Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-20
Washington
Letter
BY RODNEY
NEA Srrvice Writer

WASHINGTON. July 0.-Mr.
Ben Marsh. the tall. gray veteran
radical who displays more activity
and gets more newspaper space
than anyone else among the nu-
merous persons In washington who
devote themselves to furthering
social causes. dashed into his
office with eyes agleam.
At last. Mr.. Marsh averred. he
had found himself affiliated with
a mass movement and this remark
able discovery had given him the
keenest pleasure. Mr.. Marsh Is
sometimes thought 10 hold a
worlds record for being in the min
ority.
Occasionally. In fact, MIR. Marsh
has been a minority all by himself.
One of the things that has kept
him busiest for years has been his
attempts 10 persuade progressive
senator's TO sponsor measures and
programs which have frequently
been regarded BY senators as two
or three hundred thousand years
dnedQ OF the times.
"Panacea" Promoter
IL Is also believed that Mr..
Marsh for many years has held
the championship for organizing
petitions presented TO and com
plctely ignored by officials In high
authority. especially presidents.
Very often he has been supported
by the signatures Of widely known
and respected persons. but the
ideas and the proposals above the
signatures have been enough TO
h0rrify such conservatives as Re-
publicans. Democrats and some
times wen most pr0gressives. Mr..
Marsh. In short. is our most per-
sistent and perhaps the most adj
vrnced promoter OF what are con-
tfmptuously referred to by Pres
kent Hoover as "panaceas."
nevertheless. everybody knows
Ben Marsh and most people like
ia. Even the proEressiyes, with
I'm he IN generally disguised be-
c. lSc OF their conservatism and
who keep complaining that Ben
spoils the appearance of their pa
rade by dashing out 20 or 30 PAGES
In front.
Ben Is "a years old now and. as
Mother Jones used to say Of her
self. the longer he lives the more
radical he gets. His background in
cludes lengthy public service as an
expert on distribution OF popula-
ton and is congestion in New York
state and Al a charity worker with
special reference 10 children.
For several years he has been
secretary and almost the entire
works of an organization here
known as the Peoples Lobby. the
president OF which Is Professor
John Dewey.
seeks JobIess Relief
Getting back to that g,eam IN
Mr.. Marsh's eyes and his boass o.
really being IN on q mass move
ment az last-he says that a M
jority Of the American people wan
a special session Of Congress 10
enact q program Of unempiCy-
ment relief. Otherwise, he \
plains, he would not now be able
10 produce a memorial TO tie pres
ident and members of Congress
signed BY twelve hundred mayors,
economists. labor leaders. educa-
tors. preachers, priests, rabhis. Sal
walton Army officers. s~ociolosists.
publicists. community chest direc-
tors. Red Cross workers and other
social workers
The petition n an impre sSive
record Of sentiment, but on ct-
half Of 5000. 600 unemployed whose
savings are virtually exhausted ard
who face acute distress. II urges
federal appropriations Of $1,000
COO. 900 for public works. $3.50. 000. 900
for direct relief and $3.50. 600. 900 for
~subvention OF state unemployment
insurance systems. No one really
expects President Hoover 10 comply.
Prominrnt Signers
Nevertheless the Signers az the
petition include such folks as
Dewey, Mayors Curley of Boston,
Murphy OF Detroit and Hoan OF
Milwaukee. Professor Jerome Davis
OF Yale. Presidents Mcmahon OF
the United Textile Workers and
Hillman OF the Amalgamated
Clothing Workers. Rev. DR.. John
A. Ryan Of the National Catholic
Welfare Council. President Keeney
Of the West Virginia Mine Work
ers' Union, Professors +. a. Ross Of
Wisconsin University. President
Frank Id. Adams or general on
vention Of UniverSalist churches.
President Marion Park Of Bryan
Mawr, DR.. Alexander Meiklejohn
Carl Vrooman. Sherwood Eddy and
many other well known folks who
obviously agree with Ben Marsh
that the employment situation y
more than ever in need Of drastic
action.
Mr.. Marsh now steps out after a
record for the number or signers
on a single public petition.