Show n- n By Ray Tucker W as ho IngAn I V Wh Wh- ru gig Telegrams Telegram's Washington J J Correspondent WASHINGTON Harold L. L Ickes lakes owes his present status as the loneliest and least influential influential figure in Washington to his selection of the wrong men mento mento mento to antagonize when he was riding riding rid rid- ing high as the poo-bah poo of the cabinet The man who once handled billions of dollars and exercised authority second to the presidents president's has been denuded to the state of a federal Sally Rand He has lost control of oil federal works housing construction construction construe construe- tion natural resources education education education tion power President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt shifted three interior bureaus bureaus bureaus bu bu- bu- bu to Chicago without even consulting or notifying Ickes At cabinet meetings F D DRs DR's Rs R's re rebukes rebukes rebukes re- re bukes to his old pal are so frequent frequent frequent fre fre- fre- fre quent and so sharp that they embarrass even hostile members of the household Ickes has been trying for weeks without success to obtain a private hearing hearing hearing hear hear- ing at the White House But the secretariat will not let him himin himin himin in for a tete a His doghouse plight is easily understood In his happy-go- happy lucky days he battled with Harry Harry Harry Har Har- ry Hopkins when the latter headed headed headed head head- ed edV W V P A and the interior secretary secretary sec see bossed P W A. A Time and again he clashed with Cordell Hull about problems that had no connection with the interior department His other great adversary adversary adversary ad ad- was Vice President Henry Henry Henry Hen Hen- ry A. A Wallace Now those three men have the presidential ear and Mr Ickes has the air A small group of World war officers in house and senate has hassent hassent hassent sent private notice to the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House that it intends to expose expose expose ex ex- ex- ex pose the navy army-navy system of granting cushy commissions to partisan friends and prominent socialites It proposes to name names Several senators including Bennett C. C Clark of Missouri Millard E. E Tydings of Maryland and nd Harley M. M Kilgore of West Virginia served in the line with distinction d during u r i n g 1917 Shoulder-bar Shoulder wearers and noncoms noncoms non- non coms corns who performed under them have written their old commanders commanders commanders com com- manders expressing a desire to get back into the army in any capacity For some of these volunteers now in middle age enlistment would mean a great financial sacrifice But they have had military training and experience and could at least relieve younger men for combat duty The number of oldsters anxious to do their bit these days is almost incredible The three senators know the ability of these applicants They have urged acceptance of their offers solely because of the old soldiers' soldiers qualifications But in almost every instance they have been turned down while untried shavers and sons of friends have been made captains and majors and lieutenant colonels It will mean exhumation of embarrass embarrass- ing political incidents if the lawmakers carry out their plan but they are in a mood for a showdown President Roosevelt has disturbed disturbed disturbed dis dis- dis- dis new dealers of 1933 vintage vintage vin yin tage by many he has enunciated under the stress of wartime conditions Sometimes they doubt that they will be beable beable beable able to recapture the spirit and the reforms which swept the capital almost a decade ago But Buthis Buthis I his most shattering blow to their dreams has escaped notice In a seemingly innocuous executive executive executive ex ex- ex- ex order F D R vested full control of the empire of public power in War Production Board Chairman Donald M. M Nelson All other laws and rulings notwithstanding notwithstanding notwithstanding standing Nelson has full sway concerning construction development development development devel devel- and distribution of hydroelectric hydroelectric hy hy- hy- hy power for the dura dura- tion He becomes the big boss of T TV V A Grand Coulee Bonneville Bonneville Bonneville Bonne- Bonne ville and all other federal He also has complete authority authority authority au au- au- au over private corporations in this field The prospective shortage of juice for running munitions plants necessitates this ranging far-ranging regulation III Archibald MacLeish thinks up upa a new trick every day His latest latest lat lat- est has provoked some protest on Capitol hill bill The congressional librarian has assigned stenographers to cover every house or senate in investigation investigation investigation in- in of executive activities activities activities ties or departments Under this novel experiment his girls take transcripts of all testimony and presumably make numerous copies copies cop cop- ies for the cabinet members in in- in The scheme enables those under fire to furnish the newspapers with denials or explanations explanations explanations ex ex- ex- ex immediately whereas previously they only secured a chance at rebuttal several days later Copyright 1942 McClure Syndicate |