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seer Abe Fortas Counsel for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico Ag has been stated previously Mr. Fortas serves as legal counsel for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, "The Evening Star," a daily newspaper published in Washington, D. C., dated October 1, 1947, contained an article written by Harold L, Ickes which stated, in part that Mr. Fortas’ law firm was under a retainer of $12,500 a year to represent Puerto Rico betore the Department of the Interior and as counsel in any litigation on the mainland, The article further stated, "This contract with Puerto Rico was made by Mx. Fortas shortly after his resignation as Undersecretary. So, naturally, he has an interest in the personality of the director of this particular bureau which is in direct charge of Puerto Rican affairs.” The article further stated, "When Mr. Fortas was Undersecretary of the Interior, Puerto Rico wanted to employ its own counsel in Washington. But Mr. Fortas protested. Under date of March 13, 1945, as Undersecretary of Interior, he wrote to the then Governor, Rexford G. Tugwell, of Puerto Rico to the following effect: "I believe that continuing representation of x government or a governmental agency by private attorneys is unsound and unwise **#, In my opinion, it is neither seemly nor appropriate for governmental agencies to be represented by counsel who are not regularly constituted public officials ,.¥«* The United States Government cannot be in the position of assisting private attorneys in litigation, regardless of the identity of interest that might exist in a particular matter; nor can the United States Government make an arrangement directly or indirectly with private attorneys which as a practical matter would be construed as, and would have the effect of, excluding other private attorneys from participation in the law business which its being farmed out to private counsel *#*#,' "Thus did Undersecretary Fortas write in a precise and monitorial manner to the Governor of Puerto Rico. But when he engaged in the private practice of law, his view changed drastically. He lost no time in making a remunerative - 14 - sof