Evening star., 1947-02-02
President Reaffirn1s
Rent Control Stand;
Critics Cry. Politics
sy the Associated Press

PreSl06IlI ITuIlldil Stoou AZ IA
Yesterday against rent increases ex-
cept where landlords are up against
hardship while Senator Capehart,
Republican, of Indiana, cried pure
politics" at Mr.. Truman's order
quashing a general increase.
The President told an unusual
Saturday news conference:
/. He still is determined to hold
the line against any blanket rent
increases.
2. There should be some adjust
ments where rents are so low as to
work a hardship on the property
owner.
3. He has no intention to penal
lie Mai. Gen. Philip B. Fleming,
! head of the Office of Temporary
Controls, for the mixup that oc-
Cured Wednesday when an order
by Gen. Fleming for a general 10
per cent increase was drawn up. 1t
was subsequently killed by the
President.
Capehart Favors Increase.
Senator Capehart is one of the
Republican Senators who have spon-
sored bill to increase rent ceilings
Is per cent. He told a reporter
he is satisfied the administration
is thoroughly convinced of the
need for an increase or it would not
have gone so far as to prepare an
order"
Knowing the necessity of an up
ward revision in rent ceilings. the
President thinks he is going to
force the Republicans in Congress
to do something about it and then
blame them for doing it," he de-
clared.
"Well, here is one United States
Senator who is willing to accept
the responsibility for seeing that
this situation is corrected"
Mr.. Truman described Gen. Flem-
ing as one of the ableSt men in
the Government.
Talked to President.
Gen. Fleming told the Senate
Banking Committee that he had
talked to the President about rents
in general and had left the confer
ence thinking that he would be
justified in ordering an increase.
He said he did not know then Of
Mr.. Truman's repeated opposition
to any general increase in ceilings.
The President related that Gen.
Fleming had told the committee the
exact truth when he testified that
he directed James w. Follin, his
deputy, to put the increase into
effect. It subsequently was stopped
at the White House while Gen,
Fleming was in Iowa attending the
funeral of his mother.
Senator Mccarthy. Republican, of
Wisconsin commented he thought it
was "awfully funny that a general
would have an order drawn, ready
to issue without having had White
House approval"
Covering Up" Charged.
Senator Mccarthy, a member of
the Banking Committee, told a re-
porter:
1--WE have every reason to believe
that the order was something that
was approved by the President and
that Gen. Fleming was covering up
for the White House in his testi-
mony before the committee
Il think the President saw there
might be political repercussions to
the order and decided that he would
rather have the Republican Con-
gress take the rap than himself"
Senator Mccarthy said that while
he expects some immediate criticism
from renters if Congress increases
the ceilings, he feels there would
be a subsequent flow of rental quar-
ters into the market that would go
a long way toward solving the
housing shortage.
The Banking Committee, consid-
ering ceiling increase bills, will re-
sumo hearings tomorrow with rep
resentatives of landlords and James
Carey, CIO secretary, as witnesses.