Evening star., 1933-12-26

President Rooeevelt's skill as a har-
monizer is seen in the resignation OF
George N. Peek from chief official of
the A. A. A. to become director of
committee which will have charge OF
efforts to increase exports. Laudirg
the Presidents poise, and voicing the
belief that he Is never disturbed by
what is commonly called the shake
up in his administration organization"
the Charlotte Observer observes that
six months ago President Roosevelt
selected Peek to work ou. methods
for developing a new American COM
merce abroad. but had assigned him
to the agricultural job until the time
arrived to take up the matter Of re-
opening the foreign markets to ab-
sorb the surpluses of the American
farms" The Observer adds that "lt
is not Of record that any circumstance
has transpired of nature to upset
the Presidents established smooth
temper
President Roosevelt's role "as a
harmonizer'' is emphasized by the
Newark Evening News, referring to the
conflict between Mr.. Peek and Prof.
Tugwell.' The Evening News advises:
The administration could easily be split
to pieces if the opposing groups were
set against one another to fight it out.
By no means the least important part
of the Presidents job is to exercise his
great adroitness and persuasion to keep
these groups from flying at one an
others throats.'' The Providence Bull
letln voices the Judgment as to the
White House attitude: Mr.. Roosevelt
acts as mediator between the so-called
conservatives and So-called radicals in
the administration. He pacifies one and
continue this middle-of- -the-road posi-
tiOn without danger Of offending both Is
an issue that goes to the very heart
of his program"
The transfer of Mr. Peek from his
agriculture position, in the opinion of
the Albuquerque IN. Mex Journal,
the department to work out new deal
theories, particularly those aiming at
the regulation of profits and the redis-
tribution of national income" That
paper concludes: "The farmers and live
stock producers hope the brain trust
members can make their theories work.
They sound reasonable"
George Peek, having given part OF
the best years of his life to the restora-
ton Of American agriculture" says the
Omaha World Herald, 'is going to
tackle the problem from another angle
and in q broader field" The World
Herald holds that the Democratic party
is pledged "to a reduction of the tow
ering tariff walls" and concludes that
cit IS in the direction of revived in
ternational commerce the President is
now moving" The necessity for find
ing suitable imports to assist in ex-
tending American exports in foreign
trade pointed to by the Chicago Daily
News, with the assumption that Mr..
purchasing agent, as well as super
salesman, to do his job we'll" The
Daily News adds that "in addition to
creating new markets, he must discover
what this country can afford to accept
in payment for the goods it exports" :"
against those who "avowedly desire a
planned society"
Taking up the record OF Mr.. Peek in
the position from which he now departs,
tends that "he did much more harm
than good In the A. A. A." The News
explains that he made team work with
Secretary Wallace impossible" and "set
up an organization of his own which
was not efficient" In opposition to this
view is the statement Of the st. Paul
Dispatch that IF the farmers of the
West were consulted, there Is no doubt
where their choice would lie": that las
between Mr.. Peek and the professors of
the brain trust they would certainly
choose to hare their viewpoint repre-