Evening star., 1945-01-24
Jones Testifies
This Afternoon
Ex-Vice President
To Give Views on
RFC Bill Tomorrow
BY the Associated Press.

NTA Dill OmOffoW
BY the Associated Press.
The Wallace Jones cabinet
feud came up for a public airing
today before a Senate committee
sharply divided in its sympa-
thies.
Jesse Jones, the 70-year- -old Hous-
ton banker whom President Roose-
velt ousted as Secretary of Com
merce, accepted the Commerce
Committees offer to appear at an
afternoon hearing in the caucus
room of the Senate ONCE Building.
Former Vice President Wallace.
nominated by the President for Mr..
Jones' double -barreled job as Com
merce Secretary and loan admins
traitor as a campaign reward, has
been invited to testify tomorrow.
Technically, the committee was
not to examine the two with rela-
ton to Senate confirmation of the
Wallace nomination. That matter
was pushed to second place yester-
day in favor of considering a bill,
offered by Senator George, Demo-
crat, Of Georgia, to split away vast
financial responsibilities from the
Commerce Secretary's duties.
Would Segregate Lending Power.
Senator George proposed reconsti-
tuting control of the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. and other loan agen-
cies in an independent s12,o0o-a-
year administrator, as it was before
the President consolidated the lend
ing authority with the Commerce
post three years ago.
Technicalities, however, were not
likely to stand in the way of thor
oughgoing inquiry by the Senators
The dispute has rocked official
Washington since Sunday night
when Mr.. Jones made public Mr..
Roosevelt's request that he step
aside to make room for Mr. Wallace.
The committee shunted the George
bill ahead of the Wallace nominal
ton yesterday by vote of 10 to 2.
with Senators Overton, Democrat,
of Louisiana. and Pepper, Democrat,
of Florida, in the minority and with
several of the II Democratic MEM
bers absent.
Senator Pepper described the
George bill as "a slap in the face"
for Mr.. Wallace, and declared it is
another way of underwriting the
President and glorifying Jesse Jones
as If he were the only man in the
world qualified to hold the place"
George Doubts Wallace's Fitness.
Glen Taylor, freshman Democratic
Senator from Idaho, came out in
favor of Mr.. Wallace's confirmation.
Senator Taylor charged "the present
outcry against him is coming from
the same vocal minority and spe-
cial interest groups which were so
soundly defeated in the recent elec-
| ton"
Senator George, invited to dis
cuss his bill again today before the
committee. repeated that he doesn't
think Mr.. Wallace has ANY fitness
as loan administrator" handling
commitments totaling billions of
dollars in Government funds.
Although there was some talk of
trying to align Republicans solidly
against the nomination, one, at
least-Senator LANCER of North
Dakota-has come out for Mr.. WAL
lace, and there has been no caucus
of Republican Senators on the ques-
ton
While the Capitol Hill fight went
on, Mr.. Jones continued as Secre-
tary of Commerce Aides said he
had not made up his mind how long
ne would stay, but he could remain
until his successor is confirmed.
The controversy reverberated in q
Democratic Republican tilt in the
House, which is not officially con-
cerned.
"Jobs for Political Favors."
Representative Hoffman, Repub-
lican, of Michigan proposed that
the Justice Department determine
whether Mr.. Wallace's nomination
violated the Corrupt Practices Act
prohibition against giving political
jobs for political favors."
Representative Helen Gahagan
Douglas, Democrat, of California.
declared Mr.. Wallace made a great
Secretary of Agriculture and Vice
President and will make an equally
great Secretary of Commerce"
In her first formal statement as
member of Congress, she declared:
"Only by vesting the extensive
powers of the Department of Com
merce and Reconstruction Finance
Corp. in the hands of a courageous
and fortnight and a liberal man
like Henry Wallace, can we of the
West-with the great problems that
face us in the reconversion period
feel confident of adequate repre-
(See WALLACE, Page A-16)