Evening star., 1945-07-27


Perhaps, now that he Is in jot
promising some degree of perma.
nency, there may be an opportunity
for him to make a record, either
good or bad. He has not had 6
chance to do either in any of hi
recent positions and there is moth,
ing in his past career upon which
to base a real judgment.
All one can say is that he haI
gone from one Government Office
to another with greater speed thar
any one else in American history
and has finally landed in the Treas
ury at a time when its problem,
are unprecedentedly big.
Predecessor Laid Groundwork.
So far as two pretty big problems
are concerned, Mr.. Vinson is fortu.
nate in that the machinery fol
handling them was set up by hi.
predecessor and all he has to do i,
operate it along the lines laid down
One of these machines is the wal
loan organization, which has sue
ceSsfully functioned through seven
great loans and undoubtedly will
do the same for the eighth if such
becomes necessary. The other is
the machinery for investigating tax
evaSions of the last four years and
for pillorying tax evaders.
Some months ago Mr.. Morgenthau
profeSsed himself shocked by the
manner and extent of the cheating
going on. He asked authority and
funds with which to act. He OBJ
tanned both and made full arrange
mentS for a real campaign.
This is an important matter. It
is greatly to Mr. Morgenthau's credit
that he uncovered the situation,
vigorously called national attention
to it and prepared vigorously to
correct it. 1t is intolerable that
with the country engaged in its
greatest war and its agencies
particularly the Treasury - over
burdened and undermanned. men
should take advantage of govern
mental inability to examine the re-
turns as In the prewar period, to
enrich themselves at the expense
OF the Nation by dodging payment
of taxes. This is one of the meanest
forms Of cheating. There is for it no
real excuse nor defense.
No Sympathy for Culprits.
Nor will there be sympathy for
those caught and punished, whether
the punishment takes the form of
public exposure or financial penalty
or both. The result of the campaign,
Mr.. Morgenthau explained, would be
to gain for the Treasury a great
many million dollars of which it had
been defrauded and of which it
stands in need. But more important
than that is the effect. If in war
or peace it is possible for rich men
or, for that matter, poor men-with
impunity to cheat the Government
out Of just taxes, then our system
Is in danger.
If that can be done and the cheat
ers go unpunished. then the whole
business of tax collecting would bog
down and chaos loom. Mr.. Morgen-
thau has stated that these evasions
are shockingly numerous and large
1t is essential that they should be
revealed and punished. 1t is essential
that lesson be taught the evaders.
It is essential that examples be made
and that it be proved once and for
all it does not pay to cheat the Gov
ernment of the United States.
Everything is all set at the Treas
ury to do exactly this. All Mr.. Vim
son has to do is see to it that the
machinery set up by Mr.. Morgen-
thau is put into motion and that
neither influence nor pressure slows
it down; that no favorites are played
and no politics permitted. 1t is a
chance for Mr.. Vinson to make a
record, to SHOW his stuff"
Must Clarity Roosevelt Loan.
In this connection it also would
seem his duty to clear up the busi-
ness of Elliott Roosevelt and his in
come tax. which is now being in
vestigated by Treasury men. Wide
publicity has been given to large
loans obtained by this young man
in the last three years, which,
through the intervention of his
father, were settled for small sums.
The question being asked in Con-