Evening star., 1946-03-06
Smear on Roosevelt
Seen as PouIey Issue
Writer Says Senate Democrats
Face Embarrassing Moment
By David Laurence

1
The Democratic Party in the United
States Senate is about to vote either
to besmirch the memory of the late
President Roosevelt or to declare that
those who have participated in a smear
against him have failed of their purpose.
The issue before the Senate is not
only whether Edwin Pauley did any
thing wrong in discussing the postpone
ment of a Federal suit on Oil lands with
former public official but whether the
late Franklin D. Roosevelt shall be con-
Vlcted on the unsupported testimony
OF this same former public official.
The record Of the hearings before the
Senate Naval Affairs Committee shows
that Edwin Pauley raised, in his capa-
city as Democratic national treasurer,
100000 from oil interests in California
and that this was used in the 1914 presi-
Dental election campaign.
Accusation in Record.
Inc record shows an accusation by
former public official that President
Roosevelt in September, 1914, had dis
cusSed the oil situation in California
and Mr.. Pauley is alleged to have spoken
OF the desire Of the oil interests in that
State to persuade the Federal Govern
ment not to file suit to obtain certain
Oil lands which were claimed by the
State of California.
The record shows that in April. 1914.
according to the testimony of the form
er public official, the President of the
United States had been persuaded by
Mr.. Pauley not to bring test suit.
Ihus, II the testimony of the former
public official is to be accepted as valid
by the Senate, does it mean that the late
President did not consider Mr.. Pauley's
activities a raw proposition? The
funds were collected from the oil men
and used in the campaign and the case
was kept from the courts for a long,
long while
If what Mr.. Pauley is accused of do
Ing were proved true, it would mean
that he had influenced President of
the United States as a consequence of
the 100000 contributions by California
Oil men or because Mr. Roosevelt
thought Mr.. Pauley was right in his
arguments irrespective Of the campaign
contributions
Subsequently the suit was brought.
but If what Mr.. Pauley is accused of
doing actually happened, then there
may have been a violation of Federal
statutes which forbid the use of i'm
proper influence in endeavoring to per-
suade public officials to take or refrain
from taking action in certain official
matters. If this incident occurred. then
it is pertinent to inquire why the alleged
violation was not reported for prosecu-
ton to the Attorney General in Septem-
Der, 1914, when it is alleged to have oc-
CURED.
One Reason for Pressure,
The question also arises whether the
same proposal made to the former pub
lie official was also made to the late
President-namely, that in view of the
campaign contributions, the Federal suit
should not be carried out. 1t would ap-
pear that Mr.. Roosevelt knew of Mr..
Pauley's interest in the oil suits, for
the former public official reveals that
Mr.. Pauley had previously discussed the
matter with the late President and al
legedly was asked to talk it over with
the head Of the Interior Department.
Can the Democrats in the Senate con-
vlct Mr.. Pauley without at the same
time seeming to accuse the late Mr..
Roosevelt, too? This may be one reason
why so much pressure has been brought
to bear on Mr.. Pauley to Withdraw so
as to spare the Democrats the embar-
raSsment Of voting on the issue at all.
But President Truman seems to feel
that. the former public official who tes-
tilted may have been mistaken" as to
the purport of the conversation he had
with Mr.. Pauley. Possibly Mr.. Truman
means that maybe the former public
official was mistaken" too, about the
part the late Mr.. Roosevelt played in
the matter.
1t surely is an embarrassing moment
for the Democratic Party in the Senate.
Mr.. Pauley is insisting on a vote, be-
cause he claims to be innocent of the
charges, but in sense if he insists on a
vote he may be contending that the late
President should also be exonerated of
the charge that he would ever, for
few minutes or a few months. be in
tiuenced to postpone the filing of Fed
eral suit in which contributors who
helped his election campaign were di-
rectly or indirectly involved.
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