Evening star., 1933-10-30
The Political Mill
By g. Could Lincoln.

Il II
TWO months hence Congress viii be
assembling in Washington. Franklin D.
Roosevelt, like other Presidents in the
past, Will have Congress on his hands.
Necessarily Congress must meet to put
through the annual appropriation bills
to keep the Government organization
running. But the Congress, House and
Senate, is the sounding board for politi-
cal elections. Next year the country
will go to the polls to elect an entire
I new House and one-third Of the mem
| bership OF the Senate. The campaign
viii start here in washington, with the
Republican and Democratic members Of
the Congress attacking and defending
| the present administration. Not all Of
the attacks Will, perhaps, come from the
Republican side. Some Of the Demo-
cratic Senators are sore as proverbial
| foils because they have not been able to
obtain all the patronage. all the ap-
pointments to Federal Office, that they
have sought.
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But one the whole, the Democrats
may be expected to back President
Roosevelt and his policies in the COM
| ing Congress practically as strongly as
period OF the administration, the special
session Of Congress which was called
last March and ended in June. They
would be particularly stupid If they
failed to do 50. They must go to the
country for reelection on the record
made by the Roosevelt administration.
They viii win or fall, according to the
approval or disapproval Of the voters Of
that very record. For the Democrats to
level harsh attacks at President Roose.
welt and his policies would merely give
| aid and comfort to their own enemies
the Republicans.
President Roosevelt has not vet dis
closed what his program of legislation
| will be for the coming session of Con-
gress. In addition to the appropria-
tion bills, 1t Is eXpsDted that Congress
will tackle liquor legislation, legislation
fixing the taxes on liquor and the
tariffs, after the repeal Of the
eighteenth amendment. Additional
banking legislation has been hinted.
| The bankers do not like the insurance
of deposits feature Of the Glass-Steagall
bank act, passed at the last session Of
Congress. But in view of the temper
Of the Congress and the temper of the
people, the bankers are not likely to
get very far in efforts to repeal that
| legislation There will be efforts. too,
| to amend the securities act, so as to re-
lieve members Of the boards of corpo-
rations from personal liability If any
! misleading statements are made by the
officers and publicity departments Of the
corporations Here, too, however. there
will be determined opposition to the
proposed amendments Too many per-
sons have been victfmized in the pur-
| chase of securities to bring much SYM
pathy for the change now demanded.
1t seems that there will be no effort
to bring about q general revision Of the
tariff. or that any extensive tariff legis-
lation Is likely to be sought. The Pres
ident has been given ample powers to
| deal with tariffs and even enbargoes,
to protect American producers and
American labor from importations Of
cheap foreign goods and the tariff
| liquor, unless, indeed, the President
may be deemed already fully empowered
to deal with the duties on liquor.
+ X y y
One fight which looms with the ap-
proach Of Congress is that in connection
with veterans compensation. There
and his supporters put through legiS-
lation last Spring and Summer calcu-
lated to eliminate hundreds of thou
tion rolls. The President when he
addressed the convention of the Amer
ican Legion not long ago, said in no
uncertain terms that compensation
should be limited to those veterans
| whose disabilities are actually connected
with the military and naval service.
| The Legion has not gone along with
that bluntly enunciated policy. Dur
ing the Summer special boards have
been looking into the cases Of thou.
| that a very large number who have
been receiving compensation will be
dropped from the rolls. With Con-
gressional elections coming on, the con-
test over veterans compensation may
become bitter and the President may
need the support Of every man he can
rally ON Capitol Hill.
The debts owed by foreign nations
to the United States may come before
the Congress for consideration, though
| what that body could do about them
Is not yet clear. Much will depend
upon any recommendations the Pres
| ldent may make with reference to the
debts. Cancellation or curtailment of
the debts. with an election around the
corner. seems unlikely and the debtors
may be left In default.
Another foreign question which Is ex-
pected TO come before Congress is the
recognition OF Soviet Russia. Russian
recognition by this country Is expected
promptly after the approaching visit
here Of Litvinoff, the Soviet foreign
minister. If trade or other treaty with
Russia is negotiated, 1t must be ratified
BY the Senate. The consideration OF
treaties by the Senate. which for many
years was conducted behind closed
doors, IS now carried on In the open
Senate, unless the Senate for some
special reason should vote to exclude
| the public. The Russian question NAV
be aired at considerable length, there
fore, on the Senate floor. However,
many Of the staunchest and conserva-
tive Republicans have come to the
conclusion that opposition to Russian
recognition no longer serves q good
purpose.
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The new session Of Congress, beyond
a doubt will bring q wide discussion
OF the N. r. A., the A. A. A. and the
long list Of other Government agencies
which have been set up by the admin
istration In conformity with the law,
passed at the special session dealine
with recovery. The N. r. A. has ite
critics and they have become more and
more vocal In the last few weeks. The
snowdown with Henry Ford and the de-
termination to boycott his products by
the Government unless he signs thu
automobile code and lives up to the
code has raised the back hair of 8
lot OF people who are perfectly willine
TO be LED. but who do not like to be
orlven; From patriotic motives they
are willing to 90 along with the N. r. A
But the welding of a big stick or 4
| boycott does not sit well on theiI