Evening star., 1951-07-23
By [. Edoor Primo

By [. Edgor Primo
Secretary Of Commerce Sawyer
today said that any Government
official who needs a written code
of ethics to find out what is proper
or improper is "too innocent TO be
around Washington"
The Secretary's opinion was in
q letter to Senator Douglas, Demo-
crat, of Illinois, chairman of a
Labor subcommittee studying a
bill to set up a Commission on
Ethics. The Senator had asked Mr..
Sawyer for his thoughts.
Says 1t Would be Harmless :.
After declaring that the ethical
standards of an official will be de-
termined primarily by his own
instincts, the Secretary said:
"If he does not know that it is
improper for him to accept a gift.
no finding or supervision by a
commission will educate him. If he
is willing to accept a gift, even
though it is improper, any sug-
gestion from a commission he will
regard with derision."
Adoption of code OF ethics.
while harmless, would do little
good" in Mr.. Sawyer's opinion.
The Secretary took the Sena-
tors poll of executive branch off,
cials and turned the tables on
his uuestioner. He wrote:
Congressional committees can
investigate my department !.
with complete abandon. There is
no machinery known to me by
which I or my department can
investigate the Congress. This in
a way puts the Congress at an
advantage, but also it puts upon
it an obligation, perhaps involving
ethical considerations"
Asks Four Questions.
Mr.. Sawyer then posed these
questions:
/. Is it proper to require that
executive branch officials appear
repeatedly before congressional
committees, sometimes spending
more than half their time doing
so and obliging them to work
night after night in preparation
for these daytime hearings?
2. Is it proper for a congress
sional committee to present a
report dealing with an officials
activities which points out his
mistakes but omits his accomplish
ments?
3. Is it proper to disclose secret
testimony given by executive
branch officials at closed congress
sional hearings?
4. National Production Author
ity officials receive many con-
gresSional requests for action. In
view of the preferred position OF
of members of Congress and their
definite advantage in connection
with Investigations just mentioned
how insistent should they be In
requesting action and how far
should we go in an effort to COM
ply with their requests?"
Opposes New Agencies.
In his f1ve-page reply. made
public today by the Commerce
Department. the Secretary said
at the outset that he opposed
"any more commissions or agen-
cies" in the Federal Government.
Then turning quickly to ethics
he declared:
1T is obvious that receiving
gifts or favors from one who can
benefit from official decision Is
not proper"
But he cautioned that common
sense must be applied, adding:
There are public officials who
will not accept a cigar on the
theory they might be compro-
missed. This, it seems to me. in
dicates too insecure a sense of
rectitude."
Mr.. Sawyer blasted as mon
sense" the idea that men with
strong industry connections
should be barred from the Gov
ernment. He cited the cases of
Charles E. Wilson, Defense Mo-
bilization chief; Eric Johnston,
head of the Economic Stabiliza-
tion Agency.
He added that. OF course. men
of this type must make their de-
cisions wholly In the public in
terest.
Defends $1-Year Men.
AS for "dollar-a-year" men or
"WOC's" (without compensation
the secretary said there is Moth
ing Inherently wrong in such an
arrangement nor is 1t possible to
avoid.
He pointed out that the N. p. A.
sould not have functioned without
tn help Of experienced business
men.
Tit In utter folly to contend
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"a M~M WMm