Evening star., 1949-09-06

lf He Had Been Civilian
Little Attention Would
Have Been Paid to Probe
By David Laurence
The fuss and furor about Gen.
eral Vaughan's activities In the
White House might give the i'm
preston that something new has
been uncovered. What the general
did was and is common practice
IN the art of politics.
That's why President Truman,
q product Of the political system,
appears to condone 1t. If the gen.
eral had not been a military aide,
but q civilian aide to the Presi-
dent, most everything he did would
have been in accord with the
habits of political behavior nova
days of so many persons in posi-
tions of Governmental power. Such
an observation is not intended to
approve the custom but to put
the whole thing in perspective.
General Vaughan collected cam
paign contributions from people
who had business relations with
the Government. Can it be said that
a careful examination OF the poll
tical campaign contributions made
through the regular political COM
mittees last year will not reveal
business men whose companies
have gotten or in the aggregate
will get contracts amounting, not
Just to a few thousands, but actu-
ally tens of millions of dollars?
The contributions are matter OF
public record. Doubtless not few
of the Republican contributors
would have expected their share
Of favors if Gov. Dewey had been
elected.
Seemed Enough to Probers.
Only a few days ago the House
Armed Services Committee heard
testimony from a business man
whose personal integrity is un-
questioned but whose company is
getting tens of millions of dollars
worth of contracts from the Gov
ernment. He said positively that
he had never asked a favor from
the Government. and that his po-
liticaI contributions were disin-
terested. This seemed enough for
the committee, for nobody asked
him if any one in his company
had ever asked a favor or gotten
q benefit that was denied to 9TH
ers-if indeed there was such
benefit or favor granted.
Likewise. the same committee
heard testimony from member
of the Presidents cabinet - the
Secretary of Defense-who denied
that his previous affiliations Ell
ther in business or politics had in
any way Influenced his official ac-
tions. He had raised about 81 $780,
900 in the 1948 campaign for Mr..
Truman and was at the same time
a director and special counsel for
the aircraft company now receiv-
ing tens Of millions of dollars
worth of contracts. Some of the
campaign contributions, to be
sue. came to Democratic head
quarters from persons connected
with that same aircraft company
or their friends. and the amount
totaled a paltry s25, 900. 50 it was
not considered by the House Com
mittee in any way significant.
There was very little interroga-
ton. In fact, a Republican Con-
gresham remarked wistfully at
the hearings that he wished some
of these generous contributors to
Mr.. Truman's fund had been on
his side in the campaign. The
chief counsel for the House Com
mittee revealed that he. himself,
had been a member Of the money
raising committee for Democratic
headquarters in the 1913 cam
paign. and asked the committee
members If they wanted to pur-
sue the matter and go into detail.
But the committee Republicans
and Democrats preferred to drop
that line OF questioning.
Answer Is Simple
But Is it all so inconsequental?
Does it matter whether it's a few
thousand, or hundreds Of thou
sands of dollars which are con-
tributed to presidential campaigns
by persons whose companies do
business with the Government on
q large or small Scalet
Why was, 1t that. although 1t
was conceded that nobody else
was able to raise money for Mr..
Truman when his chances for
election seemed a poor bet in the
summer of 1948, Louis johnson.
now Secretary of Defense, came
forth and did the impossible by
raising $1,000, 900? Does it matter
that the President, publicly ac-
knowledging this extraordinary
service, gives the impression that
the cabinet post Of Secretary of
Defense was a reward? Is it proper
for democracy, which holds it.
self above the meretricious be-
havior of the Communists in high
office. to allow money contribu-
tions to be made by beneficiaries
of Government contracts, or by
others who try to do business with
the Government, or by those who
are candidates for judgeships or
other public offices?
The answer is simple: the Amer
fcan taxpayer would be willing to
see all private political contribu-
tions forbidden and at least
$5,000,0 900 appropriated every four