Evening star., 1932-09-19
R00SEVELT'S RAIL
SPEECH DEBATED
Seen in Some Quarters as
Copying of Hoover
Program.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Gov. Roosevelt's speech on the rail-
road situation marks turning point IN
the campaign.
The fact a number of railroad presi-
dents approved it and that some OF the
Republican comment is that Mr.. Roose-
welt has copied some of Mr.. HooVer,s
program for restoring the railroads
makes it apparent the Democratic nom.
inee is not going to take the charges OF
radicalism that have been hurled at
him without trying to dlsprove them
by speeches on economic subjects.
The Salt Lake City speech will be
the occasion for much discussion, as 1t
is on a highly controversial topic, but
when Mr.. Roosevelt argues in broad
principles on the importance CT backing
up the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration in it's dealings with the rail-
roads, he is in effect giving approval to
one of the major pieces of legislation OF
the last Congress.
This leaves the Republicans with the
alternative of dissecting the speech ana
differing on details or insisting tnat
Roosevelt has come around to the HOO
yer economies and hence it is not neces-
sary to change Administrations 10 carry
out Hoover policies.
View Of Thomas.
The Socialist appeal under Norman
Thomas has been that Roosevelt ana
Hoover are exponentS Of the same
school of thought and that the only
difference between them Is that MT
Hoover has carried out some OF MS pol
icies, while Mr.. Roosevelt is projecting
them into the future.
There is no doubt, however, that the
willingness of the Democratic nominee
to abandon the forgotten man type
of speech and make an appeal directly
to business men on the ground that ne
knows as important problem as rail-
roads will go far toward reducing the
fears OF the business groups who have
been alarmed at a tendency on the part
of Roosevelt to emulate the doctrines
of William Jennings Bryan.
Coming as it does on the heels OF
the Topeka agriculture speech which
involves good deal of experimental
comfort in the Roosevelt speech on
railroads. 1t is not that his views will
be accepted by all elements in the
transportation situation, but that he
has fundamentally taken the position
that Government aid in railroad reor-
ganization is step in the direction OF
reconstruction, which the business inter-
eStS Will not 1all 10 grasp.
Higher Plane Seen.
The Hoover campaign may or may
not argue details of transportation pol
lev with Roosevelt But there can be
no further criticism that the Demo-
cratic nominee isn't giving an aff1rma-
tive program. 1t is believed he Will
follow his railroad speech with others
on current questions, and that the cam
paign will be lifted to higher plane
than before. In this event, President
Hoover would feel warranted in making
direct comments on these issues in in
formal debate with his opponent.
While the transportation speech will
go a long way, of course, toward tax
ing the railroad question out of polirlcs,
1t still leaves open for discussion the
question of whether the Reconstruction
Finance Corporations policies of lend
ing are approved by Mr.. Roosevelt and
whether the extension of aid to rail-
roads, defended by the Hoover admin
istration as a help to investors such
as insurance companies and public In
stitutions, isn't after all benefit to the
average man.
If the Republicans can maneuver Mr..
Roosevelt into an admission that the
r. F. c. policy was not designed merely
to help the big financial interests, but
all the people who are directly or in
directly dependent on the stability OF
the railroads and those who own Sc
curities, they feel they will gain tacti-
cal advantage and strengthen their ar
gument that a change in Government
at this time is not necessary.
CCopyright. 1922