Evening star., 1933-05-30

Public discussion Of the brain trust, "
as the college professors among the ad-
yisers of President Roosevelt have been
dubbed, has led to estimates of the
achievements of various types of pub
lie oficials. The statement from Robert
Maynard Hutchins, head Of the Uni
versity of Chicago, before the Bond
Club of New York that the professor
is sometimes right" forms theme for
much discussion. although it is pointed
out that professors constitute only a
part of the active associations OF the
administration.
lack of experience in politics is
chalked I'D against the college faculty
members by the New York Herald
Tribune, while the Chicago Tribune
comments: "If William James, the
great American philosopher, were alive
he probably would ask his young friend,
Prof. Rexford C. Tugwel, what he
hoped to find in his machine plan OF
society as the moral equivalent OF
work" The Tribune holds that work
has been the greatest blessing forced
upon the breed" and concludes: IN
dustriaIsm, engaging human hands,
fight either of economic or esthetic
necessity. 1t is true that modern life
has provided leisure with some attrac-
tions. Man has the movies, many
highly organized sports and greater
pleasure in locomotion and change OF
scene. But, extensive as these attrac-
tions are, Mr.. Tugwell's school OF phi
losophy must use considerable mlonlght
electricity before moral equivalent OF
work will be found. 1t may well be
that absorption Of the economic conse-
ouences of the machine will be easier
than absorption Of the moral conse-
quences."
I'VE have no desire to read thoughts
into the Presidents mind" says the
Baltimore Evening Sun, but 1t looks
as If his weakness for professors does
not extend to the point of lntrusting
Jobs to them for which they are not
qualified by training" The Evening
Sun suggests that professors as al
visers and executives for admlnlstra-
tive work seem to be the rule" and
also emphasizes the point that the
business of running the country has
brought out several practical types;
that the man who is to run Muscle
Shoals. Arthur Ernest Morgan. though
recently a college president, is essen
italy and by experience practical
engineer who has administered dozen
big reclamation projects: that the
chief of industrial reorganization is
Hugh S. Johnson, ex-Army officer and
now a big business executive" and that
the relief fund is handled by Harry L.
Hopkins. "a New York professional.
The Baltimore paper concludes that
when professors present the fruit OF
their studies and experiments to officers
of the Government they make amends
for other things"
Quoting from the speech OF Presl-
dent Hutchins of Chicago University,
the Providence Journal states: He
asserted that the insult travesty could
have been avoided had the public not
scorned the repeated warnings that
issued from the universities in Chicago.
He was by no means unguarded IN his
Language. He admitted that there Is
a contribution that 1t Is the task of
the politicians to make, and another
for which the country must look TO |
its business men. But he was equally |
insistent that the unbiased scientific |
investigator, with no eye for ANYTHING
needed. and he commended President !
Roosevelt for introducing this element |
into the counsels of his administra-
ton"
Whatever criticism has been di-
rected against the Presidents advisers"
according to the Louisville Courier
Journal has come chiefly from men,
bers of Congress, who resented the in
trusion of outside counsel. But Con-
gress had shown itself unable to cope
with the serious problems. The new
deal called for the best thought, and
this Mr. Roosevelt has sought from I
experts In al fields" The Dayton
naiR AeEs yi6es that ethe United