Evening star., 1949-05-25


Death Of ForresiaI
Bon on compoisn Gifts
And New Civil Service
Plan Urged by Writer
By David Laurence
Two reforms ought to emerge
as q sequel TO the tragic death Of
James Forrestal, public servant:
/. The enactment Of law forbid
ding individuals or organizations
of any kind. including corpora
tions, to make contributions to the
campaign funds expended to elect
o President or Vice President OF
the United States. Congress
should appropriate at least 81. 3.000,-
900 every four years to each Of
the major parties. and q proper
tionate sum to the minor parties.
20 that each political party could
state Its case to the people.
2. The enactment of q new civil
service plan TO supplement the
existing system. so that men with
experience and proven ability in
the policy making departments OF
the Government may be used In
an advisory capacity or rotated
from one position to another once
they have finished their terms Of
ONCE. Walter Lippmann has re-
vealed significant conversations on
this point which he had with the
late Secretary Forrestal.
These two proposals are sug-
gested because they had part
in the circumstances which led to
the loss of one Of the finest pub
lie servants the American Gov,
ernment had ever had. T
Victim of Intrigue.
This correspondent has written
about the disappointment Mr.. For
restal felt that he should have
been the victim Of political in
trigue and attacked by persons in
side the Truman administration
after the November election be-
cause he did not contribute finan-
cially to the Truman campaign
and because he looked on the post
Of Secretary Of Defense as non
political.
There has come to light another
piece of evidence as to the con-
trolling part that campaign con-
tributions play in the selection OF
persons to high positions in the
Government. Thus, the text OF a
letter written by Lewis Douglas,
Ambassador to Great Britain, to
Louis johnson, now Secretary OF
Defense, who was soliciting money
for the Truman campaign last
summer, has Just been published
by Drew Pearson. That letter
reads In part as follows:
IT came to London not because
I wanted to come, for the title OF
ambassador holds for me no al
lurements whatsoever--it never
has. It was understood that I
would be completely non-political
for this reason, even II had
the funds, 1t would be mistake
for me to make a contribution to
the national committee.
The story is that Ambassador
Douglas later was considered for
the Secretaryship Of State by the
President but that Louis johnson
blocked the idea by bringing the
above mentioned letter to the at
tention Of Mr.. Truman.
with the United States holding
such an important responsibility
in world affairs today. pressure
upon ambassadors and ministers
for campaign money is not con-
ducive to non-political service.
Nor should the Secretaryship OF
Defense 60 to political partisan.
It ought to be career job.
Mr.. Truman himself outlined
the need Of his campaign for ap-
proximately $S00,000 one day last
summer in a private conference
with MIR. johnson, and the latter
agreed to raise this sum Of money.
Whether the post of Secretary OF
Defense was definitely promised
then or hinted at, or whether the
President merely said that Mr..
johnson could later have anything
he wanted If the election brought
q victory, is immaterial at this
time.
Condolences Explainable.
The fact remains that Louis
johnson became Secretary Of De-
Tense and resigned his position
as director and special Washing
ton counsel for the Consolidated
Vultee Aircraft Co. 1t develops
that this company is now to re-
ceive hundreds of millions Of dol
lars in contracts just placed by the
Government for the building Of
B-36's. 1t develops also that
campaign contributions were made
in a private capacity-which is a
legal rightly Floyd Odlum Of
New York, chairman Of the board
of the Consolidated Vultee Com
pany. The official records in
Congress reveal that several other
contributions were made through
Mr.. Odlum to help pay campaign
deficits after the election.
These condolences are fully ex-
plainable. After all, an individual
may make q campaign contribu-
ton and ask his friends to do
likewise. because he believes in a
political cause. And at the same
time he can be serving as head
Of an efficiently operated COM
pany, like Consolidated Vultee.
which specializes in certain type
of plane and which is capable Of
fulfilling Government contracts
for hundreds of millions of dollars
Likewise, Louis Johnson's pref