Evening star., 1953-11-29

the department, but regard it
as little short of an impertinence
for Mrs. Roosevelt to do it.
Soon I will expect Sistie and
Buzzy (the Roosevelt grandchil-
dren) to be issuing orders to
members of my staff. Fortu-
nately they can't write yet
CMrS. Roosevelt. asked by the
Associated Press for comment on
the book. said she would not
comment on anything Mr.. Ickes
wrote.)
This was Mr.. Ickes' comment
on Gen. Macarthur. Chief of
Staff in the early '3OS: Mac
Arthur is the type of man who
thinks that when he gets to
heaven God will step down from
the great white throne and bow
him into His vacant seat. -
There is a history of Mr.. Ickes'
row with Millard Tydings, then
Senator from Maryland. who
headed committee investigating
the Virgin Islands, which was
under the Interior Department.
There was an exchange of hot
statements. and the President
told Senator Tydings he would
not have issued the sort Of state
ment Secretary Ickes put out.
AS Mr.. Tydings smiled expan-
sively Mr.. Roosevelt said, no,
he'd have gone over and punched
him in the nose.
Mr.. Ickes' long and complex
misunderstanding with Louis r.
CLAWS. chief investigator for the
Interior Department, is explained
fully. The Secretary charged
Mr.. CLAWS with conducting a
sort of Gestapo within the de-
partment and spying on officials.
Mr.. CLAWS finally resigned.
Eye on White House?
Mr.. IckeS was not unmindful
Of the possibility that he might
become President. The diary
records that in the fall of 1885
Mr.. Fawcett called and said many
persons were disappointed with
the President. HE agrees with
my point Of view" Mr.. Ickes
wrote, that If Roosevelt should
be defeated by a reactionary the
next movement to the left will
be radical movement of an ex-
treme sort. This he would avoid
as I would"
MIR. Fawcett suggested that if
Mr.. 1ckeS found himself in a
position to run, presumably as
a progressive Republican, which
he had always considered him
self, he would be surprised at
the popular support he would
have. Mr.. Ickes explained, when
he recorded this conversation,
that he simply could not con-
ceive Of situation arising where
he would be acceptable to the
Republican Party. The big busi-
ness interests and the money
power wouldn't stand for that.
Moreover I told Fawcett that
I desired to see the reelection
OF President Roosevelt, condi-
toned, of course, upon his ad-
herring to progressive ideas. I
do feel his reelection is not as
sured. I have been saying for
some time now that his deter
mination to go forward with the
Hopkins program is likely to
cause his defeat. I am realist
enough to know that the best
chance of defeating Roosevelt
would lie in the candidacy of a
man who is nationally known
and who has made a reputation
for careful and painstaking ad-
ministration along moderately
progressive lines. Some person
like me might At into the pic
ture, but I am not the man"
Nearly a year later, during
the campaign, in which Mr.. Ickes
took an active part, he remarked: !:
Il am really sorry now that 1
did not resign a year ago. I had
a good issue then. When I was
approached with the proposition
that if I should resign, there was
a good chance that I might be
nominated for President on the
Republican ticket, I did not take
1t seriously. But one reason I
did not take it seriously was on
account Of my loyalty to the
President. I could not see my
self resigning from the cabinet
and then opposing him. I have
never done that sort Of thing.
At that time Landon Gov. Lam
don of Kansas, the Republican
nominee in 1866 had been barely
mentioned. as I see the
thing now, if had been nomi-
mated, in all probability I could
have won in November. with the