Evening star., 1932-11-21
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

House tomorrow afternoon. 1t would oe
a novel and unexpected turn Of affairs
If as a result of the Hoover Roosevelt
conference and Gov. Roosevelts con-
ferences later with Democratic leaders
of the Senate that period of co-opera.
ton between the Senate Democrats ana
the Senate regular Republicans should
ensue for the period OF the coming
short session What q disappointment
for the progressives.
x X Il
Undoubtedly it would be for the good
of the country if the present Congress,
during its last few weeks Of life, could
get down to work without regard to
politics and act in the best interests OF
the people. President Hoover, By In
viting Gov. Roosevelt into conference
with him, has opened the way for CO.
operation. 1t is quite true that officially
Gov. Roosevelt is entirely without
authority-except in his own State
until March 4, when he will become
President. But that does not mean that
he Is without power. He is the head OF
the newly elected Democratic admins
tration. 1t seems clear that what he
says or recommends will be listened to
with respect by his Democratic followers.
4 + +
There is fear on the part of some OF
the Democratic advisers of Gov. Roose-
welt, however, that he may injure him.
self by premature speaking on public
questions; that he might have the effect
of alligning one group of Democrats
against another and against himself by
so doing. They are councilihg the Gov
ernor to 20 softly. But they are think
ing more of politics TIL n of the needs
of the country. Perhaps they will get
over this in time. Gov Roosevelt surely
has an opportunity to be of real service
now, without waiting until next March
The situation so far as the foreign
debts are concerned seems to De this:
Either the question may be settled now
with Hoover and Roosevelt agreeing on
some kind of program, or it may go
over until the Roosevelt administration
comes into Office next March. 1t would
seem to be the better policy, so far as
Roosevelt Is concerned, to get this prob
lem behind him now, if 1t can be done
leaving ore less ticklish question for
his new administration If it cannot
be done now, then Gov. Roosevelt will
have to look forward 20 dealing with
the debtor nations as soon as he gets
into Office.
4 X **
Senator George H Moses Of New
Hampshire, according to reports from
that State, is planning to retire to his
home in Concord after March 4. He
declares that there is no more ideal
place in which to live. But it is un-
thinkable that Senator Moses will be
allowed to vegetate even in such attrac-
tive surroundings. He has far toe
much ability and far too much energy
Nor Is it beyond the realm of proba-
bility that Senator Moses may become
candidate again for public Office
within a comparatively short time II
has been rumored that the youthful
Governor, Winant, who was reelected
two weeks ago, has in mind coming
to the Senate. Four years hence Sena.
tor Keyes of New Hampshire, Repub-
lican, comes UP for denomination, and
if he wins, for reelection. Gov Wi.
nant may or may not have covetous
eyes en- this Senate seat. Much may
happen in four years time. Further
more, in 1896 another presidential cleo.
ton will be On. IF the Democrat:
prove successful in their administration
Republican nomination in New
Hampshire may not be so valuable as
it is today.
Friends of Senator Moses have IL in
for Gov. Winent. They say that it was
the treachery of the Winant forces. il
not of the Governor himself, which
caused the defeat CT Senator Moses fof
reelection. They point to Winant
strongholds which gave the Governor a
big vote but which gave Moses very
few votes. Senator Moses himself il
not talking about this alleged treachery
although he may be thinking lot. He
is not the kind to work up alibis fol
defeat. But if the Moses people are
convinced that Winant deliberately
double crossed Senator Moses in this
campaign, the Governor may have his
troubles the next time he comes before
the people for elective Office Moset
and Winant have headed different fac
tions Of the Republicans of New Hamp-
shire. Everything possible was done by
the Moses outfit in the last eight
months to smooth things out for the
@. p. and to have combined front
for the reelection of Moses and Winant
Senator Moses did what he could for
Winant dtring the campaign. But il
the Moses supporters are correct, Gov
Winant did mighty little campaigning
for the Senator, if any.
X
Norman Thomas, the Socialist candi-
date for President, has found an alibi
for his failure to run UP the 1000, ,00C
votes which were predicted for him. He
says that the trouble lay in the fact
that all the protest vote was cast fOI
Roosevelt out of blind hate for Hoover
and therefore the Socialist ticket die
not get as many votes as it might have
reasonably expected. Many Of the pro-
testing voters, he insists, aR really
Socialists and convinced that m social
ism Is the remedy that must be found
for the country's ills. 1t would appear
however, that Mr. Thomas failed to con-
vince the protesting voters that RooSe-
velt and the Democrats are of the same
stripe, economically and politically, al
are President Hoover and the Republi-
cans. Mr.. Thomas assailed Roosevelt
as vigorously as he did Hoover in his
campaign speeches. The fact that
Thomas received only about soc, ,00C
votes, or less than third Of the ex-
pected vote for the Socialist party, in
dicates to many that the country, after
all, is not looking to socialism, but Is
sticking 10 ltS knlttlng ana the Demo-
Gratis.
& 4 X +
The vets and drys are lining up for
the coming struggle in Congress over
prohibition. The beer thing, after all,
is merely the froth. Repeal of the
eighteenth amendment, or its definite
revision so as to permit States to be
wet If they desire. is the main battle.
And as sentiment is going today, 1t
would be difficult to pick out thirteen
States which surely would vote against
change in the Constitution on the
prohibition question. 1t used to be the
boast of the drys that never could the
vets obtain the vote of three-fourths
of the States needed to change the
prohibition amendment. But the pro-
hibitionists no longer can count on the
"arid West" nor on Maine, for example.
in the far Northeast. -
n 4 4 4
With both the Republican and DEM
ocratic national platforms pledging the
submission of constitutional amend
ments wrecking the eighteenth amend
ment, it appears there Is q real chance
- "a