Show MARQUIS CHILDS J Able Men Quit Govern For Business Positions W WASHINGTON One One ASHINGTON-One One of President President Pres Pres- ident Truman's recurring complaints complaints com corn plaints Is la that thal he finds it more and more difficult to recruit able men men for public office Boom- Boom time prosperity is luring them into private business Younger men have left the government in droves One goal is the la law Industry here in Washington It is fast becomIng becomIng becoming becom becom- ing nothing less Jess than that that that-an an Industry with office space so scarce carce that houses arc are being re remodeled remodeled re- re modeled and suites of or offices rented even before the plaster is dry One of ot the recent recruits to the law industry is Abe Fortas who was undersecretary of the interior for nearly four years A few days after he left the de department department department de- de of oC the interior to join partnership with trust buster Thurman Arnold Fortas accepted accept accept- ed a retainer to represent represent sent the government of Puerto Rico in this countr country Press Release Relea e Issued A press release issued by the theoffice theoffice office of Puerto Rico Rico Rico-a a recent creation of ot the territory's Governor Governor Gov Gov- Rexford G. G de Tugwell-de- de declared dared that Fortas would represent represent sent his important new client In all future proceedings before the United States supreme court the United States circuit court courtin in Boston and agencies of the federal government This announcement announcement announcement an an- touched of off a dispute dispute dis dis- dispute dis- dis which may affect the entire law industry in Washington It so happens that Puerto Rican legal matters in this country country country coun coun- try have been ably handled by bythe bythe bythe the department of interior and the department of justice at no nocost nocost nocost cost to the government of Puerto Rico In the past three years 18 cases have been briefed and argued by justice and in in- in tenor Of or the c cases es in which decisions ha have Oe been rendered only one was lost Therefore Solicitor Warner Varner V W. Gardner of ot the interior department department department depart depart- ment was considerably surprised by the announcement of ot the Fortas retainer Gar Gardner d n e I promptly called on Tugwell to explain just what the relationship relationship relationship relation relation- ship was Quoted From Letter In the course of his letter to Tugwell he quoted at length from a letter Jetter that Fort Fortas Fontas had written less than a year before on this very same ame subject Be Be- cause it ha has 0 so mu muon on the whole qU question propriety of those who l' l government to ta take Uv which they have hid interest t the Port Fortu a worth quoting I HI believe sai r said Fo FOlta as undersecretary h In territorial affa affairs he Tugwell to protest same kind of at continuing government e or a agency by private go I 5 unsound and t I that from time to tint mental agencies retain private coun SS matters in order to S C counsel hut But such specialized and goven cies should In ray my op represented by laWYer public officials i In my It is isi neither seemly ao for des cies to be sd sel who arc are not public oc Embarrassment Fortas went on to 11 such a relationship L is ij lead to embarrassment r nw less of the unimpeachable who acter of the Private iU ait a might be conce concern the event he lie said that Out pit lawyers obtained law Jaw from private sources v MI dealing with ui the M ment it is obvious that t ua tion would be eni for both the Is lawyer yet and tin eminent I That was good interweaving of private public business Is la matter how good the In Intel the public customarily gt short end of the bargan When new dealers r J nd Fortas lea leave ve the they do not nol mean to rare their convictions or c tives They are convince I they can help the causs tf cf g and at the mt ua make more money thi can pay them |