Evening star., 1933-12-29

BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,

President Roosevelt's mountainous
mail is not loaded exclusively with holi-
day greetings 1t always happens on
the eve of a presidential message to
Congress that our Chief Executives hear
copiously from the country urging them
to recommend this. that and nearly
everything under the sun in the annual
report" on "the state OF the Union"
In times like these Vex Populi is
particularly indefatigable proponent of
panaceaS for the Nation In addition to
suggestions from altruistic souls honestly
anxious to help the President administer
the Governments affairs there are in
Vulnerable persons and interests with
axes to grind or hobbies to promote,
and who indulge In the vain hope that
by hook or by crook they can sell their
ideas to the White House and have them
put before the country in the Presidents
message to Congress. Mr.. Roosevelt's
current mail Is sure to be literally
saturated with appeals of this sort.
Senator Morris Sheppard, Democrat,
of Texas has just signed the Presidents
re-employment agreement and now
proudly displays the Blue Eagle at his
quarters in the Senate Office Building.
He is the first member of the upper
house to indulge in this distinction.
The author of the lately departed
eighteenth amendment has six en-
ployes and they've all been put on
shorter hours. He Is an advocate Of
fewer hours for Senators themselves
and would like to see 1t made q rule
that the Senate Office Building knocks
off daily at S pm He thinks less work
and more golf would not only improve
Senators health, but increase their use
fulness to the country.
DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler, presi-
dent of Columbia University, in his
annual report has just glorified brain
trusts as 'the hope of democracy" He
argues that so-called practical" guides
of public policy have wrecked world
business. DR.. Butler doubtless takes
pride m the fact that the Roosevelt
brain trust contains such a prepon-
derance of Columbia professors. An
unofficial estimate Is that no fewer
than 100 of them are now manning
strategic posts in Washington, mainly
young lawyers and economists. Some
of them continue their teaching duties
at Columbia for a few hours a week
when they can take time of from the
Washington campus. Cynics say the
college song Of the new deal is: Co
lumbia. the Germ Of the Notion"
John Hays Hammond, who Is spend
ing the Winter in California, tele-
graphed the National Press Club this
week: II send you all cordial greet
ings and best wishes for the new year.
Though absent, you are ever present
in my affectionate regard" Since the
foundation of the club 25 years ago
Mr. Hammond has remained one of its
most ardent associate members and de-
voted friends. Once upon time-to
be exact, on the occasion Of President
Taft's Inauguration. on March 4, 1909
when the club exchequer was nothing
to write home about, the famous min
ing engineer rented at fancy figure
all the windows Of the old quarters at
Fifteenth and F. streets northwest for
the inaugural parade. The resultant
revenue, old-timers recall, was practi-
cally a life-saver. Mr.. Hammond was
a prime mover in the project which led
to the erection Of the present monu-
mental National Press Building.
Ed. r. isn't the only high oflcial
in washington with bulging mail bag
Members Of Congress who have already
reached Capitol Hill for the coming
session, especially Senators. are also
Inundated by correspondence. A con-
siderable part Of it consists Of kicks
from the smaller business element OF
the country. clamoring for relief from
what it thinks are various N. r. A.
hardships A good deal is going to be
said in Congress about the plight OF
the "little fellow" Senator David A.
Reed, Republican, of Pennsylvania Is
hearing extensively from business con-
stituents on various irksome phases OF
the recovery and emergency set-up.
Reeds correspondence, which is typical
Of what Is reaching most Eastern and
Northern Senators, indicates widespread
anxiety over the danger Of currency
Gcbe -ennent and the uncertainty about