THE CABINET: Vidal Out

When the Bureau of Air Commerce was created in 1933 as a subdivision of the Department of Commerce, handsome Director Eugene Luther Vidal at once became the butt of incessant attacks. When the Bureau investigated crashes, he was accused of whitewashing his subordinates. When he devoted time to developing a "$700 plane" for private flyers, airlines screamed that he was neglecting them. When Bureau airway aids became outdated because the Government cut Bureau funds 40%, Gene Vidal got the blame. When Senator Bronson Cutting was killed in a crash. Senator Copeland's investigating committee recommended Gene Vidal's resignation, commented: "He...

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