Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-27
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

President Roosevelt is looking more
and more to international cooperation
Is the means Of bringing this country
and the rest Of the world out Of the
big depression, 1t appears. a. the topic.
Of conversation between the President
the representatives Of Great Britain
and France are disclosed. For exam.
pie, the suggestion that the United
States will be willing to enter . ICON.
sultative pact" In order to strengthen
the Kellogg BRAND treaty, in which
the nations renowned war as a means
Of settling international disputes, ha.
apparently been made. Furthermore
1t seems to have been indicated tina!
the United States might be willing tc
revise the war debts provided agree
ments on ornaments and trade barriers
could be reached. At the economic con-
ference which Is to be held in June in
London, the question Of the war debts
Il to be tncluded-a subject which
heretofore has been taboo by the Amer
lean Government. There seems to be
q distinct swing back to the policies OF
the Wilson administration, policies
which were thrown into the discard
after the 1920 presidential election.
* t.
President Roosevelt has indicated
that before the present session of the
Congress winds up he will ask of it pow.
ers to deal with the foreign debts and
to deal also with the tariff, through his
powers Of negotiation as Chief Executive
If he does, he quite likely will stress
the need Of world corporation to obtain
relief from the present-day conditions
and point out that the hope Of the world
lies in the Geneva Disarmament Con-
ference and the London Economic Con-
ference. The President Is far more
fortunate in the set up in America to-
day than was the late President Wilson
in 1919 and 1920. Mr.. Wilson's party
had been beaten at the polls in Novem.
Der, 1918. The Republicans had gained
control Of the Senate and its commit
tees. The country was fed up with the
World War and inclined to separate it.
self as far as possible from the affairs
of Europe. into which it had beer
drawn during the war. Today Mr.
Roosevelt and his party, the same party
which was led by Wilson, has recently
won an overwhelming victory. The
Democratic majority in the Senate Il
overwhelming, and the administration
has the support Of some of the Repub-
Hcan insurgents. Furthermore, the
American people are IN distress through
great unemployment. And the idea has
been dinned into their heads by Repub-
hcans and Democrats alike that the de-
preston Is q worldwide affair. Under
these circumstances the Roosevelt ad-
m1n1stration Is in a position to obtain
from the Democratic Congress assent to
foreign cooperation that Mr.. Wilson
could not win. The foreign policy OF
this country clearly seems to be chang
ing materially.
~ ~
It Is quite true that when Prime
Minister Ramsay Macdonald of Great
Britain left Washington yesterday he
told the press that there were no en-
tangling alliances, no effort to bring
the United States into the maelstrom OF
Europe. But there was distinct hope
IN the heart Of the British leader that
at last the United States was going to
abandon its policy Of isolation and Join
with the rest Of the nations In concrete
efforts to bring about peace and pros
perity, and to degree that has not
been contemplated since Mr.. Wilson left
the White House. M. Herriot, the
former prime minister of France, at
present Frances special Ambassador to
Join in these conversations with Presi-
dent Roosevelt, has expressed his pleas
ure at the altitude of the American
Government so far revealed.
How far the old "irreconcilables" In
the Senate will be willing to 60 in this
plan for cooperation with foreign
natlons q question. Only few OF
them are left in the upper house, but
tney are capable Of making quite stir
II they wish-Senator Borah OF Idaho
and Senator Hiram johnson Of Cali
lorna, Tor example. Senator Borah
has strongly urged disarmament and
has been in favor Of an economic con.
terence to discuss world affairs. Sen.
ator johnson has been adamant against
reduction OF the foreign debts to th.
country. The California Senator sup.
ported President Roosevelt in the last
campaign. Senator Borah did not Lift
hand for the Republican presidential
candidate, Herbert Hoover.
AT present the American people art
back OF President Roosevelt. They
have acquiesced In the huge grants OF
power which he asked and which Con.
gress has and Is extending to him
whether they are sufficiently inter.
national-minded to 60 to the full length
OF cooperation with foreign nations
outlined SO far remains to be seen
When Woodrow Wilson was fighting TO,
international cooperation the remark
was made that no one, individual O,
nation, can afford to be too selfish
that In the end his selfshness will fino
him out,
The present Democratic Senate /.
going back further than the Wilson
days of power. however, to adopt early
Democratic doctrine. The shade of the
late William Jennings Bryan must have
rejoiced when the Senate voted yester-
day. Al to rs, for free silver" at q
ratio with gold to be established by
the President. It is 81 years since the
silver-tongued orator of the Platte
swept like prairie ire across the
Western half Of the United States on
the issue of free silver and 16-to-1
And now not only the Democratic Sen
ate, but also the Roosevelt administra-
ton, appears to have accepted the
theory that silver must be remonetized.
Indeed, it looks as though in their eff
forts for currency imitation the present
Democratic leaders would outstr1p Col.
Bryan himself.
President Roosevelt promised the
American people during his campaign
for President q new deal" Certainly
in the change of policies now advanced,
foreign and domestic. the people are
being shown a new deal. The people
are hopeful these changed policies
new policies-will work. They are
gambling that they will. President
Roosevelt, although he be given the
wide powers of currency imitation that
he asks, may really bring about what
he calls controlled imitation" which
certainly should be better than uncon-
trolled imitation. II this country goes
to the latter, what reason has it to ex-
pect that America can make any more
of a success Of 1t than did Germany or
any Of the other nations that tried it
out?
Before the House Committee on
Labor the supporters and opponents