The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-12-07
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National Topics Interpreted - 1lIMuE
by William Bruckart knk1Ijd1

seasoned ODSeTNtTe Size IL up. heiho.sf
that the Republican party eventually
will be the completely conservative
party and the Democrats will carry
the banner of the liberal thought OF
the country.
Pursuing this reasoning further. IL
Is made to appear that eventually we
may see the party divisions formulated
sharply In accordance with the type OF
commerce and Industry In each ser
tion Of the country. For example. the
manufacturing cities of the East may
be expected to be hide-bound conserv-
alive as one extreme. while hard-driv'
en- farm areas In the Middle West may
as naturally be expected to go I'D
eral, II not radically liberal Liberal
and conservative thought obviously oil
vide on economic lines The stage
seems to be set for contamination OF
that which has been In the making
since the "Bull Moose days When
Theodore Roosevelt bolted the kepuo
leans.
General johnson, the national re
coYery administrator, burst out WITH
new threat the
Johnson's other day, and the
I'll. chorus Of chortles
that 1t evoked leads
me to believe he has moved out on the
wrong foot. The general, once
hard boiled cavalry officer VINO re
mains hard boiled, says that the FED
eral government Is going to police
business unless business policies itself
under the codes of fair competition.
All of which is possible. OF course, Dnf
In my wanderings around the capital
city and In conversations with DUST
ness men from other parts OF the coun
| try. | feel that the general would be
| biting off more than he can chew II ne
proceeds far ON the program Implied
| by his announcement
| There can be no honest doubt thai
"chiseling." as Mr.. Roosevelt de
scrIbed 1t, Is taking place In almost
every community to greater or less
extent. 1t Is evident to anyone taking
| the trouble to look about him. There
are hundreds OF businesses that have
/ signed the codes of fair competition
with their fingers crossed. They knew
Ii would be dangerous to refuse TO
sign and SO they signed In order to get
the famed blue eagle Insignia. but
i they had no intention Of living UP 70
their obligation. 1t IL sad common.
tary. yet 1t Is true. that certain ele-
ment Of business, and quite large
element at that, cannot be trusted.
SO, as / see the problem, perhaps
General Johnson Is right In demanding
that business be polced. The weak
ness OF his plan, however, is Inherent
In the scheme for controlling business
Federal control necessarily means thai
the national government has to Inject
itself into the private affairs OF all
and that Is the sort of thing that led
up to repeal of the Eighteenth amend
ment. People resented interference
from the government In their personal
affairs.
Then, there Is another phase OF ths
problem, difficulty as applicable Il
prohibition as 1t Is In General John
sons plan. Thousands of persons vii
be required for this policing JOB, JUS
as thousands were used In prohibition
enforcement. There will be as many
or more. "meddlesome mattles' get IN
to the Johnson police as were fount
In the prohibition police, and Their
will be some few stralght-out crook
get Jobs. The meddlesome individuals
either through fanaticism or through
q misguided sense Of duty, will ST.
up more fuss in few minutes tina
they ought to stir up In year
Crooks, If any get In, will "bleed
business which will be forced to pa
for protection, exactly as occurred !
the case of prohibition.
, washington newspaper correspond
ents who devote their time to writin
OF financial affair
Norgenthau In the treasury hav
Backs DoDn lately ~, come N . ,arons
brief, battle with the new acting Sc
rotary. Henry Morgenthau, Jr.
, sooner had Mr.. Morgenthau, who
: only .forty-two years old, been \
\ stalled as acting secretary, than !
4 sought to curb the rights OF the co
i respondents by forbdding his snho
: dlnates to talk with the writer's.
i was censorship, II ever censorship WI
! ATTEMPTED. The writer's rose up
q righteous wrath and with an annnunc
g ment that there would be no compr
mise on the principle
: The battle lasted. as matter
Z fact, only three days before the az
!, ing secretary called the correspon
:, ents to his office to invite them
= agree" TO a modification OF his ga
= rule. lie was met with an absolu
IN