The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-02-14
THE WHITE HOUSE
NNsamh.k..aan...

Honorable Harold L. IckeS,
The Secretary Of the Interior,
Washington, d. C."
THE SECRETARY OF THE
INTERIOR
washington
February Is, 1916.
MY Dear Mr.. President:
Il deeply appreciate the gener-
osity and graciogsness displayed
by your letter Of February Is.
What particularly appeals 10 me
is your statement I also consider
that this uny resignation ter
inmates all Of your other govern
mental activities You viii par
don me II remark that this is
in the nature of supererogation.
assure you that I have had no
secret design, having resigned as
secretary Of the interior, to hold
on to any other once under your
jurisdiction.
Sincerely yours,
~HAF6JLD L. ICKES.
Secretary Of the Interior"
The President.
The White House"
Tomorrow Early Enough
IckeS told President Truman in
an earlier $500 word letter he
would quit on March 81, or sooner
as the President wished. Mr.. Tru-
man said tomorrow would be about
right. The town is speculating on
Tckes' successor. Almost any western
Democrat in or out OF office may
except 10 figure in the pre-nomina-
ton stakes.
There vas speculation, too, about
the future o; Secretary OF Com
merce Henry A. wallace. He and
Tckes we're the standout New Deal
ers IN the Cabinet as Mr.. Truman
had reorganized It since Franklin D.
Roosevelt died 10 months ago. There
we're predictions here that Wallace
would be gone before the year is
out.
Tckes' own future was indefinite.
He has been asked 70 DO a news
paper column. He Is independently
wealthy, lives in nearby Maryland
with . pretty young wife and their
family. Ickes does not have to work
II he does not want to. But he Is
not one to retire st II years. There
was speculation that IckeS would
ioin the CLOS National Political
Action Committee in some way
possibly as its entertain. Revenge Is
sweet 70 Ickes. That would be a
good $40. in which to get some.
Warns President
Ickes departed IN a blast OF prose
AMI oratory in which he submitted
his reasons for resigning to the
President and to the press. To M.
Truman he warned o! the danger Of
submitting TO the kind OF political
pressure which led 20 the Teapot
Dome scandal in the Harding ao-
ministration Is years ago. He FUR
Their said Mr.. Truman had express
ed lack OF confidence" in him. To
the press the sharp-tongued cab
ineteer said he did not care 70 stay
in an Administration where ] am
expected TO commit perjury. he
said the President had asked MN
10 go easy on Ed"
The dispute goes back to Ickes
appearance before the Senate NapaI
Affairs Committee where he tesu-
fled that Pauley had made TO HIM
the rawest" proposition IN MS eN,
perience. He said 1t was proposal
that Federal litigation 70 acquire
title to tidewater oil lands be crop
ned 70 encourage contributions TO
the Democratic Party. Pauley oe-
MED II. Mr.. Truman on Feb. Saio
Ickes might have been mistaken
Since Feb. 5 Ickes has been Try
ing 10 see the President. But ne
couldn't get into the White HOUSE
for a conversation and finally sent
his letter Of resignation instead.
PauIey Lied In Congress
Ickes carried his battle to the ma
tion by radio (ABC Network last
night and reiterated that Pauley
did not tell the truth" before the
Senate committee.
I'm the light Of succeeding clr-
cumstanees," Iekes added, ! may pc
permitted to doubt whether the
president was not speaking IN a
Pickwickian sense when he told me
TO tell the truth"
Sen. Joseph C. o'Mahoney, Cd
WyoD, Is near the top In speculation
regarding Ickeg' successor. There
were Fum0rs that Secretary Of La
Dor Lewis b. Schwellenbach might
resign, opening the way for Gov
Mon Wallgren, who also is from
Washington, to enter the Cabinet.
There Is no rule against two Cabinet
members from q single state but
pairs are unusual. There was also
some talk OF former Sen. d. Worth
Clark Of Idaho, Gov. Robert 8. Kerr
Of Oklahoma and Rep. Harry r.
Sheppard. (D.-calD
Chapman will run the department
for the time being.
Caution Against Oil Man
WhomeyeF Mr.. Truman appoints
as Interior Secretary, he Is undel
notice from Tckes that the NOMINEES
should be above susicion aud mus
not be an oil man.
Congressional Democrats are rec
with embarrassment and apprehen'
sion about the whole business
Democratic Senators do not wan
20 buck the President. But theS
know. too. that Senate Republicans
are eager for P2uley 70 be con.
flrmed. The Republicans figure
that with Ickes' committee testi'
mony and HIS remarks on leavinf
the Cabinet they have q campaign
ge~,sa v.ybaaeh II vt0rkh W0tag Hfll