Evening star., 1953-11-29
kes Secret Diary Reveals Bokstoge Fug Early Years New Deal


Ickes said, adding: But I don't
take naturally to fighting such
underhand efforts as Morgen-
thau and Hopkins have been put
ting in to undermine me and
aggrandize themselves. The Pres
ident certainly has blind side
so far as Morgenthau is con-
cerned and Hopkins seems to
sing a siren song for him."
Mr.. Ickes had just dictated
that passage, August 81, 1885, he
later explained, when word came
that his wife Anna had been
killed in an automobile accident
in New Mexico. His second wife
Jane D. Ickes, writes preface
to this volume.
In September of that year,
Tom Corcoran, one of the early
New Deal braintrusters, agreed
with Mr.. Ickes about the Hop
kinS situation. Every one seems
to agree" the diary added, that
Hopkins is deliberately planning
to discredit and undermine PWA
so that he will have the expendi-
ture of all of the 81 billion. (The
appropriation for work relief
). According to members of my
staff, there is an increasing senti-
ment in the country both against
Hopkins in connection with PWA
and his own program. No
one checks or SuperviSes what
he is doing. I am thoroughly
convinced that he is a laWleSs
individual bent on building up
a reputation for himself as a
great builder, even at the expense
of the President and the coun-
try. I think he is the greatest
threat today to the Presidents
reelection.
Mr.. Ickes embodied some Of
these views in a letter to the
President. 1t apparently was
ignored at the White House.
A few days later. at Hyde Park.
Mr.. Ickes expressed his disap-
proval of Federal aid for a prof.
ect of Mayor Edward j. Kelly
of Chicago to build an airport
at the lake and develop a "Coney
Island" on the lake front. Mr..
Ickes didn't see how the project
could qualify for PWA or WPA.
Opposes Project.
IT told him it would be nothing
short of a crime to permit the
lake front to be desecrated. +.
I said to him that my family in
come largely depended on down.
town real estate Gin Chicago)
which would be benefited by this
project, but that, notwithstand-
ing this. I was opposed to it. He
said that we might wait and see
what kind of plans Mayor Kelly
submitted. I suspect that the
President made some commit
ments to Kelly. I also told the
President that any funds given
Kelly would be subject to 20 per
cent for graft. and he said he
was afraid that was true" w
Early in May, 1886, James A.
Farley, Postmaster General and
Democratic national chairman,
confided in Mr.. Ickes that he be-
lieved Mr.. Hopkins was a can
didate for President in 1910. Mr..
Hopkins was playing with Mayor
Kelly, Mayor Frank Hague of
Jersey City and others who might
control delegates.
we Speculated as to how
Hopkins had attained his posi-
ton of influence with the Presi-
dent. said that word had come
to me that it was through cul-
tlvation by Hopkins of Mrs.
Roosevelt and the Presidents
mother. Jim said he didn't know
about the Presidents mother. but
Hopkins was very close to Mrs.
Roosevelt"
In the middle of May Mr..
Roosevelt publicly spanked his
Secretary of the Interior and
public works administrator at a
cabinet meeting, as the diary ex-
pressed it. Touching on Mr..
Ickes' forthcoming appearance
before a congressional appro-
priations committee, the Presi-
dent said that I must not
criticize the program of WPA
and that it would be a criticism
Of that program if should show
to the subcommittee what PWA
had done" Mr.. Ickes inter-
polated in his diary:
"All the other members ap-
peared to be embarrassed, but !
could see Henry Morgenthau
stealing a covert glance at me
from time to time. Doubtless he
enjoyed the spanking very
much"
Decides to Resign.
Mr.. Ickes then decided to re-
signal his offices. He sent for
James Waldo Fawcett, an edi-
torial writer for The Star, whom
he frequently consulted. Togeth-
er they drafted a letter of resig-
nation. In it Mr.. Ickes said the
passage of a bill pending in the
Senate, apparently approved by
the administration, would de-
Stroy the Public Works Adminis-
ration, a result which the Pres W
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