Show I o L NATIONAL TOPICS INTERPRETED fl D Ez NATIONAL PRESS WASHINGTON D. D DC D.C. C. C Washington Washington President ton President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt has settled seWed a controversy by bythe bythe the simple Sef c ent of oC transfer transfer- Controversy rIng two men from Crom responsible positIons positions In the Virgin Islands to Jobs in Washington lie He has tal taken en Paul PaulL L Pearson from the post of civil governor of oC the Virgin Islands and has hns made him assistant director of oC housing In the Interior department and has transferred Federal Director Director Director tor Judge r T. Webber Wilson from Cram his post In the Islands to the federal federal fed fed- eral parole hoard here In Washing Washing- ton Each man has bas accepted his bis new nety appointment and In so far as asa asa asa a current controversy Is concerned the book boole Is closed fIt Vilt It will be recalled that Governor Pearson i and Judge Wilson long have been at lo loggerheads over Virgin Is Island island Is- Is land Jand affairs The battle was bitter It n came to a head when Paul Yates executive assistant to the governor and a n former Cormer Washington correspondent correspondent corre corre- resigned his Job and came back here bere with a bag full Cull of ot charges against his former chief The Yates allegations ranged all the way from flom minor charges of poor Judgment judgment judgment Judg judg- ment to gross accusations He lie I succeeded In getting a senate committee committee committee com com- investigation ln n and It was at that time that the Wilson Pearson-Wilson feud fetid flared so openly that administration adminis here were dragged In and the whole scope of or differences differences differ durer- alred As a matter of or fact there Is every reason to that Go Pearson Pearson Pear Pear- son was far from a successful executive executive ex ex- In the Islands He frequently frequent frequent- ly Jy aroused the Ire of or natives and according to testimony adduced by bj bythe bythe the senate Investigation had very ery little to show for the sums of money he be expended In attempting to give the Virgin Islands a new lease on life All of the information tends to establish that the Islands continue con con- I to he be an effectual poorhouse Just gust as President Hoover Hoo described tem tern on t the le occasion of a visit during during dur dur- ing his term as Chief Executive But Governor Pearson had his supporters In the administration Chief Chic among these was Secretary Ickes whose department Is responsible ble for administration of or the Is Is- lands Just why Mr r. r Ickes has bas been so o enthusiastic about Governor Go Pearsons Pearson's regime Is not fully disclosed disclosed dis dis- closed In an any evidence e here except that the Interior secretary has certain certain certain tain Ideas about social reform that some unkind critics refer to as pure socialism which Governor Go Pearson had been attempting to Impose upon the Island Inhabitants Governor Pearson has expended vast sums of or PW A funds In the Islands In his efforts to carry out the Ickes program program program pro pro- gram of reformation It seems however however however how how- ever that the schemes were not as practical as they might have been and so trouble started In a rather extensive fashion The President stayed staved outside of the row until In the course of the senate Inquiry Senator Tidings Tydings a Democrat and usually an Roosevelt anti antl Roosevelt Democrat received recel a aletter aletter aletter letter from Mr Ir Ickes Mr Ickes accused accused accused ac ac- the Investigating chairman charman with having whitewashed a witness whose testimony was yas as all Ickes antl es and anti antl The senator flared up tip In a big way at that letter His reply Is HUely to become a classic In 10 official correspondence He lIe did not mince his words After voicing lils general conception of the attitude attitude attitude at at- exhibited by Mr Ir Ickes and accusing him of attempting to Interfere Interfere Interfere In In- In the tho Investigation Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Tj Tydings dings s Informed the interior secretary that he ho may as well attempt attempt attempt at at- tempt to run the Department of or the Interior and let the senators run the senate lIe He used Just about those words That was the signal for Mr Roosevelt to take a hand It was easy to see that a few outbursts of ot that kind and Mr Ickes might have found himself In a splendid position to resign from the cabinet So the President got the feudists Into his office singly of ot course and when those conferences were over the senate senate sen sen- ate Investigation Into the Virgin Island Island Island Is Is- land situation was suspended for tor two weeks The transfer of Governor Governor Gover Gover- nor Dor Pearson and Judge Wilson re re- One might properly Inquire why all nU of this agitation has occurred about the Virgin Why the L islands They are Agitation many hundreds of or miles from Crom Wash Wash- ington They lIe He In tho the Caribbean sea considerably out of oC the usual pathway vay of ot ships they are populated populated populated by about Individuals 05 5 per cent of at whom are arc negroes and may generally bo lIo described as a backward place They riley may have hae some military and naval value That has never been fully tUlly demonstrated But the fact remains remains re re- re- re mains they are possessions of or the United States and If lC our govern government govern ment meat Is to be their protector It Is responsible for tor a sane administration Lion tion