The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-06-28
Today and TOmOrrOlu
Crossing the Line
By WALTER LIPPMANN

Not only is it necessary to sur mount partisanship and to resist he pulling and the pushing of the old friends, the political buddies and the fixers who will be moving upon Washington, but it will be necessary also to overcome old grudges and personal spites. It might as well be said frankly and
 in the open what close observers at the capital are saying private ly, namely, that in choosing men the test as to whether they sup ported MT. Roosevelt for the nom nation is being applied altogether too rigidly. By that test too many men whom the Administra- ton very much needs will be re- jected, and then irritated, and fi- nally turned into an opposition.
 It is true that many of the most prominent of these men have con- nections with interests which this Administration hopes to regulate and control, and it is quite right that men having such connections should be scrutinized with special care. But it would be a silly il- Fusion to suppose that line can be drawn between the public-spir- tied and those having private in terests by remembering the lineup on MT. Roosevelt's candidacy. That this illustration is not absent would I think, be admitted by those ob- servers who have watched closely and have no other interest but to see things as they are.
 But even if the Administration puts aside partisanship, factional- ism, and personal revenge, even if it is successful in selecting it's administrators and wise in it's de- cisions, it cannot alone insure the success of this vast national pro- gram. The Administration can lead. It can guide. It can deter mine principles and settle disputes. The actual carrying out of such measures as the farm and the in dustrial bills will depend upon the organized farmers, organized labor and the organized manufacturers and merchants. These measures make possible the largest experi- ment in economic selfgovernment ever attempted in this country. The successes and the failures, for there will be both, will be deter mined by the enlightenment and the economic statesmanship of farmers, labor leaders and busi- ness men.
 Under these laws they can pro- duce intolerable abuses and im- mense scandals. These are the in- herent possibilities of an experi- ment of this kind. If the men who organize the cooperation which these laws permit are foolish, short-sighted, greedy for quick profits and for little advantages they will discredit the whole ex- pertinent. Let them not imagine that there will be no reaction if they are being allowed. The re- action will be swift and drastic, and they will not like it when it comes. So it will not be enough for the honest and enlightened men in an industry to keep their own hands clean. Under these laws the honest and enlightened are required for their own pro- lection to fight the racketeers, the profiteers and the shysters within their trades.
 I do not mean to convey the impression that the program en- acted cannot be successfully exc cuted. On the contrary, it seems to me reasonable to hope that it can be. But the chances of suc- cess will be vastly improved if all concerned realize clearly that we are now crossing the line which separates legislation from admin istration and that whereas we have been discussing plans and principles, we have now to con- centrate on decisions and actual ities.