The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-16
Fair Enough
Nv wEsrBROoK PEGLER

| L
| Copyright 1916, BY King Features Syndicate)
| NEW YORK, JAM Is. Old Charlie Har
wood has been replaced as governor of the
Virgin islands, apparently without even the
courtesy Of a kick in the pants to help HIM
downstairs because Charles Ross President
Humans press secretary, announcing the
nomination of Judge William Henry HASTE
said he didn't know whether Judge HARDWOOD
had sent in his resignation.
| They could have been more civil, for old
Charlie has been loyal party plug for many
years but they probably were sore at him
| because he outsmarted President Roosevelt in
hanging onto his stock in Elliott Roosevelts
| radio network when the boss tried to buy it
| in for two cents on the dollar and thus nick
him for a donation of $245o0 to his sons
alimony. They could be further miffed. too,
by suspicion that Charlie blew the whistle
after Mr.. Big passed to his honored grave at
Hyde Park although I can assure them that
he didn't initiate the expose and looked as
though someone had conked him with nickel
ball-bat when I walked in and asked him to
tell all. The old judge wasn't for telling any
thing, perhaps because he still felt loyal to
Roosevelt, although can't see how he could
have, after so much double-crossing, but more
likely because he still had some wanly flicker
ing hope that Mr.. Truman would be good
fellow and put him on some federal bench
here in the continental United States where
he might spend a few years and retire on
his money with honor.
AS matters stand, the old timer has the
satisfaction of having shifted the plot when
Roosevelt was out gathering up his boys
debts for penny money and fast talking the
creditors out of their collateral for the alimony
fund Moreover, he still has the value OF his
$25,OOO in the Texas State Network Those are
his assets, credits satisfactions in the sitaa-
ton. Against these he must balance his year
NJ hr0 s~&se thn
islands under Harold Ickes, who treated him
as clerk and heckled him about his travel
chits and time off the job to play bridge with
his friends in New York and Washington and
the Illustration Of his ambition. Roosevelt did
give him a short trick as district judge in
Panama but that was supposed to be only
an interim thing and again, when he took the
job in the Virgin islands, it was understood
that this too, was just temporary.
I was looking over the Treasury's handout Of
the testimony in the John Hartford and David
Baird loans to Elliott the other day, and was
reminded that, as far as I ever was able to
learn, the boys didn't include Harwood's state
ment At the time that they released the big
heap of photostats there was so much reading
to be done in a rush that I didn't notice this
omission and neither did two of the republic
can congressman Of the Ways and Means Com
mittee who turned in a report holding that
there certainly was a gyp in the transaction.
One of them then called up the treasury to
ask how come and the fellow in charge said
he was going out of town for about 10 days
but would attend to it when he got back. My
friend said nothing doing on the 10 days and
to get 1t over there right now but I guess
they must have stood him down because I
wrote him couple of times and yes we still
don't know what they asked old Charlie or
what his answer were. I was particularly in
quistive whether they asked him whether
Roosevelt sent Harry Hopkins after the
collateral when Charlie refused to give it up to
Jesse jones and whether they touched on the
possibility that he might have expected some
reward. They asked the others that.
Some other testimony that was mysterious
ly missing from my batch was the early state
ments OF Sid Richardson and Charles Roeser
the Texas oil men, and pals Of Elliott, and
two other owners of this treasure have noted
that these statements are absent from theirs
too. In the testimony of these witnesses that
was given out they refer to their earlier state
nents and one of them speaks of something
that happened after their return from ''the
island.' There is no key to this but it might
have been a reference to the time that Roose-
welt went ashore in the Gulf of Mexico, off
Texas, as the guest of some oil people, all
friends of Elliott and Jesse, just before some
hot oil cases were settled comfortably. am
not trying to read meanings into something
haven't read at all but would like to read
it and can't understand why the Treasury re-
leased part of the stuff selectively, and didn't
let us have it all, if so.
Well, anyway, old Charlie HARDWOOD was one
that Mr.. Big played for sap and couldn't
take, although, when Charlie resisted he put
forth special effort And, today, Mr.. Haywood
still has his 5000, loaned to Elliott of his
company, through Elliots uncle, Hall Roose-
welt, in a rush-act on the representation that it
was wonderful investment opportunity when
the fact was that they needed the cash to
meet the current payroll.
I have often wondered just what Charlie
did have in mind anyway, he didn't get rich
making foolish investments and here he was
pining for that job on the bench and Hall
gives him the rush and he flips $4,000 to the
Presidents son on unbankable security without
even taking the trouble to make sure whether
it was loan or an investment and without
word on paper. What is your guess?