Evening star., 1951-08-23
The Political Mill
The Political Mill
Government Corruption
To Be Issue in Election
Minority Report in RFC Cuss
To Be Used by Republicans
By Gould Lincoln

Corruption and lack of ethical stand
ards in Government, reaching close to
the White House, and apparent for
months, will be among the issues raised
by the Republicans in the coming ma
tional campaign.
The minority report of the Senate
Banking and Currency Subcommittee
which investigated RFC loans, just made
public, leaves no doubt about that The
dirt" as a matter of fact, was dug up
by the entire subcommittee, headed by
Senator Fulbright, Arkansas Democrat,
which includes in its membership Sem
ator Douglas Of Illinois, another Demo-
crat.
The two Republican members of the
subcommittee, however, wrote report
of their own, which the Democrats now
denounce as "scurrilous" and violent"
Indeed, an effort was made in the full
Banking and Currency Committee to
deny the minority the right to make its
report. But the committee could not
stomach this gag attempt.
Truman Statements Recalled.
President Truman immersed himself
in this slough early. when he described
an original report Of the subcommittee,
signed by Democratic and Republican
members alike, as "asinine." That report
asserted that it appeared political IA
voritism and influence had been used
to obtain loans from the Reconstruction
Finance Corp. The subsequent open
hearings fully bore out the charge. And
Mr.. Trumans Jasmine" statement in
regard to this inquiry and it's findings
now goes on all fours with his charac-
terization of charges, brought by another
congressional committee that Com
munists and fellow travellers were to be
found in Government, as "red herring"
In its final report, the Democratic
majority Of the Senate subcommittee
does not retreat an inch from its original
position. The minority members, how
ever, have not hesitated to call spade
a spade, whereas the majority has been
less specific in it's comments. The minor
ity has insisted that the inquiry should
have gone further into the use Of political
influence to obtain Government loans,
and particularly that the conduct Of
William M. Boyle, jr., chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, be in
vestigated. Mr.. Boyle has been charged
by the st. Louis Post-DiSpatch with hav-
ing played a part in obtaining a half
million-dolla loan for st. Louis con-
cern from the RFC, as an attorney for
the firm, after the loan had been turned
down by the RFC. Mr.. Boyle has denied
passionately he had anything to do with
this loan, or any other loan made by the
RFC. What the Republican members
of the subcommittee insist, however, Is
that Mr.. Boyle should have been brought
before the committee and interrogated,
and all the angles investigated.
To Be Campaign Document.
This is the Senate subcommittee which
pushed into the limelight the gift of a
fur coat to White House stenographer,
wife of one-time employe of the RFC.
free hotel service at swank Florida hotels.
along with direct charges of political
influence to obtain loans. The report
of the minority is long document, which
goes in detail into case after case the
subcommittee investigated. There seems
no reason to doubt that it will be used
as a campaign document by the Repub-
licans next year. But then, so will the
report of the Democratic majority be
used by the Republicans.
Senator Byrd of Virginia, anti Truman
Democrat, has been in the forefront OF
Lne demand CnaC congressional COM
mittee take a look into the activities
Of Democratic National Chairman Boyle.
And it is entirely possible that Mr.. Boyle
will be given an opportunity to appear
before an investigating committee
headed by Senator Hoey of North Caro-
lima, Democrat. While Democrats who
go along with the Truman Fair Deal
administration are closing ranks in de-
fense of the President and his friends
as the national campaign approaches,
there are other Democrats who will rot
hesitate to expose unethical conduct in
the Government or in the party organi-
zation if it is found.
The administration, from the PreSi-
dent down, is screaming attempted
character assassination" whenever
charges are made against persons in
Government and political positions.
That, however, is no answer, and any
thing that Smacks of avoidance Of tho
issue only gives impetus to the charges.