Evening star., 1945-03-14

Take, first, the case Of Mr.. Jesse
Jones, whose splendid service" was
stressed by the President In the
same letter IN which he explained
he was naming MIR. Wallace as a
reward for his political support.
Mr.. Jones is by no means perfect,
but no one has ever seriously ques-
toned his competency. On the 9TH
er hand, none save his partial
friends pretends to believe Mr. Wal
lace a competent administrator. He
now seems in a position for which
he is untitled by taste, temperament
and experience.
Even after he had ousted Mr..
Jones from the Commerce secre-
taryship, 1t might have been possible
for Mr.. Roosevelt to have kept him
as head OF the Federal loan agen-
cies, with which Congress had re-
fused to trust Mr.. Wallace. If COM
potency had been an objective, Mr..
Roosevelt must have made that ef-
fort. Instead, he read Mr. Jones
wholly out of the Government serv-
lCC d1lu Vi NAliSoil
from economic stabilizer to Federal
loan administrator.
Recognized Fact.
Mr. Vinson had good record as
economic stabilizer. He had shown
ability and firmness in resisting
labor pressure. Probably he will
make a good head of the FLA. But
Mr.. Vinson would be the first to ad-
NIT that neither his training nor
ability put him on par with Mr..
Jones in this field.
This Is said not to disparage Mr..
Vinson but simply as a recognized
fact.
Following the shifting of Mr.. VIM
son to the FLA, Mr. Roosevelt shift
ed Mr. William H. Davis from chair
man OF the War Labor Board to
economic stabilizer. Here again the
trend is down.
Just as Mr. Vinson is not up to
Mr. Jones, there is no reason to be-
lieve Mr. Davis will be as good as
Mr.. Vinson. Nothing in his record
on the WLB justifies the hope AS
one critic expressed 1t, he has an in
cl1natlon toward ''rubbery floors and
wavery ceilings" He has incurred
the enmity of the labor bosses with
out gaming the confidence of in
dustry. He is a sincere and honest
man but apparently not gifted with
the power of quick decision and
strong stands.
But tor the trmness of Mr.. Vim
son, the labor sabotage Of the Little
Steel formula would have been far
greater. 1t is disturbing to see Mr..
Davis stepping into a new post
which requires fast thinking and
an ability to say "no"-and mean it.
Then the President had to fill Mr..
Davis place. This he did by nam
Ing as chairman of the War Labor
Board DR.. George Taylor, who has
been, like Mr.. Davis. one of its pub
lie members.
Wanted to Go Home.
DR.. Taylor did not aspire to the
place. He wanted to go home-and
1t is hard to blame him. He has
kindly feeling toward the labor
bosses and has been in tune with
Mr.. Davis policies He is expected
to function along the Davis lines.
With Mr.. Davis, instead of Mr..
vinson, holding the veto power this
would indicate more concessions and
a further weakening of the anti
Imitation lines. Adding to all this
his effort to make Mr. Aubrey Will
liams, the former social worker and
favorite of Mrs. Roosevelt, head of
the Rural Electrification Admin
istration, where he would control
s600,000,000. support is given the
idea that Mr.. Roosevelt is less con-
cerned with competency now than
before.
And when it is considered how
quickly competent men like Mr.
Lewis w. Douglas, Mr.. John W.
Hanes and the late George Peek
eliminated themselves from his
previous administration 1t can well
be argued that competency never
was a prime requisite with Mr.
Roosevelt.
In these appointments it hardly
can be claimed the President sought
the most available competent men.
On the contrary, once he had dis
placed Mr.. Jones he obviously took
the easiest way, which was to shift
things around.
Thus he got the whole business off
his mind and was able again to con-
centrate on the international prob
lens in which he takes such delight.
These are the only things that in