Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-22
DR.. Sprague Steps Out.


At the urgent request" of the Roose-
welt administration DR.. o. M. w.
sprague, an American, left his post
IS economic adviser to the Bank OF
England and came to the Treasury In
q somewhat similar capacity, with the
title of financial and executive as
sistant to the Secretary. His resigna-
ton yesterday has for some time been
r,lmored as forthcoming. 1t may be
assumed that he has been debating
with himself the choice between loyalty
to certain economic principles, in the
exposition Of which he has gained
respect in this country and abroad,
and loyalty to his chieftain, the Presi-
dent
But the matter was apparently de-
eided for him. DR.. Sprague found
himself in the position not only of an
adviser whose opinions were disre-
garded, but of an adviser whose opin-
ions were not sought. There was OBJ
viously nothing to be gained, beyond
his personal discomfort and embarrass-
ment, by remaining in a post deprived
of the functions for which it was Gre
ated.
DR.. sprague might have stepped
out quietly, as Mr.. Acheson did few
days ago, and gone on his way. Tight
Tipped, he would have escaped any pos
sible criticism for rocking the boat.
The strongly worded resignation which
he made public, however, represented
the deliberate choice of the other
course. And this choice he explains as
follows:
have retained my present position
for many weeks, hoping against hope
that wiser counsels might prevail.
have now reached the conclusion that
there Is no defense from a drift into
unrestrained imitation other than an
aroused and organized public opinion.
It is for the purpose Of contributing as
I may to such movement that, with
feelings Of profound disappointment.
sever my connection with your admin
stration.
From the dawn Of the dark day when
the Roosevelt administration took over
the reins Of national Government 1t
has enjoyed an extraordinary degree Of
confidence, respect and loyalty from the
people. The critics have been few.
What criticism there was has been the
expression Of doubt, rather than Of
antagonism or condemnation. But even
the expressions Of doubt have been
modified by the admissions that no
President ever had a more difficult or
more intricate task than that which
Mr.. Roosevelt faced, and few cures, no
matter how radical the operating
methods, could be worse than the
disease.
If the various experiments" of the
new administration have been in some
quarters skeptically received, the skep-
ticism was not because they were ex-
periments but because the various
steps symbolized as experiments bore
discomforting resemblance TO an at
tempt to transform certain facts, hith-
srto regarded as having been established
by experience, and to call them by an
other name. But If there has been a
passive and even hopeful acceptance of
extraordinary experiments in some d.
Tections, the administrations apparent
acceptance Of questionable theory or
philosophy regarding currency and its
subscription to belief in an ability to
reach certain ends by currency manipu-
1ation have not been accepted passively,
or with any hope. by large element
Of the population. The hope that cur
rency experiments were, in truth, ex-
periments in new fields has gradually
become dimmed, for they have taken
on the familiar aspects Of other expert
the results Of which have not been gen.
orally regarded as encouraging. DR..
Sprague is one of an increasing num-
Der of seriously thinking men who have
reached the conclusion that loyalty to
their President and to their country
does not call so much for an affirmative
'.yes" as for an emphatic no
His measured words, coupled with
the unusual and somewhat dramatic
occasion Of their Inference, may have
no immediate effect in altering the
course Of events. They will serve,
and DR.. Sprague intends that they
shall serve, as a rallying point for
those who actively dissent from the
Presidents apparent choice Of theories
regarding currency manipulation. If
the country is headed, as DR.. Sprague
believes, toward all the evils Of wild
imitation, no good American will sur
render his right to object and to fight
for what he believes to be the right.
In the Government and out Of 1t the
President has friends and advisers who
will feel that they can best serve him by
avoiding the open declaration Of dissent
chosen by DR.. Sprague, but who never
theless will seek to dissuade him from
. course which appeals to them as
being as dangerous as it seems to DR..
Sprague.