Evening star., 1932-12-04
BY THEODORE C. WALLEN.

~ cyclone WHICH Changed LIc
~ whole political landscape. the
4 i seventy-second Congress will
"reappear" tomorrow for three
months, virtually power,ess to cope
with the greatest peace-t.me assort-
Since it adjourned its previous session
has been repudiated at the polls, and
the nation has ordered a sweeping new
deal That deal will begin In the new
and decisively Democratic regime to
follow rather than in the closing days
of the postwar Republican era.
The last of the lame duck" sessions
is certain, nevertheless, to be one OF
the most interesting in the history Of
this surviving tradition Of slow-rnov-
ing age. Not only will 1t culminate in
the shifting of governmental control
from the Republicans to the Democrats
for the first time in IA years and mark
the passing Of such familiar figures as
Watson and Wood of Indiana, Moses
of New Hampshire, Smoot of Utah,
Haugen of Iowa and Hawley of Oregon,
but it promises rare exhibition of po-
litical and parliamentary tactics, with
more of the national legislative body
footloose than at any time In a genera
last Spring.
Little to Be Expected.
Because of the dramatic turn of the
election, because of the national man
date" to be done with prohibition, be-
cause Europe is clamoring for relief
from its war debts, because thousands
of American unemployed are demand
ing Government assistance, because
business Is apprehensivc of more taxes,
because Democrats suspect that the
Republicans scheme to econornize at
the expense of Democratic patronage,
and because of the large-scale politics
behind the scenes at the approach to
change In. administration, public
attention will be centered on the Con-
gress to an extraordinary degree. The
traditional purpose Of the short ses-
sion," however, is to pass the appro-
priations bills for the support of the
the inevitable dramatics, the hunger
marchers, the political speeches moral
izing on the election. the parliamentary
maneuvers and the filibusters, the net
product of it all is expected to be lit
tie, If anything, more than the appro-
priations bills.
Yet rarely has there been greater
sense of uncertainty at the reassem-
bling of Congress. While the opinion
is strong that the decisiveness of the
election will be reflected in a sharp
turn against prohibition, possibly re-
sulting in the legalZing of beer, many
Of the defeated members have no
thought Of returning to Congress again
and recognize no leader.
President Hoover, lacking control Of
Congress from the middle of his term,
is farther from controlling 1t in the
hours of his defeat. No one approaches
complete command of the Republicans
in Congress. President-elect Roosevelt
is wary Of assuming leadership Of the
Democratic forces in Congress until he
takes charge on the ground. His fol-
lowers at the Capitol are quarrehng
among themselves for titular leadership
there
A coalition leadership is out Of the
question. While the Democrats, nu-
merically and psychoIogically, have
the upper hand, their actual superiority
in voting strength is not sufficient to
assure them control in this short ses-
sion, even should they greatly desire 1t
under the circumstances.
No clear-cut political direction at the
Capitol is in sight until March 4. In
the House the Democrats have eight
more votes than the Republicans; but
in the Senate there are 48 Republicans
against Al Democrats and one Farmer
Laborite The Republicans will retain
control Of the Senate organization and
committees unless the dozen-odd Re-
publican insurgents switch to the
gents have proposed to do, in keeping,
as they say, with the spirit behind the
lame duck" constitutional amendment
which originated with one of them,
Senator George w. Norris Of Nebraska.
Situation Makes for Delay.
The effect of the situation is to make
for delay. The Democrats will exercise
their measure of control to carry over
into the Seventy-third Congress such
legislation as they desire to handle As
to that general policy they are expected
to agree. 1t is assumed that Mr..
Roosevelt will call the new Congress in
extraordinary session in the Spring.
The Democrats in the holdover Senate.
If they do as their party did In the
lame duck" session preceding Wood
row Wilson's Inauguration in 1918, will
hold up President Hoover's nomina-
tions for important positions.
1t Will be d1fncult Tor the president
to put through even such personal ap-
po!ntments for terms OF years as he
might desire to confer on loyal mem
bers of his official family. The recast-
ing Of the face of the Fedeual Govern
ment begins at once. Even the appro-
priation bills will be scrutinized for
any provision which might curtail the
number of jobs available for Democratic
distribution or otherwise circumscribe
the incoming Roosevelt administration,
for the appropriations to be made will
be for the first fiscal year Of the new
administration.
To about the same degree as the Re-
publicans permitted the expiring VIII
son administration TO influence the ex-
penditures of the succeeding Harding
administration will be Democrats now
take the advice Of the Hoover admins
tration. President Hoover, following
his constitutional duty, will present his
plan for balanced budget for the rs
cal year to begin July / next. The
Democrats, rejecting his plan last year,
are more likely to do so this year.
1t is undoubtedly the last time an
expiring administration viii be called
upon to arrange the 1udget for its sue
cessor. The twentieth amendment