The Wings of Ickes

From the Department of the Interior last week came smothered sounds of scuffling and hard breathing. Finally, out from under the flapping wings of Secretary (Donald Duck) Ickes two men bolted.

One of them was Philippines High Commissioner Francis B. Sayre. Mr. Sayre, who has frequently clashed with his acid-tongued boss, and has very little to do now anyhow, resigned. He bypassed Mr. Ickes, sent his resignation direct to the White House. The President had not acted on it at week's end, but Mr. Sayre was in the market for a job.

The other bolter was genial, ruddy, white-haired John J. Dempsey, who for a year has served with restraint in Mr. Ickes' department as Under Secretary. An old friend of Terrible Harold. Mr. Dempsey denied that there had been any disagreement. He resigned, he said, because he had other plans.

Two years ago, wealthy Mr. (then Congressman) Dempsey ran for the U.S. Senate from New Mexico. Behind him was a record as one of the most effective, best-liked legislators the House had seen in a blue moon. But his opponent, Senator Dennis Chavez, had a slick political machine. Dempsey lost, took the interim Interior job. Now he wanted to go back to New Mexico and run for Governor.

The spot left by 63-year-old Jack Dempsey was not vacant long. Into it the President lifted smart, big-eared, young (32) Abe Fortas, Memphis-born director of the Interior Department's power division. For Mr. Fortas it was a reward: a Yale Law School graduate, he has long and faithfully, often skillfully, served the New Deal--on AAA, SEC, PWA, as general counsel to the Bituminous Coal Commission, as bat boy on the Corcoran-Cohen team. Mr. Ickes will not find any difficulty in snuggling black-haired, esthetic-looking Mr. Fortas under his wing. He has long been in close contact with him in shaping Federal power policies, a subject dear to the Ickes heart. How long Mr. Fortas will stay snuggled down was something for time, the terrible-tempered Mr. Ickes, and quiet, studious Mr. Fortas to decide.

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