Evening star., 1932-11-02
Rate by Mail-Payable In Advance.
MARYLAND and Virginia.
All Other States and Canada.
M.pnh.r NJ the Associated Press.
Glass VS.. Mills.

IT was highly complimentary teSi-
nnonial to the respect in which they
hold Senator Carter Glass of Virginia
that the Republican strategists decided
to fellow up his appearance on the
radio last night by the presentation OF
Secretary of the Treasury Mills with
the other side of the story. There has
existed between these two men a GER
tain bond that. aside from personalities,
springs from mutual regard for intel
lectual attainment. A few days ago
Secretary Mills had referred, by way OF
contrast and in connection with GER
tain financial fads and fancies Of House
Democrats, to that grand old man from
Virginia, Senator Carter Glass And in
his address, as prepared for radio de-
livery. the Senator had written a kind
ly reference-for him-to the Presi-
dents really lovable Secretary Of the
Treasury"
It is not known when the Senator
learned that Secretary Mills was to
answer him Immediately on the radio.
But it was characteristic of the Sena-
tor. sensing the advantage that lies in
having the last word, to choose some
novel way Of destroying that advantage
This he did by the sinister implication
that Secretary Mills had gone back
stairs" to get his speech in advance;
that of all the heinous and repre-
hensible tricks known to sunken man,
microphone snarlng as only Senator
Glass of Virginia can snarl. 1t was
good political stuff. and it must have
taken Secretary Mills by surprise
which Is what it was intended to do
1t was. Of course, surprising for the
Secretary of the Treasury to learn that
advance copies of political speeches
are so sacred. And his comment, OF
course, was reserved until the speech
had been delivered and was public
property.
But the exchange Of views between
these two outstanding men on the is
sues Of the day, aside from Senator
Glass thrust as he left the microphone,
was one Of the most interesting COM
mentaries on politics that this cam
paign has yet presented. Both OF the
speakers are able and informed men.
Both of them are working for what
they believe to be the best interests Of
their country and their fellow men.
Both Of them have the understanding
shared by a relative few-to conceive
the real significance of those great
forces. temporarily beyond the control
OF any man, that have brought catas-
trophe to the world.
Yet, in his speech last night, Senator
Glass ridiculed with peculiar bitterness
N1e President of the United States and
by thinly disguised inference reflected
on his official integrity. He disoWned
the legislative child which bears his
name-the Glass-Steagall bill-and pic
tured the Federal Treasury as ma
tional pawnshop" He referred to the
loans by the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation as the seemingly profligate
waste of the taxpayers money in fabulous
schemes" and saw political preferment
in their distribution. If there is such
q thing as confidence in official integrity
and in the financial soundneSs OF the
country and the legislative expedients
created to deal with the depression,
Senator Glass left little unsaid that
might destroy such confidence.
But If Senator Glass has been ex-
treme, and he has been extreme and
altogether unfair the theme OF his
speech last night was a reply to state
nents from the other side that have
been by implication as extreme and
certainly as unfair. The Senator's
speech, as unrestrained as it was, came
as the logical boomerang to those Re
publican campaigners who have thrown
caution to the winds in their zeal to
make the people of this country believe
that they alone control the destiny OF
this Nation. and that not only should
they be entrusted with that destiny
. pardonable political doctrine-but
that 1t is actually calamitous to trans
fer it. If they are right, our whole
system Of government is wrong. If
they are right, the political freaks and
not the thoughtful men and women of
the Nation will be in control should
Democrats be elected next Tuesday.
II Senator Glass was incorporate,
and he was, he was invited to be in
temperate 1t is comforting to think
that in a few days that method of cam
paigning will be over and done with.