Evening star., 1932-12-23

Gov. Roosevelt's refusal to burn his
fingers on the war debts, believing that
such contacts are exclusively up Prest-
dent Hoover's street, raises the question
as to the transition period which al
ways ensues when the opposition party
succeeds the administration in power.
Even in 20 we'll ordered an institution
as the United States Government, 1t
isn't quite possible for the head OF q
great executive department to lock up
his desk and office at high noon on
March 1 for his successor to take over
without further fuss or feathers. With
out exception every department just
now has momentous matters on hand
Of q continuing nature, wholly apart
from routine business, concerning which
the officials handling them will at some
time or other have to acquatnt the in
case at the State Department. AS things
now look, both the World Economic
Conference and the Geneva Disarma-
ment Conference will be In full prog
ress about the time Gov. Roosevelt as
sumes the presidency. How is his Sec
retary Of State going to learn the
ropes? How Is Mr.. Mills successor at
the Treasury going to find out about,
say, the exact war debts situation on
March 4. It's suggested that undersec-
retaries and Assistant secretaries will
be invited, in many instances, to stay
on their jobs long enough to break in
those who 2la months hence are to
launch "the new deal"
r
Current events remind men who are
familiar with Franklin D. Rccsevelt's
mental processes that he Is running
true to fo-r,. He is given to reaching
his own r,ecisions. He habitually and
conscientious seeks advice, and in
variably does 50 before coming To major
conclusions But having had it, the
Governor generally makes up his mind
quickly. Washington has heard that
some Of the President-elects counselors
favored the kind Of cooperation with
Mr.. Hoover on debts ct al that Mr..
Roosevelt determined to withhold. He
heard al they had to say on that score,
but was not of their opinion Perhaps
some day the story will be told in de-
tail how the Governor, houting the per.
sistent advice Of nearly every one Of
his closest political associates during
the campaign, insisted on making the
great swing across the country In Sep
tember and October, taking it in .
stride that many authorities consider
was the fundamental factor in his vic
tory.
No industry has taken time more by
the forelock, in connection with the
@. O. p. exodus, than the moving van
people Of the country. Election day had
only come and gone when hundreds of
Washington oficeholders began hearing
copiously and persuasively from con-
Germs which expressed q desire to ac-
celerate their departure from the scene
they have SO long adorned on the ca
PRECIOUS Potomac. Jim Rogers, Assist
ant Secretary Of State. says he's had
almost more offers from Colorado NOV
ing companies than Christmas cards.
Omcials like him, who'll have to trek
back home, are, Of course, particularly
advertise that In half q century Of NOV
imp ihey've never broken q plate.
cabinet" tells this observer that he re-
that's hard to beat. It ramifies back to
his progenitors in New England, where
In Colonial days girls used to be chris
tened after some of the human viz
tues-Nke Faith. Hope, Charity, Pru-
dence and Patience. The administra-
ZIONIST in question discovered that one
Of his material forbears, who lived in
New Hampshire, was named Temper
ance Barrel.
Congress as Santa Claus" Is the title
Of timely little volume Just Oh the
press Of the University Of Virginia
which claims as author Charles Warren,
former Assistant Attorney General of
the United States and author Of 1.-The
Supreme Court in United States His
tory" Under the subtitle Of "Na-
tional Donations and the General
Welfare Clause Of the Constitution"