The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1949-06-23
Along the Potomac
to Washington
BY j. Glenn BealI

1 ne llOlSt VI lNNpi tHNiAb eRbANNo leif7N
week passed, and sent to the Senate
a military pay-raisc bill which should
do much toward encouraging those in
the armed services to give more of
their thought and energy toward
making the nation strong.
As is well-known, when the first
attempt to pass such a pay-raise bill
was made in Congress recently, the
effort failed because it was felt by
many Legislators that the bulk Of the
increases went to the colonies and
generals-known among enlisted men
as the "brass."
The pay raise for all persons in the
armed services was needed and |
joined with the majority in voting
approval when the bill came up for
final action. Let US hope that we need
never stint too much with the brave
men and women who stand ready to
serve, at any call in a future hour of
peril If enlisted men are adequately
compensated there will be no need for
universal military training or selec-
tive service.
On the other hand, it is evident
from what | hear and observe in
Washington that the Department of
National Defense is wasting money
on a great scale. Congress has served
notice on this department that future
appropriations may not be as great
as those of the immediate past, for
startling evidences of misuse of pub
lie funds have been brought to light
from time to time.
Merely because the people, through
Congress, are generous with the mill
tary is no reason why waste should be
condoned and foolish projects spon-
sored by the military services.
Much of my mail these days con-
Germs the famous "Hoover Plan" for
recognizing the various branches Of
the federal government to streamline
Uncle Sans work so as to save tax
payers CNcIy uIIlc pOSSIDlts
| certainly want to make it plain
that l have been for passage of the
Hoover streamlining plan all along
and, in fact, already have voted for
certain segments of this program to
put into effect. After study of the
various proposals which will be
brought up in Congress from time to
time, l expect to vote for most of
them, for | am convinced Mr.. Hoover,
the former President, has rendered
an outstanding service to the Ameri-
can people.
President Truman has paid high
praise to former President Hoover
and the commission which the latter
headed for more than year in
Washington for the marvellous studies
undertaken by this group. 1t behooves
Congress to act on these recommen-
dations as expeditiously as possible,
for it is obvious that billions of dol
lars could be saved if the executive
DidlCH OF IllC government were DeIJCI
organized.
Another Mr.. Hoover-this one be
ing J. Edgar Hoover Director of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation-ha
been in the news lately. There have
been many rumors around Washing
ton to the effect that he has been at
loggerheads with Acknowledgement
Tom Clark.
The disagreement is supposed to
have arisen over the contents of Sc
cret documents which were publicized
as result of the trial of Judith Cop
Ion, a former Department of Justice
aide, now accused of having conspired
with Russian spy to steal American
secrets. Attorney General Clark only
few months ago had written Miss
Coplon warm personal letter of
commentator on her work.
do not know how true the rumors
about Mr. Hoovers resignation as
FBI chief were, but they contained
enough substance to cause President
Truman to deny them strongly, too