of ot their affairs c 0 The Washington light fight may have r i had Its Us start stait in the Virgin Islands but It has pro progressed beyond that point and Is a domestic battle non no now It n Is s safe Ce to say that for tor IS 18 years which Is 18 the time the Islands have been under United States rule there has been a dire need for a plan pIon of or government suited to those peo peo- Each year jear ear congress has been appropriating thou thousands ands of or dollars for Cor the Island government go and each year jear ear there has been miserably little little little lit lit- tle In the way of or Improvement to show v for these funds Almost as frequently as congress has appropriated money It has hus made changes In the administration methods methods methods meth meth- methI I In use there There has hns never been a n long term program laid out I and there has been nothing whatsoever whatsoever ever eier done showing the s sympathy of or ofa ora ofa a so-called so Intellectual people as we claim to be for those downtrodden den masses that populate the VIrgin Virgin Virgin Vir VIr- gin Islands All of ot this It seems to me shows the woeful need for careful l consideration consideration con con- of or that situation It seems to me equally apparent that as long as congress keeps meddling In and as long as politicians from the mainland sent there are purely purely purely pure pure- ly on a political basis we will contInue continue continue con con- to have a pack of trouble bundled up In those Virgin Islands I If U congress cong continues In session past August l 15 and It is now apparent apparent ap ap- ap parent that It may Long Session run to September SeptemberS S Severe Strain 1 1 It K will m have bave been in session days some two weeks longer than the average of th the so so called called long sessions of or congress Prior to adoption of the lame du duck l amendment amendment amendment amend amend- ment which did away with sessions of or unequal length the shorter sessions sessions ses ses- of averaged about days The longer terms were around days dars before final adjournment adjournment ad ad- was tal taken en Thus the current current current cur cur- rent session stands in a fair way to tobe tobe be among the list of ot hardy sessions All of oC which Is by bj wa way of ot saying that the current session of oC congress has worn down Its members both physically and mentally to an extent extent extent ex ex- tent quite unusual I 1 was talking a few days ago with a veteran senator senator senator sen sen- ator a m man n who has served almost 25 years In the upper house of ot con con- gress He is known as a physically strong individual and usually lasts very well weH through the work that piles plies up before senators and representatives I Inquired of ot him concerning the general health of oC congress ss and his reply was I regret to say we are Just a bunch of or debilitated old men Incapable Incapable incapable In In- capable of doing the Job that Is expected expected ex ex- of or us and everyone e Is hoping against hope that we can cnn live through this tills work and this heat As a result of that conversation the thought came to me that hero was an answer to the oft repeated declaration that members of congress congress congress con con- gress failed to earn their salaries of or a year I have observed congressional onal proceedings almost a score of or years jears ears and It is my mature conviction that few times In that period has bas congress failed to earn earo Its salt There Is another reason why congressional con can congressional gressional sessions should not run so long long- and should When Solons not be carried on Are Tired In the Intense heat of oC a Washington Washington Wash Wash- ington summer One condition nearly always has obtained near the close of ot a long session As the days drag by bj persons with axes to grind and Individual Interests to serve have a wa way of digging up questionable question question- able bills that theretofore had been side tracked sIde tracked and assumed t td tai be dead With resistance low the average senator or representative Is unable to tight fight off ocr legislation which he knows to be bad with the Ule same spirit that accompanied his activities activities ties tics earlier In the session This condition opens the way for tor fora tora a revival of lobbies They are back Washington In despite despite despite de de- In Was numbers now spite the disclosures being made bythe bythe by bythe the two congressional committees that are Investigating the lobbies that operated to defeat temporarily at least the legislation killing utIlIty utility utility util utIl- ity holding companies One would have assumed Justly with the Investigations Investigations investigations under way tray after the utility legislation was passed that lobbyIsts lobbyists lobby lobby- and serving self-serving representatives would have been frightened away from Crom Washington Such was not the case They arc are here In such numbers numbers numbers num num- bers that some observers believe Mr Roosevelt has bas made a mistake In demanding that congress stay stav until it has enacted the share share the the we wealth tax bill and arid the legislation which will t prohibit lawsuits against the government for Cor damages resulting re re- suiting from trow abrogation of ot the promise In government bonds bOlds to pay them In gold Mr Roosevelt Is la Insisting In In- on these laws He will get the them But Dut In the opinion of or many authorities he stands a n fair chanco chance also of getting some Borne other tion which he be may not want e 0 Western Newspaper Union |