Evening star., 1951-11-29
The Political Min
Democratic Chiefs Seek
To Get Off Probe Hook
Newest Shoke-Up indicates
Change in Party Attitude
By Gould Lincoln

The latest shake-up in the Bureau Of
Internal Revenue-with 30 new dis
missals and forced resignations-makes
the recent complacency of the Truman
administration in the face Of the
scandals revealed by congressional
committees look silly. Further this lat
est shape-up Is indicative of q great
change in the administrators attitude
which in the past has been to mini
mize. ignore or excuse improper acts
by favorites.
Take q look at what has been hap
pening since the Presidents now famous
comment on the Fulbright report on po-
lltlcal influence used to obtain loans
from that great Government reservoir
OF money. the Reconstruction Finance
Corporations report which Mr.. Tru-
man called Jasmine" First, the RFC
itself has been reorganized with heads
Topped off. Second. the total score of
firings and forced designations in the
Internal Revenue Bureau has risen to
SO. including seven collectors" person.
ally appointed by the President, or his
predecessor Third, an assistant attor-'
ney general in charge Of the Tax Divi-
sion OF the Justice Department has been
flred-he was formerly in charge of the
Criminal Division-Theron Lamar Cau-
Ole. And Mr.. Caudle told the King COM
m1ttee OF the House he could not re-
member whether he directed the FBI
10 limit an investigation of the 1946
election frauds in Kansas City-close
to the home bailiwick of President Tru-
manor whether he later stated a
thorough investigation had been made.
Cries Will Continue.
Shrill cries have gone I'D from the
Whlte House, from the Democratic
National Committee and other admin
1stratlon quarters that the Republicans,
Tor political purposes alone. were try
Ing to blacken the reputation of the
Democratic administration and to de-
stroy the confidence Of the people in
tnelr Government. They will continue
put the chances are the people are more
1ully aware. too fully aware, of what has
neen going on in their Government and
they will not be deceived.
desperate effort to get the admins
tration off the hook is under way. It
began some weeks ago when William M.
Boyle. jr., Of Missouri, a presidential
favorite, resigned because Of i'll health,
and Frank E. Mckinney of Indiana was
put In his place. Mr.. Boyle had been
charged with using political influence
to obtain an RFC loan for a st. Louis
concern--a charge which he vehemently
denied. It Is no secret that high-rank-
ing Democrats said Mr.. Boyle had to go
and go he did. Mr.. Mckinney, as he
took over the Craftsmanship of the Demo-
cratic organization, announced a de-
termination to clean house. Just the
other night at a $100-a-plate Democrat
ic dinner In New York to raise funds for
the party. Chairman Mckinney took a
shot at the Republicans for talking about
corruption in the Government - but
promised the administration was going
to clean out the crooks wherever it
found them. If the discoveries already
made are any criterion. this Is going to
be big job. ANY man who betrays
the peoples trust in public Office is a
public enemy" Mr. Mckinney declaimed.
ANY man who betrays a public. trust
In a Democratic administration Is an
enemy of the Democratic Party"
In Control for 20 Years.
Well. the Democratic Party has been
in absolute control of the executive
branch of the Government for nearly 20
years. He might take q look at
former Internal Revenue Collector Fin
negan in st. Louis and former Internal
Revenue Collector Delaney in Boston
both now under indictment. and both
Democrats. Finnegan was the man who
had the effrontery to tell the King COM
mittee that he spent only three hours
day at his Office as collector Of internal
revenue-that he was given assurance
he could go right ahead with his private
practice of law-aS he did. He also
said that at one time he was advised
by the White House not to resign as
collector.
And last but not least that faithful
adjunct Of the Fair Deal. New Deal
Democrats, the ADA, has come forward
with a proposal to President Truman
that he appoint two special prosecutors,
one an outstanding Republican and the
other an outstanding Democrat. to in
vestigate and prosecute corruption in
the Federal Government. The ADA said
it was deeply disturbed by the evidence
of graft turned up by congressional In
vestigations The charges, 1t said, ap-
peared mot without foundation" And
it urged the necessity Of restoring public
confidence in the administration Of the
governmental agencies. The ADA has
something there.