Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-04
Finds Our Government
Is All Upside Down

many functions Of the Federal Govern
ment that are beyond the comprehep-
sion Of the average layman." SUCH was
| the remark made to me casually the
other Gay by man, obviously a Gov
eminent official, when I was coming
out Of the old Southern Railroad
Building
His remark was occasioned by my
statement that 1T was peculiar COIN
cidence that Col. Woodcock, prohibition
director, was son the floor below and
| less than 20 feet away from the Federal
Farm Board and that, apparently, they
were working in direct opposition to
each other.
This remark struck me so forcibly
that could not help but wonder If
| this did not reflect the attitude of all
Government officials, from the President
+, on down. Are we the people. who elect
these officials, considered too dumb to
! grasp the problems confronting the
country and are therefore not entitled
TO know the reason for many peculiar
| things that are taking place?
If what is going on in our Govern
ment is the right and only way things
can be accomplished, then plead
guilty to the charge of being dumb. am
attitude of noblesse oblige has been
carried too far and that the real sit
uation is just the reverse.
Here are just a few of the incidents
: that are supposed to be beyond our
comprehension. We are supposed to
take them for granted because they is
sue from the thrones Of the mighty:
The Farm Board loans money to the
grape growers to produce grape concen-
trates for making wine so that the pro-
hibition unit can put the object of the
Farm Boards benefactions in Jail.
| The Federal Government, as land
| owner in Panama, leases land and
| buildings to operators Of saloons and
bawdy houses and uses the profits from
these leases, indirectly, to pay for pro-
hibiGion enforcement in the Canal Zone
! which is like F street between E and c.
| The Wickdosham commission hands
in majority opinion IL favor of pro-
hibition repeal and a minority decision
in favor of continuing the noble exper-
iment.' obviously as a result OF orders
| from higher up. If AL Capona were to
be tried by jury like that the judge
wouldn't know whether to send him to
jail or recommend him for the Con-
+; gressional Medal of Honor.
The astute Attorney General bar
| gains with public enemy No. l and
promises to treat him, responsible for
| more than 500 murders In a kind and
gentle manner if he will plead guilty
to law violations. the proof of which
! they have spent thousands of dollars
| in obtaining.
! The deliberate manipulation of eco
nomic figures published by the Depart
! ment Of Commerce. with the knowledge
I that they were miSle ading and designed
f, to fool the public.
The refusal to acknowledge the de-
! gree OF distress and unemrloyment TN
der the depression and a suppression Of
| actual figures on the number of unem-
! ployed
A plea for the urgent necessity of
FORGETTING over three hundred million
, dollars to save the German government
from economic collapse and a fat foot
| ed refusal TO allow our Congress to
! appropriate $20,000,000 for drought re-
| An appeal to the cotton growers to
destroy every third row of growing cot
ION while people in industrial centers
| all over the country are destitute, naked
ana In AFFECT poverty. II is especially
lncomprehensible how mortgaged crop
erty can be destroyed. Why rot sug-
eeSt destroying all money oversubscribed
Tor favorable Government bones?
Yes, l quite agree with my friend
tne other day. Such things are beyond
our comprehension. But instead of
being the object of his pity, 1 think he
ana his contemporaries are to be pitied
They remind me of a little boy setting
out to fish and winding up by getting
ms line hopelessly tangled in his reel,
The more they try to unscramble the
mess the worse the tangle gets.
There Is only one thing to do. Get
big, sharp knife and start cutting.
When all this mess has been cut away
get a brand-new straight line and start
very, very carefully to winding up the
reel. At the first sign of a kink stop
at once and straighten it out. After
little use. a straight line, rroperiy
wound, performs beautifully.
The flrst essential of successful gov
eminent Is an official attitude of re-
spect and subServience to the will of
the people and not one of domination
ana condeScenSion, such as the feudal
barons had toward their vassals. The
general welfare of the people should be
promoted instead of personal aggran-
dizemert.
have absolute confidence in the H.
nerent ability Of the American people
pulling through in pinch. but it looks
IKE they would have 70 do il in spite
, OF the Government and not because
OF II. There Is something seriously
wrong with the existing order Of things
When the chauffeur rides downtown
ma1eStlcally enSconced on the rear seat
Wnlle his employer sits at the vince;
traffic. RORT = IoMES .eu