Evening star., 1947-05-10
llckes, Once Bocker Of Johnson
For Bench, Fights Nomination
Tried to Get SIosher
OF Interior Funds
Out Of House

A Senate Judiciary subcommittee
+ is getting a fill-in on the feud be-
tween former Secretary of the In
terror Harold l. Ickes and Jed
johnson, former member of Con-
gress from Oklahoma. as phase of
an inquiry into Mr. Joflnsor's fitness
| to be judge of the United States
Customs Court.
When the committee took recess
from its labors yesterday, it had
learned that:
I 1. Mr.. Ickes urged the late Pres
tident Roosevelt to tender Mr.. john
son judgeship to get him off of
the House Appropriations Com
mittee, where he welded keen
knife on Interior Department ap-
preparations.
2. The same Mr.. Ickes gave an
other former Oklahoma House
member, James v. McClintic, a
81 ,600-a-year job which consisted
principally of collecting congress
sional franked envelopes for Mr..
Ickes' private collection.
The information was obtained
from Mr.. Ickes, who was separated
from President Truman's cabinet Is
months ago in row over the noni-
nation of Edwin w. Pauley to be
Undersecretary of the Navy, and
from Mr.. McClintic.
Will Hear johnson Later.
| The subcommittee will hear Mr..
johnson later.
The whole matter goes back quite
a way.
MIR. Ickes, who now is opposing
Mr.. Johnson's judicial aspirations,
told the subcommittee that in 1945
he urged President Roosevelt to
give Mr.. johnson the appointment,
figuring, as he said, that the Okla
homan could do less damage ON the
bench than he was doing to the
Interior Department cause in Con-
gress.
| The nomination was duly made
and confirmed by the Senate, but
Mr.. johnson delayed taking office.
Then President Roosevelt died and
President Truman urged Mr.. John
son to stay in Congress. The lat
ter complied But this past No
yember the Oklahoma voters de-
lcided otherwise Recently President
Truman resubmitted the johnson
nomination. Hence the Senate
hearings now.
| Commenting on the first nomina-
tion yesterday, Mr.. Ickes told the
subcommittee that he didn't think
Mr.. johnson was qualified then,
and Il don't think so now"
Il told President Roosevelt SO at
the time he added.
Revercomb Is Puzzled.
Senator Revercomb. Republican,
of West Virginia, slightly puzzled,
remarked that this is the most
unusual qualification I have ever
heard advanced for the appoint
ment of a Federal judge-to appoint
him because he is irksome to the
administration"
The McClintic testimony was
launched on an Ickes statement
that Mr.. Johnson, as an Appro-
Epriations Subcommittee chairman,
sought to get jobs in his depart
ment by improper methods for
three relatives and Mr.. McClintic. =.
| Mr.. McClintic, in his turn, testi-
fed that this was untrue" He said
Congress passed a special law to
create the post of special assistant
to the Secretary OF the Interior, and
Mr.. johnson had nothing to do with
| it.
Franked Envelope Collection.
The law called for a man who
would inspect proposed legislatio
the witness said, but when he got
down to the Interior Building
Miss Downs-she was the Secre-
tary's secretary-told me the Sec
retary wanted me to collect franked
envelopes from Congressman for his
private collection.
! He wanted what?" asked Senator
Revercomb.
| "Franked envelopes" Mr.. Nc
Clintic said. you know, the ones
with the Congressmen's name on
them. He wanted one from every
member, back for three or four
years.
1T was quite job. I was getting