Detroit evening times., 1946-01-14
FAIR
ENOUGH
BY Westbrook
PeeIer,
WHEN Henry Morgenthau

plane for trips between WASH
ington and his home in Dutch
ess County. near the Roosevelt
estate, during the war, he told
the truth, technically.
But the public was not told
about this until the other day
and Henry certainly would not
contend that this news was ever
announced to the press at any
time.
Nor do I believe that Mr..
Morgenthau was straightfor-
ward In his version Of the rest
of the story. He says he really
doesn't know how many such
trips he made In his two
planes and when I asked him
whether so would be q good
estimate or 20 he couldn't say.
/ don't believe Henry's ex-
aminers and reviewers in the in
come tax department would
have given a man credit for sin
cerity if he had similarly an
swered a comparable question.
THE way I heard it is that
l. Henry first had a Lockheed
Twelve and. whereas he says
they" got him another. which
was a Lockheed Lodestar and a
much faster and better ship in
all respects. My informant says
Henry went to his friend, chief
and patron. President Roosevelt,
and asked him for the Lodestar.
As TO dates have TO let
you down for the time being
except to say that he got tho 4
new ship In 1899. but I can
tell YOU that the LodestaP
burns between 20 and 80 gall
Ions Of gasoline an hour while
cruising at so per cent OF her
engine power.
How fast Henry few I don't
know but TO be quite fair I will
recall my previous estimate
that ne used 800 gallons on each
of these little hops home and,
ignoring the amount that might
have been used 10 warm UP the
engines, estimate that he burned
IS gallons each way and $50
gallons per trip al time when
the rest of us were drawing
two and one-half gallons of low.
grade motor fuel week.
The Lodestar was an "eXecu-
tive" ship with two seats facing
a work table, and a couch. and
carried pilot and co-pilot. me-
chanic and radio man. II could
carry eight passengers and took
about an hour each way.
I DO not single out Henry
Il Morgenthau as prince Of
privilege in an administration
which patronized the free Amer
lean citizen-taxpayer and called
him "the common man, term
which always has suggested 10
me that those who use il re-
gard him as an incompetent and
themselves as very uncommon
and superior men.
He was Just one OF many and,
as a clique, they made il very
hard or impossible for reporters
10 learn the truth about their
privileges.
For example, the Vifs OF
naval officer at Key West
once Wrote me that Harold
iekes and Harry Hopkins had
shovn up there as passsnsevs
on one Of our coast guard 7
cutters, Which are not sub
eha,ers or piekefboats but big
ships with luxurious quarters
for some.
She said the skipper had re-
lated that Henry MorRenthou.
who commanded the coast
guard in peace times, had told
him to take them on Vaea-
ton cruise and let them hsh
every hole from yaeksonviiis
to Key West.
I asked Henry about that at
the time and asked perrrission
to examine the log but he put
me OF, although he didn't
deny whut ! had heard.
NORGENTHAU used gov-
WI ernment airfield of the Civil
Aeronautics Board. manned by
the army, at place called New
Hackensack which is not in New
Jersey as the name might sug-
gest. but on the east side of the
Hudson near his home and the
Roosevelt barony.
After the shooting stopped II
was abandoned and only a small
detail was left TO serve as
watchmen and private planes
were forbidden TO land.
Thus IL was that Mrs.
Wendell WiIfkie, Sam Pryor,
former treasurer Of the Re-
publican national committee,
and John Hanes. a former as
sistant secretary Of the treas
ury, under Morgenthau, all
were arrested a few months
ago when Pryor put down his
shin in which they had flown
to Massachusetts, for q funeral.
Hanes parked his car at the
field when Pryor dropped
down to lift him and when
they came back the car had
been towed away and inn
pounded.