The Washington times., 1931-09-30
True to Type
MIDCETS SIT PRETTY
IN HARD SEATS
OF MIGHTY
Nv GILBERT SELDES

by GILBERT SEE-DES -
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler ought to have put his
recent remarks pigmyeadershlp into plain envelope
marked mot Personal" to keep many pairs OF Official
ears from burning He did not say which OF the tVe
possibly six Presidents" since the administration OF
James Madison represented the very flower OF tne
nations intellect and character" On the surface ne
spoke professionally abstracty in the air. he wondered
why democraces place at their head midgets while dcta
torshps bring out of force and energy who repre-
sent the genius and the character of their nations He
bowed in the direction of Macdonald and Snowden but
he did not openly avert his eyes from Washington
Who Wants Strong Men?
l grant him his discretion, hoping to share it. 1t
doesn't surprise that Stain and Mussoln without the
necessity of flaterng and pleasing eight million voters
should be drastic in action than premier or
president; and has, so far the final proof that
ruthlessness is best although heaven knows 1t always
seems best to the outside it's influence The advan
tage which Russians and Italians have at the moment IS
that they know specifically to whom to turn for leader
ship; if they wander and one alone has to give
them direction do not think that Americans feel that
way about their Presidents.
Our Presidents have been leaders only because people
followed them they have not been scouts spying out new
roads, they have not compelled their people to in this
direction or that Roosevelt was an exception and at
times during the war, Wilson another. Most of the
rest were distinguished in so far as they were dstn
gushed by their capacity to keep the right road by
their refusal to be shifted from true honest or
decent policy.
Who Is Your Congressman?
What strikes me more than the quality of American
leadership is the feeling Americans that they
have no one who ought to lead them. Even the most
devoted slave of the Republican machine in Chicago
(there must be one) of Tammany Hall in New York
must know that the leaders of these organizations
function only local issues; the teup with Washing
ton is accident of party politics Beyond ward
leaders, whom do we know? The Congressman who
get into the papers, perhaps; few Senator's and the
members of the Cabinet by name But do we actually
expect to be led by them? Or merely willing
to obey the laws they manage to impose on US?
In the back of minds suspect that we are led
not by politicians and statesmen, but by fnancers and
industralists Dr. Buffers mdgets in the seats of the
mighty are big enough if they are only to be mouth
pieces for strong in the background We resent
the irresponsibty of the who not elected by
but who govern. The head of steel corporation,
announcing wage cut which is bound to be followed
by industry, is leading to policy of defation Mr..
Gerard Swope, of the General Electric Company,
nounces plan which, If it is successful leads to
new form of industry and power in government.
Bankers, putting pressure the money market, may
try to compel us to continue the moratorium on war
debts indefinitely. Theirs is the power but not the
glory the glory, such it is, goes to the statesmen
who ratify their decisions
Pressure in Politics
1t may be disheartening, but it also may be true that
elect midgetmen to office because midgetmen will
suffice. We did not elect majority of Prohibi-
ton Party candidates to Congress; but the Eighteenth
Amendment was passed Pressure from outside;
from the people, according to the drys from the Anti
Saloon League, according to it's enemies The same
thing happens elsewhere. The British elected
majority to safeguard the interests of labor; the
majority Ialed TO DEFEND the dole and part OF formed
a majority with it's opponents defend the pound
serling-and the pound sterling broke.
Perhaps in England Macdonald and Baldwin rule the
country-but the Bank of England is not without in
fluence. And if bank a factory or groups of
many banks and factories going to dictate policy
and lead the nation, isn't it better to put the strong
men in the places of power and let mdgets sit in the
big and meaningless chairs of government?
Love Your Enemies : ~.
From time to time hear friends say that this
winter they not going to go out much; they are
not going to keep seeing people whom, funda-
mentally, they do not like Life is too short Hereafter
they will devote themselves to those with whom they
are really sympathetic. l remain doubtful
I've seen it tried and the deserters crawl back
to the of those they deest I've seen it so often
that I am beginning to believe that get something
valuable and necessary to happiness out of people
whom find disagreeabe. isn't necessary to carry
the idea too far; certain individuals affect us so un
pleasantly that have no real communication
with them. But when you fighting man your
contact with him is close when you are huggng
him. Hugging may grow tiresome; fighting though
tring, is never bore. 1t is too exciting.
Attractive Malice