Show Bruckart's Bruckart s Washington Digest President Put Over Fast One in to Reduces Chances of Investigation of WP A and Its Re Relief lief Spending Appointment of Harrington to Hopkins' Hopkins Place Seen as Strategic Move l By WILLIAM WILLIA BRUCKART Service National Press Washington D. D C. C W WASHINGTON Many Many persons in Washington are convinced that President Roosevelt has bas slipped a fast ball right over the plate in front o of his congressional critics by bythe bythe bythe the transfer of ot Harry Hopkins to the job of at secretary a of commerce and the selection of at CoL F. F C. C Harrington Harrington Harrington Har Har- rington as works progress admin admin- It appears to some observers observers observers ob ob- ob- ob servers certainly that the the- presidential presidential presidential maneuver has gone a long longway longway longway way toward reducing i if ii not eliminating eliminating the chances of a dirty investigation investigation investigation in in- of at and its relief relic spending The President knew of ot the brewing brewing brewing brew brew- ing trouble that had Hopkins as the focus he was told how much mud slinging was due to take place and how the haters baters of at Hopkins and his methods were preparing to leave no DO stone unturned in exposing everything everything ev ev- ev- ev about Hopkins and his organization organization organization or or- that could be made to appear slimy Yet Hopkins is perhaps perhaps perhaps per per- haps the closest of at all aU of the inner circle of at advisers to the President and surely he is the Presidents President's best personal friend mend Naturally he wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to keep Hopkins around In naming Hopkins to the post of secretary of at commerce vacated only at Christmastime by the veteran veteran veteran vet vet- eran official D Daniel C. C Roper Mr Roosevelt has had to take the chance that the appointee would meet some razzing in senate con That is a chance of at course but Mr Hopkins will be confirmed confirmed con can firmed after the boys in the senate have had their say But there willbe will willbe willbe be little opportunity for the anti- anti administration Democrats to sink their teeth into the Hopkins appointment appointment appointment appoint appoint- ment to the commerce job That department has less money to spread about perhaps than most important government jobs Administration Administration Administration Admin Admin- friends in the senate therefore therefore there there- fore c can m say with propriety that a razzing of Hopkins as the commerce commerce commerce com com- merce nominee is not to be indulged indulged indulged in in- in m because this is another job not related to spending relief money Appointment of 01 Harrington Another Strategic Move I am told on very good authority that this will be the strategy employed employed em em- when the Hopkins nomination nomination nomination nomina nomina- tion is under consideration To all critics of Hopkins the administration tion friends simply will reply in fn effect you wanted Hopkins out of at the relief relic job Now he is out etc It is undoubtedly a smart piece of politics and it will work work- for awhile The President also strengthened his position in the coming battle with congress by the appointment of Colonel Harrington The colonel is a regular army engineer He has been assistant chief chic engineer of and knows the organization And most important of at all Colonel Harrington leans somewhat to the conservative side which makes him acceptable to most senators even anti-administration anti Democrats Mr Roosevelt is taking no chances on any ruckus us arising over Colonel Harrington however and has avoided it by a clever piece of at detail Colonel Harrington has been designated only as acting administrator He will run the organization organization organization or or- as though he were full fledged on the job The difference is that the designation of at the colonel as acting administrator eliminates the requirement of at a senate I mation In other words the senate can do nothing about the Hopkins successor unless it acts by special resolution If It the Harrington name had come in as a nomination there could be wide open exposure of at WP A tactics by the committee which would consider the nomina nomina- nomina- nomina tion So it is plain to see that the President slipped away from l his s critics in this manner The third angle of at the strategy also is vital to the picture I am seeking to present The chief chiet deputy deputy dep dep- uty administrator under Hopkins has been Aubrey Williams It was Williams you may recall who has made speeches and has advised WP A workers to vote for your friends to insist on federal preservation preservation pres pres- of your rights and it was he who said in a n speech that he was inclined to believe that class hatred was a good thing 1 Many any Attacks on Relief Policies to Be Expected To keep Mr Williams out of the clutches of the wolves around the thc capitol Mr Roosevelt took him of off of the job of deputy relief administrator administrator adminis adminis- and appointed him as director director tor of at the national youth administration adminis adminis- Again the senate can get getto getto getto to Mr 11 Williams only If 11 it is willing to adopt a special resolution for an investigation and there Is probably i r enough h administration strength inthe in inthe inthe the