Evening star., 1948-10-01
Cop. Denies Charge
Rwey Would Like j 10
Strap Civil Service

n oAAS SCAA4HSot o"hAVo o1 SCAAA VAN
presidential campaign today on tn,
basis of Democratic charges which
the Republicans denied-that Gov
Dewey told a group of war veteran.
la9t February that he would like te
aish the civil service.
he charges were made in the
current issue of The Democrat
published by the Democratic Ma.
tional Committee.
"A statement by the publicity di.
vision of the Democratic Nationa,
Committee recounted that the Re.
publican presidential candidate told
p Veterans Of Foreign Wars legis-
lative committee that all civil serv-
Ice employees were mediocre" ano
that II he had his way the present
tivil service system in the national
State and local governments would
not exist" The release described
Gov. Dewey as "in a fit of rage
ht the time.
Republicans Issue Denial.
! The Republicans countered by dis
tributing statements Of two veterans
saying Gov. Dewey said no such
thing.
Harold j. Burke. chairman of the
FFW Legislative Committee Depart
ment. said in one Of the statements: ::
Never in my presence did he
fGov. Dewey make any statement
hisparaging to civil service employees,
pr to the effect that he would like
10 abolish the civil service. I was
present throughout the meeting
with the Governor last February"
Clyde Lewis of Plattsburg, N. Y.
tenior vice commander of the VFW
Bald Gov. Dewey did not make such
! statement and even commended
civil service employees"
| Denies He Talks Like Tyrant."
| Mr.. Lewis described as "a plain
lie" a statement in the Democratic
report that Mr.. Lewis said after the
February conference that Gov.
Dewey talks like tyrant."
The Democrats said Gov. Dewey
told the veterans that Government
employees should be subject to re-
moval like any private employe, and
added: IF he isn't smart enough to
get another job, he should get out. ="
The report also said the New York
eovernor Continued his TRADE de-
spite the shocked attitude" of the
veterans, and told them: Anyone
who can't advance himself In 10
years should be fired" The Demo-
eratic release said the Governors
outburst was precipitated when the
eommittee asked him his position
in regard to the promotion of Civil
Service employees after 10 years Of
service.
1t also said that Paul Lockwood
one of Gov. Dewey's advisers, asked
the committee not to reveal what
the Governor had said, and 'in a
worried tone" suggested that this
conversation should be off the
record"
Race Bias Charge Aired.
Meanwhile, there was political
pickering on another front with Val
]. Washington, assistant Repub-
hcan campaign manager, accusing
two top officials of the National As
sociation for the Advancement of
Colored People of seeking to de-
liver the Negro note to the Demo-
Gratis.
! Those accused were Walter White,
executive secretary Of the associa-
ton, and Leslie Perry, his admins
trative assistant.
Mr.. Washington said Mr.. White
had written biased" syndicated
articles criticizing Gov. Dewey and
praising President Truman.
! In q letter to DR.. Louis T. Wright
Of New York, chairman of NAACP
Board of Directors, Mr. Washington
asked for an investigation of the
situation. The letter was made
public by the Republican National
|So,,,r,it{on