Evening star., 1932-05-06
Mr.. Hoover Speaks His Mind.

ammunition.
Congress had just passed a pleasant
day the House disposing of the Muscle
Shoals leasing bill and the Senate lis
tening with customary respect and in
terest to Senator Borahs views on sill
yer, reparations, disarmament and
'timid" leadership. The President and
economy and taxes had for the time
being been forgotten when, without
warning. the attack began. If 1t caught
the Democratic leaders in House and
Senate unaware, they did their best for
a quick muster Of forces and wits in
counter attack.
And this counter attack is as inter
esting as the thing that brought it on.
The counter attack was lcveled, of
course, at the President. He vas, in
terms suitably dignified for the occa-
sion, roundly denounced for the mes
sage. But why? The message for the
most part was mere recitation of
what everybody who has been following
the proceedings of Congress during the
last six weeks already knows. Its most
blistering indictment was contained in
this accurate and condensed statement
OF recent history:
The manner in which the House of
Representatives rejected both the rev.
enue program proposed by the Treas
ury and the program unanimously re-
ported by the Committee ON Ways and
Means; the character of the tax meas
ures passed. the action Of the House
which would increase governmental ex-
penditures by s132 100000 for road
building; the action further to enlarge
expenditures in non-SerVice connected
benefits for the Veterans Bureau at
the very time when the House was re-
fusing to remedy abuses in these same
services; the virtual destruction of both
the national economy program pro-
posed by the executive officials and the
program of the special House Commit
tee on Economy: the failure of the
House to give adequate authority for
early reduction Of Government bureaus
and commissions; the passage of leg
islation by the House placing burdens
Of impossible execution upon the Fed
eral Reserve system over the protest of
the Federal Reserve Board: the threat
of further legislation looking to un-
controlled inf1ation-hsve all resulted
in diminishing public confidence and
offsetting the constructive, unified ef-
forts of the Executive and the Congress
undertaken earlier in the year for re-
covery of unemployment and agricul-
ture.
Senator Robinson in the Senate and
Representative Rainey in the House
were quick to reply. What was the
nature of the reply9 From Senator
Robinson, a complaint that it was
easier to say that the budget ought to
be balanced than to balance it.; that it
was easier to speak in general terms
than to suggest specific sources, for in
stance, of taxable revenue; that one
of the chief difficulties now encoun-
tered in Congress results from the lack
Of accurate administration estimates of
revenue needs. And in the House Mr..
Rainey criticized the President along
the same general lines, the absence of
definite recommendation and the fact
that the deficit began to accumulate
nearly three years ago and nothing was
done about it.
"* There has never been crisis
in which the opposition party in Con-
gress have given such helpful support
to an administration in the enactment
of legislation" said Senator Robinson
And that statement. as far as pledges
for support from the Democratic lead
ers in Congress is concerned. is true
statement. If the intentions Of Demo-
cratic leadership meant anything, the
Presidents message would never have
been sent.
But can the Democratic leaders, or,
for that matter, the Republican leaders
in Congress, quibble over the declara-
ton of fact In the Presidents message?
Is it true, or Is 1t not true, that Con-
gress has taken the bit in its teeth and
gone on an unprecedented and leader
less rampage? Do the Democratic
leaders in Congress indorse the farce
that has been made of economy and
the farce that is being made OF raising
revenue the clamor for veterans votes
at the expense of the Treasury, the
leg pulling and log rolling disguised as
revenue-raising taxation, the schemes
for starting the printing presses to in
fate the currency?
Responsible Democratic leadership IN
the House and Senate have from the
beginning of this session sought, with
a few exceptions, to forget party lines
and to work for the Nation. 1t was
Democratic Ways and Means Commit
tee Of the House that framed and re-
ported a revenue bill drawn up along
lines suggested by the administration.
1t was a Democrat who brought the
House Economy Committee to the
White House in non-partisan confer
ence. 1t was Democratic leadership IN
both Houses that fought for passage OF
the Reconstruction Finance Corporation
legislation, the Glass-Steagan 1egisla-
ton and other measures designed to
aid recovery.
But that leadership has crumbled
and everybody knows it. The Presi-
dents message is a challenge to Con-
gress to restore it, and there can be no
reply until it has been restored.
Psychoanalysis might have been OF
considerable advantage II II could have