to make a
statement for publication.
So that there would be record of this in
vitation and so that the reply, If any, would
be filed on record with the Western Union and
thus placed beyond challenge for misquotation,
it was sent by telegram. subsequent check
shows that it was delivered promptly to Elliott
at the ancentral manor at Hyde Park, N. Y.
It took Elliott seven weeks to issue state
ment. This document, when it did come, was
political handout from the Washington office
Of Randolph Paul, left-wing lawyer and form
err general counsel to the Treasury depart
ment who is acknowledged an expert on those
tax dodgers and evasons which the late Presi.
dent Roosevelt denounced ''clever little
schemes having the color of legality
The statement led off with completely ir-
revelant paragraph exploiting Elliotts military
record which had not been brought into ques-
ton at all and had absolutely nothing to do
with the subject of the loan and the settlement.
His military record has no more to do with
this than his golf score. In court this matter
would be inadmissable on the ground that it
was likely TO appeal to the sympathies and be-
cloud the judgment Of the jury.
to my status" the handout said, sit was in
appropriate for me to make any statement
with respect to the pernicious charges and lies
which have been published concerning me by
a small segment of the press"
The answer to this consists of three parts.
First: 1t is never inappropriate for an Of
ficer of the American Army to defend his hon.
or, still less inappropriate, at any time or
place, for him to defend the personal honor
and official integrity of his Commander-In-
Chief, the President of the United States. The
War Department would not dare punish or
embarrass an officer for that.
Second: The statement does not state spec-
fically what charges were ''pernicious which,
in these surroundings, would mean intending
eviP' and "Wicked' or specify which state
ments were lies. What is Elliott denying?
Third: The story of Elliotts loans and the
settlements arranged by Jesse Jones, then
Secretary of Commerce, at the behest of the
Roosevelt family for trifling amounts, was
published in practically all the papers of the
United States, not just small segment of
the press" One southern democratic paper
censored this news the first day but did publish
a press association dispatch from Washington
the next day, explaining that it had omitted
the original piece because it reflected on the
honor Of the late President, as it certainly did |
Next, Mr.. Paul wraps his client in the shroud
~ &c OF fofh c{r Lshi fo~o 81
"These falsehoods have not been confined
to me, personally" the document says. II
know that any efforts put forth in this hate
campaign will have no effect whatsoever on
the public judgment of Franklin D. Roose
velts service to his country"
If this is hate campaign at all, it is cam
paign waged in hatred of corruption in the
highest popular elective office on earth. The
late President is here fatty accused of nisus-
ing the power and influence of his office to
exert pressure a business man who was
subject to persecution on trumped-up charges.
In the case of another such loan of $25, 900 the
justifabe query was raised whether or not
president Roosevelt used that loan as one of
his reasons for making an appointment to the
office of governor of the Virgin Islands
Those are the allegations. Even if they were
prompted by personal hate against the late
President that fact would constitute neither an
|vindicate President Roosevelt. Millions I'll
Americans hate the memory of Adolf Hitler
|so we may ask Mr.. Paul and Elliott Roosevelt
lit that hatred of the accused will, in their opn
ion. serve to vindicate Hitler in the record OF
history.
Those millions who loved and respected him
have the right to know that Franklin D. Roose-
welt never promoted or assisted my personal
business AFFAIRS the statement continued
ANY statement that he ever did SO is de-
liberate, infamous lie.
Those millions have a right to know that
President Roosevelt did not promote Eulotts
personal business affairs, if he did not. Eut
if he did promote them, those millions have
the right to know that.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Hartford has said that when
Elliott, total stranger except one mere intro
|duction, was borrowing his 100000, they tele-
phoned the President and that the President
thanked Hartford for helping Elliott. There IS
no specific denial of this by Elliott and the
telephone records should show whether SUCH
Ia call was placed, although such records, OF
course, subject to tamperlng by motlvateo
secret government agencies.
Moreover, on the day that Elliotts statement
appeared, Hill Blackett, radio advertising
agent who was placing business with Elliott
network in 1885, said Elliott got MN an INVITA-