senate to block such a tion The lines have not yet been tightly tight tight- ly y drawn in congress as ns a result of the thc sudden maneuver by the dent There will be many attacks on the relief policies at at atan an early date because the must have something like in additional additional additional addi addi- money before the middle of at February and that request will be laid before congress along with other other other oth oth- er calls for money in the first deficiency deficiency de de- bill But Mr Hopkins willbe will willbe willbe be nesting comfortably in his Ws panelled panelled panelled pan pan- office on the fifth floor of at the commerce department he will be completely detached from and so the controversy over voting the money will settle down to a matter matter matter mat mat- ter of principle without having baving too much personality in it The appointment of Col Cot Harrington Harring Harring- ton will be much advertised by administration administration administration ad ad- ministration supporters in order to help others forget that Hopkins once held the job Colonel Harrington is accepted as a high grade man His army associates know him as capable capable capa- capa ble ale and efficient and the critics of at relief policies cannot help feeling that hat he will do a fairly good job He has not engaged in in politics as Hopkins did and thus is immune from rom that approach Beneath the surface plans are arc said to be under way to give the country a correct impression atthe of at the he new WP A. A Colonel Harrington is is reported to be planning to do away with most of the boon dog- dog gling sewing circles to make baby diapers writers' writers projects art projects projects projects what have He wants to use the WP A money for constructive constructive constructive con purposes H Hopkins Is s Objectionable To a Majority in Congress At the proper time therefore congress will learn of what is going to be done by the new tor And then comes the climax The President again will ask congress to vote relief funds in bulk in blank check just as happened before The members will be reassured by the administration concerning the ability ability ability abil abil- ity honesty and soundness of at plans of the ilia administrator Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt is said to hope that the strategy will work I doubt it but stranger things have happened There have been few times in my 20 years as a Washington observer that the feeling feeling feeling feel feel- ing against a member of the executives executive's executives executive's tives tive's staff has b been en so heated as it itaas has aas grown to be concerning Hopkins Hopkins Hopkins Hop Hop- kins and the relief spending that thai he carried on It will be recalled that he never minced words about congressional congressional con con- gressional critics and it will be remembered remembered remembered re re- re- re as as s well that he sought to help the President purge a number of at recalcitrant Democrats who were seeking re It appears very strongly that Mr Roosevelt has elevated to his cabinet cabinet cabinet cabi cabi- net an individual thoroughly objectionable objectionable objectionable to a majority of congress and has at the same time provided provid provid- ed himself himsel with a chance to get spending money again He may not win with the maneuver but he has caught a good many persons off oft guard with the trick But what of ot Hopkins as secretary of commerce assuming that the name will be confirmed by the senate senate senate sen sen- ate Well Mr Hopkins will draw his pay regularly on the first and fifteenth ill ill- of each month He will be faithful in going to his office in the powerful automobile that Is provided provid provid- ed by the government for or the secretary secretary secretary sec sec- of commerce He will sign the papers which the secretary of at commerce is required to sign because because be be- cause somebody holding subordinate subordinate subordinate nate and who knows what it is all about will tell him that is their recommendation Secretary of 01 Commerce to toMake toMake toMake Make Appointments The patent office will run as it always has run by itself itsel in a very efficient manner The bureau of air commerce will be well managed because because because be be- cause it has capable people in hi subordinate subordinate subordinate sub sub- ordinate positions The bureau of foreign and domestic commerce the bureau of fisheries the bureau of lighthouses and the others or most of at them will get along without without without with with- out too much trouble because Mr Hopkins probably will leave lea them alone But we should not leave Mr Hop kins alone yet for the reason that late this year or early in 1940 there will be about appointments appointments appointments appoint appoint- ments to be made by the secretary of commerce Next year is the period period period pe pe- for the regular year 10 census and md the personnel must be named N Next ext year also is a campaign year a national election In the meantime the business atthe of at the country which is supposed to receive encouragement and ond assistance assistance assist assist- ance from the department of c commerce commerce com com- m. m merce will be allowed to indulge in hope It will not be or spanked or threatened with major surgery beyond the Hopkins capacity capacity capacity capac capac- ity to do that sort of at thing m Western Newspaper Union |