Evening star., 1933-12-24
TUCWELL-PEEK CONFLICT
is EPTTOME OF POLITICS
Difference Over Fundamental Economic
Policies Finds Roosevelt i'm
Middle of Road.

calls the key places" OF government.
Adherents to one degree or another OF
DR.. Tugwell's philosophy, to the num-
ber OF 20 or more. occupy other strategic
points. Critics and opponents of this
radical group. business men who come
in contact with them and persons who
talk with them informally, feel that
the group Is moving quietly and grad
ticai skill, to bring about in America,
with minimum Of public attention,
change which would introduce into
America social order which would be
about the opposite of what we have
always had.
Parting Of the Ways.
What the objective is can be inferred
indirectly from a passage in the speech
George N. Peek delivered before the
American Farm Bureau Federation at
Chicago on December IL. Mr.. Peek,
himself man of simple and fortnight
mind, has been in contact with DR..
Tugwen since March last, has been
IN the same department and the same
building with him and often the same
room. In the end Mr.. Peek came so
definitely to the conclusion that his.
Mr.. Peek's philosophy of government
Is different from DR.. Tugwell's, that
the public explosion erupted. Mr.. Peek,
In his Chicago address, said:
Legitimate profits have always been
regarded in this country as proper re-
ward for individual initiative, industry
and thrift. > / am in favor Of the
profit system. There is abroad in
the land a propaganda for doing
away with the profit system. This means
no more and no less than doing away
with the institutions under which We
have all grown up and proSpered more
or less. ," further believe that under
any system of government individual
effort must be encouraged and the
property rights of the individual pro-
tected."
Mr.. Peek being still a member of the
administration with the colleague with
whom he has quarreled could not prop
erly state the definition Of his adver-
sary's position nor indeed mention DR..
Tugwell at all But all of us in Wash
ington who have followed the con-
troversy understand that when Mr.. Peek
stated his own position. retention of
the profit system and retention of the
property rights of the individual" he
was stating the opposite of DR.. Tug
wells creed. was indeed stating the is
sue between the two men.
EHmLnau0n OF fr0DLS.
In short, we understand Mr.. Peek to
mean that DR.. Tugwel's social philoso-
ply includes ultimately the elimination
of profits and of private ownership of
property. and that Dr.. Tugwell. from
his leverage within the Government
moves gradually and steadily toward
| that objective. Business men who have
come into contact with DR.. Tugwell
| have the same belief about his course;
so also have individuals who have had
casual conversations with DR.. TugweIl
and the others within the Government
| who follow his leadership.
Mr.. Peek said further. in the rather
eloquent peroration of his speech:
! Ct feel that fundamental plans should
be discussed and understood before
/ adoption: that new methods Of social
control should be clearly outlined. and
| that the people as whole should have
the right and duty to make the ultimate
| decision"
BY this passage, those of us who have
| followed the controversy feel, Mr.. Peek
meant to imply that change in our
social system and form of government
| is being brought about quietly, un-
noticeably, by a kind Of peaceful
penetration from within. The implica-
ton on Mr.. Peek's part is that if
America is to adopt new social system.
the change should come about in the
open: that the new system should be
| defined by those who propose it: that
! it should be defined as a whole, IN the
ultimate form which those who propose
it design it to have, and that the
country should pass upon the proposal
with the eyes Of all of us open.
In the relation of Mr.. Roosevelt to
: &t,A (11N&s - ~,
within his administration pushes
toward. 1t Is apparent that the radical
group does not think he is wholly with
! them; in order to hold him toward
their side they have adopted the device
of publicity threatening a group resig
nation. Friends of the existing Amer
ican system may well wish that the
conservatives within Mr.. Roosevelt's
administration should be AZ energetic
| for their older ideal as the radicals are
| for the newer one
Mr. Roosevelt himself may well wish
for greater pressure upon him from the
conservatives. If he is following a
middle course. if at each step he is tax
ing account of opinion, both the init
mate opinion within his circle and the
larger public opinion of the country,
he may well be embarrassed by failure
to receive as vigorous urging toward
the older ideal as he receives from the
ardent young eagles who press him
toward revolutionary change.
The only conservative who has taken
public stand is Mr.. Peek. The other
| eruptions that have occurred in the
administration. the designations from
the Treasury of DR.. o. w. M. Sprague
and Dean Acheson (the latter forced by
Mr.. Roosevelt) have no bearing within
the field of social revolution. Those
designations were over the currency
issue only. and the currency issue is
both apart from and greatly inferior In
importance to, the question whether
the American social system shall be
changed in a manner of which the ulti-
mate form is the only practicable word
for describing 1t in a way the average
American will understand.
Peek Is Alone.
Mr.. Peek is the only one who has
spoken and acted. While his step con-
stitutes a forthrightness which stands
alone on the record, it would seem that
| more Is called on from him. He has
brought the issue into the light; but in
the adjustment which President Roose-
welt made Of the quarrel, Mr.. Peek re-
mains within the administration, In q
new Office. removed from the scene of
the quarrel. BY remaining within the
administration. Mr.. Peek has the op-
portunity to have influence upon the
course of events.
But at this sort Of politics, the inne.
politics of the presidential circle, Mr..
Peek is utterly outclassed by Prof. Tug
> yeg- Mr.. Peek is simple, direct, forth
right: Prof. Tugwell is suave. clever,
and by the very technique of his enter
prise, indirect. Moreover, Prof. Tugwell
is an intimate of the President, as Mr.
Peek Is not. Unless Mr.. Peek does
something further, his contribution is
likely to be limited to his original action
in bringing the issue to the attention
OF the public. More than upon MIR
Peek, however, the obligation Is upor
the Democratic leaders within ths
administration, in Congress. and every.