Evening star., 1932-11-25
beer, FARM BILLS
DEMOCRATIC AIMS
Passage of Two Measures in
December Would Prevent
Extra Session.

While war debts were the occasion OF
President-elect Roosevelt's 24-hour stop
In washington, his almost continuous
conferences with Democratic leaders
put heavy emphasis on at least two
other matters.N
The impressive net of these confer
ences is a determination to pass at once
In the coming session beer bill and a
farm relief bill, which they call the
domestic allotment" plan. They want
almost desperately to pass these meas
ures at the coming session of the old
Congress, which meets December and
ends March 4. Their wish is based on
concern for President -elect Roosevelt's
political fortunes. If they can pass
those measures in the old Congress, be-
fore March 4, then Mr.. Roosevelt Will
be without any Congress on his hands
for nine months. He will be free from
a Congress and from the embarraSs-
ments to him which it entails from
March until the first regular meeting
of the new Congress, which will be in
December of 1888.
Anxious to Avoid Session.
Mr.. Roosevelt made on other Demo-
Gratis an impression of strong anxiety
to achieve this happy immunity. II.
however, the Democrats fail to get q
beer bill and the domestic allotment"
farm plan through the present session
Of the old Congress then it win be nee
essary for Mr.. Roosevelt to call spe-
cial session OF the new Congress soon
after he takes office, March 4. As to
beer bill, Mr.. Roosevelt, during the
campaign, pledged himself to call a
special session for that purpose unless
enacted sooner AS to farm relief, Mr..
Roosevelt has not made a pledge, but
he and the Democratic leaders feel they
must pass such q bill in order to hold
the allegiance of the Western farm
States, which they had in the election.
The anxiety of Mr.. Roosevelt and the
Democratic leaders to avoid a special
session is very strong. Their anxiety
to avoid q special session and thus to
give Mr.. Roosevelt an initial nine
months Of freedom from Congress Is
based frankly on their recollection of
what happened to President Hoover in
1929. Mr. Hoover had promised spe-
cial session for farm relief. He full
filled his promise by summoning Con-
gresS within four weeks Of his taking
office That special session, the Demo-
Gratis think, was the beginning Of MIR.
Hoover's political ill-fortune. In that
special session arose the schism between
Republican, farming West and the rest
OF the Republican party, which lasts to
until this day, and caused the West to
20 Democratic In the recent election.
Now the Democrats say frankly that
they have within their party not one
but many potential schiSmS They fear
that II they call special session their
party will fly into its diverse parts.
They fear dry South may fight wet
North. Hearst and McAdoo followers
fight Smith followers. fiat-money West
fight sound-money East, Government
ownership radicals fight private-owner-
ship conservatives. From that mael-
strom and from involvement Of Mr..
Roosevelt in the center Of it, the Demo-
Gratis wish to save him and the party
for nine months by avoiding special
session. To avoid special session they
wish most powerfully to get beer and
farm relief through the coming ses-
sion Of the old Congress.
Confident Of Beer Bill.
The public, of course. has little inter
est In the Democratic party avoiding
schisms, but has much interest in
whether beer and farm relief will be
enacted during the coming four months
Of the old Congress, As to beer, the
Democrats think they can enact 1t re-
gardless of whether President Hoover
would sign or veto the particular kind
of beer bill that may be laid before
Aim. The Democrats think that with
their own strength added to wet Re-
publicans they would be able to make
up even the two-thirds majority neces-