The Washington times., 1933-05-11
GILBERT SELDES

Roosevelt came in connection with the words explain
ing that his projects do not involve control OF dusy
right, and will have the right after surveying and
planning for industry, to prevent with the assist
of the overwhelming majority OF that industry
authority of the Government" And instead of over,
wheming majority" the paper printed "overVheImed
majority"
One-Way Radio
Setting aside the question whether the Government
will or will not be the overwhelming partner IN IN
dustry, and the other problems brought up by the
Presidents speech prefer to rec0rd @ an en1rey IT, tH G
economic idea which came to me while listened II IS
that the White House radio connection IS all one way
The President has found way to address the people,
but it is little impractical for the 12OOOOOOO clzens
to approach microphone and broadcast to the White
House. So far Mr. Roosevelt has explained the thngs
wanted explained and given US the we
wanted. But contact with population like ours IS
difficult thing to maintain.
Reports from Washington indicate that resembles,
little the early days of the Peace Conference in Parls
everyone there who thinks this is the golden oppor-
tunity to put through muchneeded reform Lobbyists
even more experienced also abound In other ways
Congress and the President hear what the country
wants; by letters and wires and by what they learn OF
such direct action the farmers IN Iowa nave taKen
I think better methods could be enVolVed
Go to Meeting
For instance the town meeting. In most books from
elementary texts in cvcs to learned discussions about the
future of democracy it stated that the town meeting
was the first form of democratic government in
America and that with the growth of the country the
town meeting at which all the citizens were present.
became unwiedy, so that representatives had to be
elected The town meeting may be awkward for passing
laws; it remains perfect medium for expressing our
wants.
Parallel to the town meeting is the ward district
club of the big cities Divide your city off into enough
small sections take these sections out of politics by re-
moving from them all power except the power to ex-
press opinion and you have instrument by which you
can make known your wants.
The odd thing is that the own-meetingtype of demo-
cracv should have been renvented by totally undemo
cratic government-tha of Russia The original Sovlets
rose from groups of workers and soiersthey used to
he called Worksos in the cable dispatches of the period
For political pressure these groups elected representa-
tves saying that they wanted the to end and
the land to be divided the peasants they spoke
directly.
Puzzled People
The President might invite to come together in such
groups to tell him worries and to indicate not only
what we would like him to do but what would like
him to explain to In spite of the radio far
away from Washington Unless organized we
have lobby to represent us purely as citizens
It is part of business to try to understand what is
happening in the world, and the world grows more in
terestng with every bit of understanding l get
But like everyone ese 1 have been dsmayed, mysfed
who have no professional interest in political and
nomic affairs encounter pathetic desire for reassur
ance entirely loyal ambition to do something, to
press worries, to sign testimonials of fath to ask for
simple explanations. No medium to canaliZe these
tions exists, and I think the Government would be
stronger in it's hold the people if it found way to
restore the town meeting and give tWoway wire to