Evening star., 1933-02-12
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The position Of Franklin Delano
Roosevelt In the counsels of the Demo-
cratic party after March becomes now
topic Of acute interest and contro-
versy.
There are those who believe that Mr..
Roosevelt, as President, will be led by
his party. They regard him as q great
thermometer, great accommodation. a
great compromiser. They think that
he will take all the various and varie-
gated and uneven and unequal projects
current in his party and act toward
them as q sort OF least common 6enom-
inator. If Senator A wants 18 and
Senator B wants "a, then President
Roosevelt, according to the theory, will
point out to the two Senators that six
goes into both 18 and "a, and thereupon
the Congress will pass six, and Presi-
dent Roosevelt will sign six, and the
country will rest In peace.
The trouble with this theory, accord
ing to its critics, Is that the country
Is likely to rest in the peace of economic
coma, unless 1t Is enlivened by legisla-
tion representing not pallid compro-
misses and pink pills. but drastic, vivid
stimulants. Now Is not the moment say
such observers, for william McKin-
ley 1t is the moment for at least q
Woodrow Wilson.
Wilson was not the best common de-
nominator of 96 Senators and 435 Rep
resentatives. He was Democratic party
destiny, as conceived by himself, plus
personality and plus popularity
which together fell upon the Congress
with an irresistible impact. Through
out the whole first reformatory period
Of his tenure Of the presidential Of
fee, he was not only the Chief Execu-
tive. He was also in practice the chief
legislator
Let Mr.. Roosevelt be like Mr.. VIII
son. That is the cry--and, in some
degree, the expectation--of those who
desire to see in Mr. Roosevelt's char
acter the budding traits Of an Ameri-
can constitutional dictator.
The guess may be hazarded that Mr..
Roosevelt might temperamentally pre-
fer the role Of q party moderator. but
that circumstances are combining and
conspiring to thrust upon him the role
Of a party master.
To begin with, the whole country lies
under q blight Of indecisiveness. This
writer has recently converSed with
multitude Of eminent intellects In the
world OF trade and in the world Of
the higher academic learning. He has
thus become the possessor Of vast
swarm Of ideas. Among all these ideas,
however there Is not one which for its
commandingness over the minds of in
duStrialists and academicians could be
called-as 1t were-the swarms queen
bee.
On the contrary, all these ideas are
buzztng in uncontrolled and contradic-
tory disorder. Among the leaders of
business and of PROFESSIONAL research
there is virtually the same multiplying
and darkening of counsel as among the
leaders Of Capitol Hill.
Some congressional leaders are
defiationists. Some are reflationists.
Some are inflationists. The most elo-
quent grafton that this writer has heard
In favor Of more currency by means Of
more silver certificates issued against
more blocks Of silver bullion was not
by Senator Pittman of Nevada It was
by one OF the most altitudinous eco
nomic authorities Of New York City.
Similarly, many non congressional
leaders would take the country up the
stairs to the next economic heaven by
the following steps:
/. Buy American" Get nothing
from abroad.
2. Subsidize a gigantic American mer-
chant marine to carry American ex-
ports triumphantly into the farthest
reaches of abroad.
3. Sending no money abroad for i'm
ports, but collecting great sums of money
abroad for exports, persevere. Make
the Europeans pay their inter-govern-
mental debts to the United States
IN, ft.1l W 10 In
gold.
4. We shall then obviously ultimately
have all the gold and other money in
the whole world
That is clear And 1t Is the cherished
philosophy of powerful element in
the political retinue Of Mr.. Roosevelt.
On the other hand, an equally power
full element in his army Of followers
an army as diverse as the Kings Of
Persia were won't to summon out Of
their l27 different peoples and provinces
is determined to ascend into pros
perity by steps as follows:
!. Reduce debts at home.
2. Reduce debts from abroad.
g. Reduce tariffs and other trade
barriers everywhere.
T. Do business, coming and going,
backward and forward, throughout
the habitable globe, and trust to the
notion that what Is good for the globe
will ultimately be good for Galesburg.
These divisions Of sentiment and Of
demand in the Notwithstanding popu-
lation Of the country are today wholly
banning to the country's elected law
makers. The reason why the Congress
displays chaotic multiplicity of
thought waves is that the country pos