Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-02
The Democratic Need

What price more relief legislation?
The Senate Democratic leadership hav-
ing issued its ultimatum favoring the
e25, 600, 900 dole amendment to the In
terror Department appropriation bill
and the House having responded by
voting down the amendment, what can
be done, If anything, to put an end to
the impasse? Already suggestions of
compromise are being put forward
tentatively and quietly. Democrats who
do not relish facing criticism for
having forced a special session of the
Congress after March and who do
not take kindly to the dole's becoming
q party issue are regretful of the pre-
cipitsncy of the action of the Demo-
cratic senatorial conference on Friday
Tie administration urged the Con-
gresS to put through two relief meas
ureS, and both are now on the statute
books. One was an emergency con-
struction bill which would put thou
sands upon thousands of men to work
OH Government projects of one kind or
another. The second was bill making
appropriations for loans to the farmers
in the drought-stricken sections of the
country, under most favorable terms,
the money to be used for seed, fertilizer,
feed for work stock and gas and oil for
tractors. Already, 1t Is reported, the
farmers in the drought-stricken area
are benefiting from this latter meas
Ea1r flo fIaa fnR~ l.
backing the American Red Cross to the
limit in its appeals for funds to aid the
drought-stricken people, and the Red
Cross is doing a work Of immense value
in that area.
But what the Democrats of the Sem
ate have now demanded as q sine qua
non is the Government dole, to be dis
tributed to persons in need Of food any
where in the country. The Republican
leaders have accepted the challenge.
They do not intend to adopt the prin-
ctple Of a Government dole. There is
evidence that the stand OF the Repub-
licans in this matter is receiving sup
port throughout the country.
The dificulty of compromise under
these circumstances lies in the fact
that principle is involved. It is q
question Of the Government dole or
Of continuance of the American
plan Of voluntary aid by the people
themselves. In the end some plan
may be worked out TO make it possible
to pass the appropriation bills before
the close Of the Congress March 4 and
thereby avoid the need Of calling a
special session of the new Congress in
the Spring. But whatever the plan.
It must either accept or reject the
principle Of the Government dole.
This country, as was pointed out ably
In the House debate on the dole issue
last week, is not In the same position
or condition in which some of the coun-
tries Of Europe found themselves imne-
diately after the World War In those
countries government had broken down
and the people were starving The
American Congress appropriated mil
lions Of dollars to relieve the suffering
Of these people, who were, In large
measure, unable TO help themselves or
to look TO a stable government to help
them help themselves. Herbert Hoover
was commissioned at that time by the
President of the United States, Wood
row Wilson, to distribute food and other
necessities to these peoples in Europe.
This fact is now brought up against
Mr.. Hoover by Democrats who charge
him with being less charitable to the
American people than TO the peoples Of
Europe. But no one will contend that
this country today finds itself in the
same situation as Russia was found at
the close Of the war, or Belgium, or
some Of the other countries where the
people had bsen ridden over by the war.
The people of the United States realize
the difference, even II some Of the
members of the Senate do not.
1t looks today as though the Demo-
cratic leadership of the Senate needed
q measure of relief itself-a Moses to
lead it out Of the wilderness into which
its ultimatum has plunged 1t.