The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1933-09-07
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
By FRANK P. LITSCHERT

No matter how great or how small
is the final success of the govern
ment's drive for national recovery as
eXemplified by the n. R. A, it must
be admitted that the people of the
country, in general, have entered into
the plan with a whole-heartednes
that is reminiscent of the days of the
World War when we were asked to
grow more wheat, eat less wheat, and
buy more Liberty Bonds. The govern
ment enjoys a unanimity of support
which has seldom been seen in the
United States in time of peace. News
papers and leaders of both political
parties have supported the President
and his administration, and have re-
Trained from open criticism, prefer
ring to give the plan chance to work
itself out in the hope that prosperity,
or at least something approaching it,
might be returned to the nation.
=
We in the United States have looked
upon it as a drive to end the depres-
sion, and we have entered into agree
ments which we hope and believe are
in the most part temporary, as are
sacrifices made in time of war, to be
used solely for defeating the enemy,
which is in this case the depression.
We have not felt tbat we have under
gone any fundamental change in our
form of government and we are hope
full that the good old days" of indi
vidual initiative will return again
when the cloud of depression has
passed away.
What outspoken criticism there has
been of the relief scheme has come
principally from Europe, where,
strange enough, Uncle Sam having
once been regarded as the mainstay
of individualism and capitalism, is
now believed to be embarking on a
course which may lead him directly
1HlO SOClCIlolll. ilN StiSiNiSiAAt "a
course, comes principally from the
conservative press. For example, one
right wing French paper, of interna-
tional reputation. Les DEBATE, declares
that "the astounding Rooseveltian adj
venture reveals that the entire country
is launched upon the most feverish
socialism without anyone in the Uni
ted States wishing to admit that that
is what it is" This statement will
serve to explain the somewhat fever
ish interest with which European
politicians are watching our expert
ment For if it should turn out that
they were right in their assumptions,
then indeed one of the last bulwarks
of individualism would be swept away,
and the very one on which the indi-
vidualists have always depended to
stem the socialist-communist tide in
the final hour of peril.
Il 4
While the majority of Americans
will not agree with the statement of
the French newspaper quoted above,
vet it is we'll at times to pause for a
moment and read what our neighbors
think of us. In the meantime it is
we'll worth repeating that no Presi-
dent, in times of peace, has ever had
so nearly unanimous support in work
ing out administrative plans. Mr..
Roosevelt could hardly ask for more
along this line. The situation is a
very pleasant and striking one when
we compare it with the support or lack
of support accorded the preceding adj
ministration. Then, it will be set down
in history, criticism and sniping COM
menced almost with the day the ad-
ministration went into power. The
present administration must be great
ly gratified that it has been accorded,
since it's Inauguration, the almost COM
plete bipartisan support that was de-
MED its predecessor.