The Wilmington morning star., 1946-10-10
As Pegler Sees 1t
Copyright, 1916, by King Features Syndicate
INC.)
BY WESTBROOK PEGIER

of "reminiscences published under Elliott
Roosevelt S name it not worth belief. He is IN
truthful and his memory is unreliable.
On the first point, an observation is found
in a special memorandum in the treasury's
files which was considered By the Ways and
Means committee of the house OF representa-
tives in the sham investigation of Elliott's
debts.
Discussing Elliott's own statement OF his
financial condition, a revenue agent report
ed that Elliott had failed convention among
his income or assets an inheritance OF Sl9,-
900 from the estate of his grandmother, the
late presidents mother.
elliot said he was not in the United
States at the time she died. the memoran-
dunn said, land he further claims that he
had no knowledge of the Inheritance for a
long time thereafter. We are not convinced
that Elliott did not know he was a beneficiary
to the extent of one-sixtieth or her net estate.
We think he could have found out had he want
ed to (if he did not actually know it,. His
father was one of the executors"
The treasury report is more emphatic in the
matter Ct F.iliott's own statement to his credit
or, John Hartford, of the A. and P grocery
chain, Of the value of his, Elliott's ranch and
homestead in Texas Elliott had given Hartford
a gloomy view of this asset. The place sold
for S136, 900 in 1914. on Dec. %, 1912 Elliott had
told Hartford that it was doubtful that the
property would bring anything above the
mortgage.
I'VE find it difficult to believe him. the
memorandum said. 1.-THE revenue agent who
investigated the case in Texas is of the opinion
that the fair market value Of the equity as of
March, 1912, was approximately $95, 900. 1t is
apparent from the foregoing that Elliott did
not deal fairly with Hartford in the letter of
Dec. %, 1912"
Although both the treasury and the demo-
! cratic majority of the ways and means COM
mittee went to awkward extremes to absolve
Elliott OF his debts and his late father of
crooked dealings in both the promotion and
settlement Of the loans, the agents could not
bring themselves to give Elliott a clean report
on the score of honesty. In fact, they were
compelled, or the record, TO express the belief
that he lieu. AS to his fathers unmis!akable
dishonesty in procuring the return Of John
Hartford's collateral consisting OF stock in
Elliott's radio network, to be used in paying
Elliott's al,mony to his estranged wife and
their children, the agents risk no conclusion,
whatever. They simply could not vindicate
F. D. R., SO they said nothing.
E%lliott's mother, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt,
must agree that these official reports on her
sons veracity should be attached as f~ootnotes
to his scandalous and unsupported personal
story Of Eaomentous meetings between her late
Ooli HIiotOH Sllul GILL, jus Otdlll ana
others she was written, in her foreword to the
book: This book gives one observers first
hand account of what went on at the major
conferences and will furnish future historians
with some OF the material which will con-
stitute the final evaluation Of history
Undoubtedly Elliott's book will be read by
future historians, but it Is a duty Of current
reporters Of history to warn them in cases
where the author of the reference work bears
n rnpIfn{in, c,,oL - a. ~
to give Elliott.
In the matter Of s25,C COO received from
Charles HARDWOOD, a lawyer and minor demo-
cratic machine politician, the treasury and
the democratic majority of the ways and
means committee both deliberately smothered
Information that would have shown that Hal.
wood was hopeful of receiving an appoint
ment to the federal court after he put up the
money. Robert L. Doughton, Of North Caro-
lima, the chairman, wrote that the internal
revenue bureau did not give the committee
any information on the HarWood deal. That
is strange, nasmuch as the committee could
have forced the internal revenue bureau to
give it all information in its records. 1t is
also untrue. The majority, which controlled
the inquiry, deliberately decided not to ask
tor full information, although the fact was
plain that Harwood received an appointment
as governor of the Virgin Islands after he put
up the money. However, some
was submitted and studied.
Joseph O'Connell, Jr., general counsel of
the treasury, wrote on Feb. S, 1916, that the
record contains no testimony of Mr.. HARDWOOD
as none was taken" He does not explain why
none was taken and his statement that none
was taken is refuted. by a long passage in a
memorandum for the commissioner" which
was released as part of the record by the
ways and means committee when it made its
official and evasive report to congress-.
Discussing the Harwood item Of $25, 900, this
memorandum says "Mr. Harwood has ad-
vised a representative of the bureau of in
ternal revenue" etc., and Mr.. HARDWOOD has
stated-'etc. A statement certainly was taken,
therefore, and the treasury has fatty refused
to reveal it and the ways and means commit
tee d~oggedly refused to ask for it.
"Harwood has stated that he never received
any written evidence that either Elliott or the
Texas state network had considered the $685.
900 to be a loan,' the memorandum says in
direct conflict with Mr.. O'ConnelPs report that
no Testimony" was taken. Not VIGOROUSLY
credulous in its dealings with ordinary citi-
zens. the treasury here was willing to believe
that Harwood, a lawyer of long experience
who had been a federal judge for a time in
Panama by Roosevelts appointment, was
stupid enough to put up $25, 900 in an honest
transaction without a word on paper and with
out even knowing whether he was lending the
money with stock as collateral or buying stock
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