Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-01
CONTINUED From rirs. page.l


world has greater reason for pride In
actual accomplishment for the welfare
of many millions Of people during 9
period when the economic foundations
of civilization have been rocked by
universal causes.
Our great fundamental institutions
remain unchanged: an orderly repre-
sentative government of law. based on
the Constitution; q national ideal OF
fair and equal opportunity Tor every
man and woman.
The political promise contained in
the platform of the political party which
was victorious in 1928 has been trans
Ynuted into substantial accomplishment
One has but to glance over the coun-
try-North, South, East and West-to
grasp the truth of this statement. Here
are great internal waterways being de-
veloped; giant ships being built by
American workingmen to bear the
American nag on all the seas; vast
and permanent road system under con-
struction: capacious hospitals under
construction to care for those who
served the country in time Of war; mil
lions of people enabled to finance agrt-
cultural operations through the assist
ar1ce Of the Federal Government; huge
revetments and similar works under
construction to prevent floods that In
the past have constituted q national
peril and problem; barriers firmly erect
ed to prevent the flooding of American
markets with the product and labor of
countries whose people subSist In way
unknown to our own.
Above all, we have maintained In
America during q time of worldwide.
sweeping, destructive changes the asset
that has made our Nation supreme, the
ideal upon which the Republic was
founded government responsive to
the needs and will of the people, with q
firm purpose of affording equality or
opportunity and free scope for individ-
ual initiative to all its people.
In government, as in business, there
are times when establishments must be
made, certain losses borne for the pur-
pose Of rebuilding. The Nation, in the
last year or two, has had to meet and
resist tidal waves of economic change
and pressure which originated far from
our own shores and which have over
thrown not only parties but entire sys-
TENS of government To escape un-
scatred here was impossible: to relieve
and rebuild was not only possible, but
has been actually accomplished in
America without any real impairment
Of our fundamental economic structure.
The assets of wise administration are
enormously greater than the liabilities
from drought and economic disturbance.
Liabilities and Losses.
The liabilities and losses are perfect
" obvious and apparent--not because
they are printed in red ink, but because
they are shouted night and day, week
In and week out. On the other hand,
the enormous surplus Of sound, solid,
permanent assets Of Nation, President
and Republican party, are not any
where near so apparent to a large part
of our population, since such items are
not news-at least, not interesting
news.
The fact is that not only is the Ma
ton perfectly solvent, but the President
and his party have on the credit side
assets that far outweigh and dwarf the
liabilities alleged by partisan propa-
gandists.
Let us see what these assets are, COM
pared with the only liability Of any
importance-the current business de-
preston and drought-with the cause
Of which the Administra ton had moth
ing to do. AS goes the Nation SO goes
the President and his party" to para
phrase an old political maxim. The
party out Of power holds the party in
power responsible for all the ills SUI
fered by the people. In other words,
the success Of the party and its leader
Is measured by the welfare Of the Ma
ton without regard TO the source or
its content. Partisan attack suggests
the question: Is the United States
and destruction, about to disintegrate?
Were this attack honest and the ques-
ton serious the answer would be: Not
by q considerable marginl
Perhaps the answer to the question
could best be illustrated by another:
what other nation would any Ameri-
can prefer to live in, where he would
find equal comfort, luxury and oppor-
t1nity; equal freedom and equal chance
for happiness and progress?"
Were. the question seriously pro-
pounded the very fact that we have had
to impose severe restrictions on immi-
grafton from every other country on
the face Of the globe Of course gives
the answer: Even under present de-
pressed business conditions In the
United States It Is by 30 large 9 mar
gin incompsrably the best place in the
world in which TO live that barriers
must be erected by law to prevent the
ewarming in of millions OF men and
women from other nations, bent on bet
tering their own conditions"
It would be too much to hope for ex-
emption when all the world Is involved.
True we have unemployment-too much
Of 1t. But Is that q new and crushing
liability and one particularly charge
able TO Republican administration?
Here are the words Of another Ohio
Senator:
Cincinnati Shops Light.
Last week I was in the City Of Gin
cfnnati. Upon inquiry found that the
shops there were only running about 40
per cent Of their capacity. I am adj
vised that in the great iron and steel
centers Of Ohio the mills are running
only about so per cent Of their capacity.
There Is not an industrial center in the
State of Ohio or in Western Pennsyl-
vania or in New York or Illinois that
Is not very seriously affected by nom
employment. E. found that in the
City Of Toledo already there had been
bread lines Of 1000 day; later found
IN reading another newspaper that that
morning the authorities had TO feed
1000 men for breakfast and give them
baskets Of food TO take home. sent out
o QueSCiOnnaire ana WORD comes
back from nearly every one Of these
industrial centers that 40 per cent Of
the working men Of the country are out
Of employment"
Those statements were made 10 years
ago. in January. 1921. by Senator Atlee
Pomerene, distinguished Democrat and
close friend Of Woodrow Wilson. They
referred TO conditions then existing as
the Wilson administration drew to q
close.
But the country rapidly recovered
and attained q greater degree of pros
perity than had ever before been en-
1oyed. II will not do to underestimate
or minimize business depression and
unemployment, but We are In much
more danger from accomplishing con-
ditions of distress as q basis Of dam
gerous nostrums on the one hand, and
OF losing courage because we do not