The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-02-07
Today And TOMORROW
Continued from Page One)

plain duty of the Senate to refuse
to confirm him if his nomination
is not Withdrawn.
The fact that it is necessary to
argue the point Is in itself dis
quoting. 1t is like having at this
late date to explain to a lawyer
why he should not accept fees from
both parties in a lawsuit; or to a
journalist why ne should not be on
the payroll Of the National Asso-
citation of Manufacturers or Of the
CLIO. or to the Secretary Of the
Treasury why ne cannot be a stock
Broker or an investment banker,
or to judge why he cannot prac-
tice law.
But apparently it is necessary to
explain it. So for the benefit Of
Mr.. Pauley let it be said that to
have been trea surer of a political
party and to have collected cam
paign contributions is not in itself
a job he need be ashamed of or
apologize for. Nor is being in the
oil business. But being treasurer
and in the oil business was already,
to put it gently. a dubious combina-
ton: a sensitive politician or
sensitive business man would
shrink from the mixture. To COM
pound it by seeking 3 high office
in which great national and inter-
national decisions have to be made
that deal with oil in domestic and
international politics is to go COM
pletely beyond the limits of public
morale. For no matter how hon.
est and conscientious Mr.. Pauley
may be, he cannot come to these
questions with a free, disinterested,
and unembarrassed mind. And
even if he could. he would not
easily convince the American pub
lie or foreign governments that he
had.
It will also be necessary for the
Senate to scrutiniZe the nomination
OF Mr.. George Allen to the Board
of the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration. The fact that Mr.. Allen
has the far-flung and complicated
private business connections which
the Alsop Brothers described yes
terday in their column, would not
necessarily disqualify him. But as
they indicate, Mr.. Aliens expand
ing career in business has been CO.
NEEDING with his expanding influ-
ence at the White House. His
many directorships would be more
impressive testimony to his indus
trial genius if he did not devote
so large part of his genius to
running the Truman administra-
ton.
The nomination should, therefore,
be investigated carefully to find out
why he has become a director of
so many corporations when he
spends so much of his energy gov
erning the United States. Does he
in fact produce and sell airplanes,
steel, insurance, and no end of 9th
er useful goods and services, or
does he produce and sell political
influence? This Is a fair question,
and 1t is the obvious duty of the
Senate to see that it is answered,
It is a disagreeable business, to
have to challenge two men who
are as close as are Messrs. Pauley
and Allen to the President of the
United States. But the alternative
is even more disagreeable; it is to
admit that after this war, as after
the other war, after the Civil War.
and indeed after every other war
the standard of public morals must
for time inevitably fall.
We cannot admit this must hap.
pen. But it has been happening
IN Washington, and once the de-
terioration Of standards sets In
things will 60 from not good
enough to bad, and from bad IN
worse, az they did under Grant
and under Harding. In the early