The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-03-13
Fair Enough
Bv wEsrBRooK PEGLER
Copyright. 1916. by King Features Syndicate)

| time under the Roosevelt government He sat
| at Elliott Roosevelt's elbow to guide him
| through the Treasurys inquiry into the nctorI-
Gus Hartford loan case. Elliotts original state
ment, denouncing as deliberate, infamous
| lie, any statement that the late President
Roosevelt ever promoted or assisted his
| personal business affairs, was issued from
Pauls law office in Washington so 1t is fair
| to assume that Paul wrote the document for
his client and in defense of the historic repu-
tation of his late chief.
Mr.. Paul is new dealer who surely would
not resent being described as an admirer and
friend of the late President
The issue of the deliberate, infamous lie
has been disposed Of by Elliott's own testi-
mony and that of Jesse Jones and Elliotts
former wife.
You may be Of one mind or another on
the question whether the President intended
to promote the Hartford loan in the first place
when Hartford consulted him on the phone.
But unless you throw out the testimony OF
Elliott himself, of Jones and Of the former
Mrs. Elliott Roosevelt you are bound to de-
eide that the President did ask Jones to pick
up the loans for trif1ing amounts and recap
ture the collateral as well. You must decide
that, after watching the progress Of the ne
gotiations and receiving the stock at the White
House he, personally sent it to Mrs Elliott
Roosevelt to defray Elliott's impending obi
tenance Of the children Of that marriage.
Waving the matter Of an apology from Mr..
Paul upon this proof that it was not de-
liberate, Infamous lie to implicate President
Roosevelt in this shady deal but an important
historic disclosure bearing on the character
and honor of one Of the most powerful men
in world history, I now refer to the closing
words Of the statement from his office This
sentence asked that mo further attempt be
ma 40 tn rs,ho can't al
Mr.. Paul Is not only a lawyer Of consider
able ability, as his success indicates, but an
expert in tax matters He is as well qualified
as anyone else to ''ta1k back" for the late
President and remove the stain from his Of
fetal and personal honor. It Is possible that
he did not know all the facts Of the case
when the statement was issued. But he does
know them now, and he knows that, any
analysis or Interpretation that he might offer
the press in mitigation Of Mr.. Roosevelts
guilt would be published in full, within practi-
cal limitations, by our press and faithfully
summarized beyond those limits
The iniouity of President Rooseve1ts con-
duct in this matter has not yet been fully
revealed His immortality is in two parts.
First there is the offense Of itself This would
have been dishonesty in any man wherever
faithfully undertake to Judge Mr.. .RoeEevelt |
must bear in mind that he occupied the po-
sition Of leader and exemplar and contrast
his behavior with his protested morals. His
offense was the more grievous because of his
own scornful denunciations Of money
changers" and persons who lodged their tax
es by resort to "clever little schemes hav-
ing "the color Of legality"
The fact has never before been brought out
that the President revealed extraor binary |
cleverness cunning in contriving that after |
Jones had recaptured the collateral 1t should
be kept out Of Elliotts own hands and passed
direct to Mrs. Roosevelt. Already he had
discounted for $4,000, provided by Jones, debts
of $24O000 to John Hartford and David Baird.
Not content with his bargain, which left his
son even with the board, he wanted the col
lateral back and got it back through Jones
by representations that it was worthless.
The minority of the House Committee on
Ways and Means discredited these representa-
lions as "self-serving." Elliott, himself, has
SAID that the company concerned began to
show profit in the same year in which it
was represented as worthless" He also said |
that he mentioned the stock certificates sew
eral times at the White House, where they
were being held by Miss Grace Tu11y, one Of
the PRESIDENTS secretaries, but that through |
some mistake or mxup' was unable to learn /
Just who had them. Why was he interested |
IN worthless stock? But it was a simple mat |
ter for the President to put his hands on
them when he decided to send them to Mrs |
Ruth Roosevelt in settlement of his sons |
fture financial obligations to her and their
ch1ldren There was no 'tnistake or mix up'' |
then. They we're no longer worthless.
The President was an expert in "clever lit
tie schemes" Mr.. Paul, by reason OF his law
practice and his duties at the Treasury is an
expert, too.
The President knew that if he had turned |
the collateral over to Elliott and Elliott, in
turn, had transferred it to his wife in the
divorce settlement, at least half OF it would
have been fund of official interest to the
Treasury. They we're residents OF conmuni-
Improperly state. Texas, so Ellotts wife was
entitled to half Of his wealth. HIS own half
however, which he then might nave used in
the settlement, would have been new wealth
in his hands It was the PRESIDENTS obvious
deal so that there could be no possibility that
his son would have to pay any tax on any
foretho,,eht and intention to manipulate the
mart of the new value of the collateral.
mi. ;s NJ issue Of personal or pol;tic.,
feeling.
1his ;s an issue for history.
1TnIe.s Elliott or Mr.. RAUL or Soma al,
90 forward to rtalk back honestly t,a.s.
civ logically and convincingly Mr. Pae.u
,-ai+ must stand condemned in histor,, 'oose-
nan who abused his great Office az %
;dealistic trust of millions an da,;s ~ me
nra cticed the very methods that ~ - ately
resoundingly condemned in winnin. nao 50
flee and that trust. is 'nat Of