Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-03-07
ROBINSON PREDICTS
WARTIME POWERS
Sees Dictatorship of Com
mon Sense and Courage
in Crisis.

There is small doubt that Congress
will give to President Roosevelt the
wartime powers" if necessary, to wage
war against the forces of fear and de-
preston in meeting the present Crisis,
Senator Joseph T. Robinson of Arkan-
sas. Democratic leader of the Senate,
declared last night III the National
Radio Forum. arranged by The Star
and broadcast oTer a coast-to-oast net
work of the National BroadcaSting Co.
Hailing the new Presidents inaugural
speech as the answer to the prayer OF
the American citizen for leadership,
Senator Robinson declared:
Now if we on Capitol Hill fail to put
into effect the requisite measures to
overcome the unparalleled unemploy-
ment, to bring back our financial sys-
tenn to order and efficiency, to bring
the Government revenue necessary to
trIance the budget, and to so reduce
t costs of Government that they can
be met by the taxes an Impoverished
people can paw, l feel sure that Con-
greSs will meet the Presidents desire
and give him wartime powers. l be-
lieve this because it is manifeStly absurd
to ask the President to co things that
must be done and at the same time
deny him authority for doing them.
Has No Idea of Dictatorship.
Il, for one, have no idea of this re-
ailting in dictatorship, other than the
dictatorship of hard. common sense.
courage and concern for the whole peo-
pie Yet, I suppose, We frequently hear
the term applied in its despotic sense
by partiSanS without a plan OF their
own. and who are perhaps fearful that
the interests with which they are par
ticularly concerned may have to share
in the sacrifice that will have to be
made in the interest of all. I am think
Ing, particularly. OF those who had
reason to SILVER when the President
said Saturday:
Finally in eur progress toward re-
sumption of work, we require two safe
guards against q return Of the old order;
there must be strict supervision OF all
banking and credits and investments,
there must be an end to speculation
with other peoples money and there
must be provision for an adequate but
sound currency.
Robinson Counsels Patience.
The text of Senator Robinson's ad-
dress follows:
Our country has been looking to
Washington for leadership that would
conduct it out of the plight in which
1t finds itself That is why the inau-
guration of new President last Sat
urday was such a bright and hopeful
happening. Nobody expected, OF course,
that the coming of Mr.. Roosevelt to the
White House would result in an over
night translation of the panic into a
boom A depression that has been
years in developing is not to be ended
forthwith by the mere substitution OF
one set of officials for another. 1t Is
fol, 1oOiclafinn and
administration to start this country on
the upgrade after SO long a coast from
hectic prosperity to the situation that
compelled a suspension Of business by
almost every bank in the country. Many
many factors have contributed to the
depression; these must be taken one by
one in detail which is no short process
The difference between today and last
Friday is the change in public psychol-
ogy HopefulneSS has succeeded de-
spair. The country sees that positive
action is to succeed inaction: that there
will be no more drifting with the down
current which gained momentum until
all sense of relative values had diSap-
peared and people were Scrambling to
buttress against the next shock. That
Is why the boarding of money reached
such proportions as to make 1t lmpoS-
sible for the banks to stand the strain
of Withdrawals. Now We may look for
a steady, if not rapid, return Of conf
dence The confidence that we have
at the head of the Government man
who knows that no paper dam can
check tho River Of Doubt, and proposes
to do whatever is necessary to accom-
plish the imperative necessity, will
beget the confidence that means the
return of funds from hiding; the re-
sumption of investments and industrial
activity, the realization that there Is
better use of money than to keep it
hidden under the mattress or in safe
deposit vault. So, gradually, the ghosts
will be laid, and people will be able to
walk abroad in their businesses un-
vexed by the fear that every venture is
perilous and that civilization is on the
verge of collapse.
1 have listened to many inaugural
addresses. which have varied only in
the difference of expression Of generali-
ties: which have not been meant to do
much more than to satisfy precedent.
Saturdays address was one of the few
that attempted to outline to the peo-
pie the course a President meant to
take, and actually to convey what a
President had in mind. President