Evening star., 1945-07-25

and political Roosevelt friends,
spokeSmen, subordinates and syco-
plants, in the Senate or out, any
thing in the way Of denial, state
ment or explanation.
Mr.. Westbrook Pegler, the COL
umnist, who first revealed the facts
about the loan of 100000 to Elliott
by Mr.. John Hartford, president Of
the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Co.,
and of Mr.. Roosevelt's telephone
conversation with Mr.. Hartford be-
fore the loan was made, which could
be interpreted as solicitation, con-
tinues weekly to elaborate and ex-
pand the charges, offering addi-
tional evidence using names, dates
and figures.
Mr.. Hartford publicly has con-
firmed Mr.. Pegler's facts about his
loan and his conversation with the
late President. No one has con-
tradicted any of them, though they
constitute serious charges-so seri-
Gus that the silence of those per-
sonally concerned is, to say the
least, strange.
Reflection on Father.
The charge, of course, put Elliott
Roosevelt in the light of a man who
borrowed money easily; who de-
faulted on his loans and who let
his father, who was President of
the United States, not only secure
at least one of them but settle 1t
at ridiculous discount.
But far more important than the
light 1t puts Elliott Roosevelt in is
the reflection upon his father, the
late President. That, so far as the
country is concerned, is the really
important thing.
AS matters now stand, Mr.. Roose-
velt is charged not only with having
aided his son to obtain a large
sum Of money from wealthy man,
who later got into trouble with Mr..
Roosevelt's Department of Justice
for alleged violation of the anti
trust law. but of having subse-
quently used his high Office to settle
this loan at 2 cents on the dollar.
These are the charges. If they are
not true, then the Roosevelt family
can recover a very large sum of
money. 1t could, in addition, clear
Elliott's reputation; but, what Is
more important, 1t could clear that
OF the late President. Also they
could ruin Mr.. Pegler noC only
financially but professionally.
But no move in this direction has
come from either family, friends,
worshipers, subordinates, sycophants
or political allies. There has been
some denunciation of Mr.. Pegler and
others who have referred to the
facts as "ghouls, Roosevelt haters, 4"
grave desecrators" and "loathsome
beasts" But no one has challenged
Mr.. Pegler's statements or contra
dicted the charges-literally no one.
No Move by Democrats.
And no Democrat in Congress or
In the administration has moved
for real investigation, such as one
would think MFR. Roosevelt's friends,
above all others, would want. Mr..
Doughton of the House Ways and
Means Committee, under prodding,
has asked the Treasury to look into
Elliott Roosevelt's tax returns, but
that was weeks ago and no one
thinks report will be made soon,
II ever
If Mr.. Roosevelt is innocent In
this business, it is an outrageous
thing to have made the charge, and
it is outrageous not to have full
investigation that will clear his
name completely.
On the other hand, if he was
guilty, as President of the United
States, of aiding his son to borrow a
huge sum of money which he could
not repay and could only have bor-
roWed because he was his son, and
then, as President of the United
States, getting high official of the
Government-Mr. Jesse JoneS-to
use his influence to settle" the
loans, at an absurd rate, then the
American people are entitled to all
the facts and it is outrageous to
use the death of the President to
cover them up.
That was not done in the case
of Mr.. Harding. 1t should not be
done with any President or public
official. The people have a right to
know what kind of men they really
were as contrasted with the kind
they pretended to be.
In this case, the political oppo-
nents of Mr.. Roosevelt, still in a
minority in Congress, and all execu-
tive departments, have clamored for
the light. But the political friends
of Mr.. Roosevelt, still in control of
all branches of the Government, ap-