Evening star., 1930-12-10
Who's Playing Politics

. - SAASA~Ss
Both Houses of Congress acted speed
fy yesterday to put through measures
for the relief of unemployment and the
drought-stricken areas of the country.
The accomplishment, however, so far as
the Senate is concerned, had scarcely
been brought about when Democratic
Senators unloaded their vials of wrath
upon the head of the President, who,
earlier in the day, had ventured to de-
clare that some members Of Congress
'are playing politics at the expense of
human misery" The President mem
toned no names in his statement Some
Of his critics, however, took the Chief
Executive remarks as a direct slap at
them. And several of them proceeded
to slap back with vigor and vituperation.
Senator Caraway Of Arkansas, for ex-
ample, said THE reputation, whatever
he has, of the President of the United
States rests upon administering a relief
fund which never cost him a cent. A"
If it were not for that, there would not
have been anything to his biography ex-
cept the date Of his birth and blank
left for that Of his DEATH"
Senator Caraway is the author of a
bill to pay the adjusted compensation
certificates, issued to veterans of the
World War, in cash at this time He
holds that this would give almost the
widest possible distribution for relief"
These adjusted compensation certificates
In the aggregate amount to something
Ike S3,500,000,000. But Mr.. Caraway
Is not alone among the members of
Congress who support such a proposal.
Senator Vandenberg of Michigan has
exchanged letters with Secretary Mellon
Of the Treasury Department urging that
steps be taken by the Federal Govern
ment to permit the veterans to obtain
cash for their certificates at this time.
Senator'S, among them Mr.. Walsh Of
Massachusetts and Mr.. Harrison of
Mississippi, as well as Mr.. CaraWay,
feeling themselves aggrieved at the
statement issued by the President
charging that politics was being played
with human misery" also launched at
tacks upon the Chief Executive. Their
effort was to place Mr.. Hoover on the
side Of the wealthy taxpayers and to
range themselves on the side of
suffering humanity. Despite the slurring
remarks Of Mr.. Caraway, the President
Of the United States has done more
during his career to relieve the suffer-
4ngs of humanity, in this country as
well as in Europe, than quite a number
Of the members of the Senate If all
their efforts in this direction were
Jumped together.
The unemployment emergency in this
country this Winter must be met. 1t
will be met. The farmers of the country
whose livelihood has been wiped out by
q disastrous drought must be aided
They will be helped. The Congress will
do its share and so will the President
Of the United States. The real aid,
however, will be rendered by the Amer
lean people themselves Mr.. Caraway
jibeS at Mr.. Hoover with an assertion
that his reputation rests alone upon
the administration of a relief fund
which cost him nothing. The Senate
and the House will pass measures look
ing to the expenditure Of money for
the relief of the unemployed The mil
Hons Of dollars so expended, however,
will cost the individual members Of
these bodies mighty little in comparison
70 the total appropriated. It is the
people who will pay the bill. No one
doubts that those who are better able
to pay should pay in such an emer-
gency. But those members of Cong ress
who seek to make political capital for
themselves out OF these appropriations
will be doing exactly what President
Hoover has charged-"playing politics
st the expense Of human misery" 1t is
game that may be overplayed