Evening star., 1947-12-13
Federal Bureau Lobby
Power Seen in Fight
Against Budget Cuts
Economy Drive Of 6. O. P.
Baked by Tox-Finoneed
Publicity Machine
By Frank r. Kent

ruDilciry Mochlne
By Frank r. Kent
Certainly, the great 1947 economy
drive Of the Republicans was a dis
appointment. True, they cut govern
mental costs, perhaps. two billion
dollars. But, they fell far short of
their goal of six billions. This dis
appointed not only the Republicans
but that pioneer Democratic reduce
ton advocate, Senator Harry Byrd,
Of Virginia, and every citizen every
where justly appalled, at the size of
the vast governmental machine, its
terrific burden on the taxpayers and
the inherent waste and inefficiency.
We are now told by Representa-
tive Christian Herter, one Of the
ablest and most sincere members of
Congress, that the fight will be re-
newed in the regular session. This
Is heartening news. Never before
has somuch money been wasted nor
economy been more vital. No sane
man possibly can contemplate our
present and prospective commit
ments abroad and remain uncon-
vinced of the utterly indefensible
nature of unnecessary dollar ex-
penditure at home. Before the next
economy battle begins it seems es-
sential there should be the widest
and clearest possible public under
standing of why the 1947 effort
achieved relatively so little success.
The reason is very simple 1t was the
skillful, determined and often un-
scrupulous resistance of the Federal
bureaucracy, which Mr.. Herter cor
rectly describes as the most power
full and potentially the most danger
Gus lobby of them all.
Many Citizens Misled.
Department by department, COM
mission by commission. board by
board, bureau by bureau, it battled
every move not only to curtail but
to prevent expansion Working
through its vast army of job holders
and buttressed by great tax
financed publicity machine, it mis-
led and misinformed many citizens
and brought to bear an almost ir-
resistible pressure. 1t did not scruple
to distort and misrepresent the
facts, and it shamelessly ignored
the law which forbids Federal en-
ployes to try to influence legislation
by Congress.
Nothing like this demonstration
OF power had ever been seen in
Washington The Federal bureau
cratic machine had never really gone
into action on such a scale. This
time it went the limit. A sample
cited by Mr.. Herter was the litera-
ture sent out by the National Gus
toms Service Association to the job
holders, in clear violation of the
law. These were told "it is a case
Of life and death. Don't pull any
punches. Contact newspapers.
chambers Of commerce, business
houses, veterans organizations, rail-
roads, steamships, politicians, the
Governor, the mayor of every city,
all State and city officials, every one
who can help. If the customs
border patrol and port patrol are
abolished, it will be a gold-plated
invitation to the smugglers to go to
work" This customs incident was
perhaps the most fragrant of them
all, but, nevertheless, typical. What
happened was this-the House
committee investigation had shown
the Customs Bureau of the Treas
ury to be in very bad shape-filled
with unnecessary and inefficient
men. Yet, the bureau asked Con-
gress for an increased appropria-
ton.
The House did not give the bureau
less money for its essential services
but more. However, it did refuse
to give it all 1t asked. At once,
with blare of publicity denouncing
Congress, the commissioner of Gus
toms laid of IS per cent of all en-
ployes charged with the job of
guarding our ports and borders.
This was sensational. There was
great pubic outburst. Newspapers,
radio, columnists, labor bosses and
the movies all played 1t up as
shocking instance of the penny
pinching" of a partisan Congress.
Letters and kilograms, many in
spired and identically worded, blam-
Ing the committee for Gripping"
vital service, deluged Senators and
Representatives.
Planned Dramatics.
When the truth was finally
brought to Hight, it was shown that
the layoff was planned piece of
dramatics; that there was not the
slightest excuse for it; that nearly
all the latd-off officials had quickly
been reinstated. Regret was ex-
pressed by the Secretary of the
Treasury and the commissioner of
customs was temporarily removed
But 1t was too late to counteract
the lies.
Many other instances of similar
character are given by Mr.. Herter.
He asserts that with the exception
of the Reconstruction Finance Corp,
not single bureau gave so much
as a trace of cooperation. On
the contrary, they joined in a re-
sistance that was almost over
whelming and wholly Illogical Of
course, what this gigantic and or
ganized jobholders army did could
not have been done without tacit
approval, amounting to encourage
ment, from the White House. Every
bureau head knew that Mr.. Truman
was opposed to>any cut at all in his
$4,000, ,000,00 budget. With that
knowledge they correctly assumed
they could 60 to any extremes in
their own opposition-which is GER
tainly what they did. And Mr.. Tru-
man uttered no word of disapproval
quite the contrary.
Considering the facts as presented
by MIR. Herter-and concurred in by
Senator Byrd-it is hard to blame
the Republicans for not having
achieved more. The remarkable
thing is they got anywhere at all.
The character and power of this
Federal bureau lobby has not been
clearly understood by the American
neOnlo Seno t0r Rvrd hoe etroeeod ~