The Wilmington morning star., 1946-05-31
Fair Enough
has passed
BY WEsTBRoOK PEGLER
Copyright, by King Features Syndicate

ANY,
Henry Morgenthau, formerly our Secretary
OF the treasury, has become a world states
man and an active adherent of the left wing
OF the Democratic party, whose plumage
ranges from pink to red. His policies and
politics are those of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt.
whose association with the Political Action
committee, though denied when it was first
revealed by the Dies committee, is now open-
ly admitted.
"A lew months ago, I reported that during
the war and the gasoline shortage when CT
villains and even service men on leave were
allowed only two and one-haE gallons of gaso-
line each week, and low-grade fuel at that,
MR.. M~orgenthau had a Coast Guard plane
Tor his personal use on trips between Washing
ton and his up-country estate at Beacon. N.
~ and Wherever else he cared to fly. This
plane, a fast, luxurious Lockheed Iodestar
burned between 70 and 30 gallons of the best
gasoline each way on the routine Beacon trips
and carried a crew of two officers and two
enlisted Coast Guardsmen. The entire ex-
pense, including the pay of the crew and
maintenance men, the cost of the ship and
It's upkeep was borne BY the common man.
1t was Henry's private flying machine.
Inns revelation, confirmed with minor and
easily REPUTABLE exceptions, by Mr.. Morgen-
THAI, himself, elected from an attorney in
washington, formerly in the government serv-
ice, a recollection that a Republican attorney
seneral' once was called upon to reimburse
me treasury Tor railroad and Pullman tickets
obtained through government transportation
requests for trips to and from his home This
error came to the notice of the general ac-
counting office and Johr R. McCarl. tho
comptroler-general, scrupulously required the
attorney general to pay for his accommo-
dations.
On this precedent, Lindsay c. Warren, the
present comptroller . general was asked
whether MIR. Morgenthau would be REQUIRED
to pay FOL his airplane transportation on his
private personal trips, the number of which
Mr. Morgenthau could not remember. He
could not remember whether he had taken
20 or so of these flights to Beacon.
l refrain from mentioning the name of the
republican attorney general because Mr..
warren says the records of the general ac-
counting office, on first inspection. revealed
no such incident.
proceeding, then, to the problem Of Mr..
Morgenthau'S travel by Coast Guard plane.
MT. Warren explains that beyond establishing
the actual purchase of the plane for a legal
purpose, the accounting office has no authori-
". Inc regulation OF the use of such property
is the duty of the department which owns if.
In this case the department was the NAVY
by what Interpretation or stretch Of its regu-
latlons the Navy could have approved this use
o. It's lodestar, we do not know. Probably
there was no legal Justification and sea
lawyers Will now be set to work to make one
NOW we come to another interesting mani
f~estatlon of that sense of personal precious
ness, privilege and aristocracy which marked
the conduct of the condescending admins
traitors of the more abundant life.
A person formerly employed by the Treas
ury alleges that a Lincoln car, assigned to
inc NAVY y ff0 - ~ III c---I &c.
winch Morgenthau commanded as Secretary
of the Treasury, was reserved for Henrv's
own use when he came to New York and.
on one occasion, was sent to Massachusetts,.
IN a blizzard, to fetch a member OF the Nor
genthau family to Beacon. The Lincoln made
numerous trips to Beacon and a Secret Service
agent was detailed to drive and guard Nor
g%enthau.
All this time Henry's office was in Washing
ton.
After Mr.. Morgenthau became air-minded
and got his 1odestar from his friend. Mr..
Roosevelt, and an airfield had been built for
their convenience near their homes, the task
of guarding Henry became really complex.
One Secret Service car would be stationed At
Camden, N. j., another at Newark and a
third at Beacon. All were burnine gasoline
in rationing time, each weekend that Henry
flew home. By radio, the three cars would
keep IN touch from the time he left Washing
ton until the Beacon car told the others that
he had arrived. There were two agents in
each OF the Camden and Newark cars and
one at Beacon. So, five government men
hovered over our Secretary of the Treasury
line Treasury held that Morgenthau's work
Went on Wherever he was but did not inquire
Wnether the boss should have remained on
niS Joo 81 MS office in Washington where he
oelonseo. Morgenthau says there was nothing
1urtlVe about his use of the plane and his
consumption of the precious gasoline, but that
IS a new dealers morality speaking. His
luxurious privilege was hidden by the censor
snip which forbade publication of the move
fnents OF his lodestar, and he knew it and
re1ed on this secrecy. Thus he was spared
the resentment that would have been aroused
IN citizens who risked their neck %coasting on
nils to stretch their gasoline rations; denied
themselves little trips to visit their children
and endured the bullying of Harold Ickes as
general administrator of the scant supply.
Editorial Comment