Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19
The Political Mill
BY G. Could Lincoln.

Emergency relle1 Tor tine orouBnt
sufferers again bobs up as bone of
contention between the President and
the Senate coalition. The question
hinges on whether the Federal govern
ment Is to provide the funds or whether
the funds are to be raised by voluntary
whether the American
Red Cross Is 10 be responsible for both
raising and distributing the funds-as
it has done so often and so successfully
in other emergencies. The Presidents
stand in favor of voluntary contribu-
tons has been approved editorially by
many of the newspapers of the coun-
try, including some of those who are
opposed to him politically. The New
York World, than which there is no
more ardently Democratic publication
in the country, in an editorial entitled
Government Doles and the Red
Cross" says:
Its benevolent purpose fails to ex-
cuse the Robinson amendment to the
Interior Department appropriation bill
providing for a Government gift to the
Red Cross for relief of need in the
drought belt. Provision of such a gift,
or such loaning Of the money as is
suggested by way of compromise, would
establish q precedent which cannot fail
to be embarrassing both to the Govern
ment sand to the Red Cross in time to
come"
Ever since the reaSsembling Of Con-
gress there has been an effort on Capitol
Hill to belittle and to override the relief
program advanced by President Hoover.
Those who have sought to override the
administration have resented bitterly
the statement Of the President that they
were playing politics" at the expense
OF human misery. The latest attempt
to break down the administration pro-
gram and to provide dole to sufferers
from the drought and from unemploy-
ment leaves the President in a stronger
position than ever, even when politics
are taken into consideration, which
should not be the case in any effort to
relieve suffering. President Hoover's
latest move counter to the Senate coali-
ton seems both wise and effective. His
appointment Of a special committee of
81 Of Americas leading citizens, headed
by former President Coolidge and with
Alfred e. Smith, former Governor of
New York and the idol of the Empire
States democracy, and John w. Davis,
another former Democratic nominee for
President, as vice chairmen, is, indeed,
a challenge to the Senate coalition
which has sought persistently to bring
about direct Government appropria-
ton for the distribution of food to the
distressed. There appears to be not the
slightest doubt that the President will
veto the Interior appropriation bill If
that measure Is sent to him carrying the
Robinson amendment providing $685.
100000 for the purchase of food to be
distributed to the drought-stricken
farmers and to the unemployed in the
cities.
Such veto would find a precedent In
the veto Of drought-relief bill by
President Grover Cleveland, who took q
stand similar to that of President
Hoover in opposition to having the Fed
eral Treasury drawn upon for relief
which, he held, should be done through
voluntary subscription by the American
people.
This row between the President and
the Senate coalition threatens a special
session Of the next Congress. For
some of the Senate opponents Of the
administration have indicated that If
the President will not yield in this
matter and permit the $25, 0O0, 900 ap-
preparation to become law, they will
f1libuster one or more of the annual
supply bills to death. The President,
however, will face special session,
futile as it might be, rather than give
way in this matter of principle, which
it Is argued might well sound the death
knel Of the American Red Cross.
Leaders in the Senate who are OPP
posed to special session of the next
Congress are planning, If it becomes
apparent o few weeks from now that
there can be no completion of all the
appropriation bills by March 4, to place
all their eggs in one basket and to
watch that basket. They would offer
continuing resolution" to cover all
the departments Of the Government
for which appropriations have not been
made, resolution which would merely
continue over the next fiscal year the
ment agencies for the present fiscal
year. The plan would contemplate also
motion to invoke the cloture rule on
this resolution so as to force a final
vote on it prior to March 4. To in
woke cloture requires two-thirds vote
Of the Senate, and after cloture has
been adopted, each Senator Is allowed
to consume an hour of time. The
leaders believe that more than two
thirds of the Senate membership are
anxious enough to avoid a special Ses-
sion Of the new Congress this Spring
to support cloture motion.
So many contentious matters are still
before the Senate, however, that it
seems almost impossible for Congress
to complete the appropriation program
unless some such device as that out
lined is adopted. However, it must be
admitted that the President has sue
ceeded in getting through the Senate,
backed up as he has been by the
House, legislation which the Senate
coalition has sought to change vitality,
of some of his opponents in the Sen
ate to hamstring his appointments to
the Federal Power Commission and the
Tariff Commission have proved I'M
availing.
The long-awaited Wickersham report
on prohibition enforcement is expected
to go to Congress this week, perhaps
tomorrow. Its contents have been
jealousy guarded, although it has been
reported time and again that the re-
port will be dry" and will urge
further trial of national prohibition.
1t is expected that the report, when
submitted to Congress, will be subject
of debate. The vets in that body
tasted victory in a number of congress
sional and senatorial elections last Fall.
They do not intend to have the Wick
ersham report dropped like a ton of
brick on them If they can help it.
There will be plenty Of replies from
the vets to the report and recon-
mendations Of the Wickersham COM
mission.
X
Incidentally, If the Wickersham re-
port is as dry as it has been reported
to be, it may be expected that President
Hoover will continue to take the stand
that the eighteenth amendment is an
experiment noble in purpose and far