The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-03-16
National Topics Interpreted


the whole category
More Critics; of subjects that go
More Noise to make up the
have been impressed lately with the
predominant place now held by two
questions In the conversations one
hears about the streets, offices, clubs
and other places where men meet.
Largely to the exclusion Of other mat
tiers, one hears people trying to figure
out whether a turn has come In the
Roosevelt political luck, as one topic,
and growing comment on the prevalent
confusion within the administration,
as the other subject Of comment. True,
they constitute questions to which the
final answer Is not yet apparent, but
the thought am trying to advance
is that possibly the New Deal Is I'M
dergoing some sort of transition aft
err one year.
Attention should be called again to
the all-embracing control which Pres
ident Roosevelt hitherto has exercised
almost without effort. Anything he
said, anything he did, or anything he
proposed, was accepted. There were
few critics, and those who did criti-
cize cannot be described as highly vo-
cal. Now, however, it Is a fact that
there are more critics and they are
making noise that Is not hushed.
There are open opponents of the adj
ministration policies, not only In the
Republican ranks where 1t Is natural
they would be found, but among the
Democrats as we'll.
AS nearly as / can ascertain, the
wave of criticism that has come forth
into bloom Is traceable to one of Mr..
Roosevelt's acts, directly. The con-
fusion that has followed seems, at the
same time, to have been given birth
as result of the unexpected criticism.
Or to state the proposition in another
manner, the administration efforts to
fend off the criticism are viewed by
some observers as having formed the
basis of the confusion. | can report
only that which can ascertain to be
fact and, on appearance alone, 1t
seems Mr.. Roosevelt acted hastily on
the air mail contract cancellation and
his action Embossed an issue over
which individuals can take sides. 1t
is really the first time he has provided
the opposition with peg on which
they can hang their hats.
While the official spokesman of the
administration say there Is mo connec-
ton between the back-fire resulting
from the contract cancellation and the
several moves made by the President
since, in his far flung efforts to get
us out of the depression, am told that
these declarations are having no effect
on those who want to criticize the New
Deal schemes. The MIRA revision pro-
gram, the substitution of new billion
dollar program Of relief character
for the CWA which Administrator
Hopkins now comedies has been some
thing of flop, and the battles for leg
islation in congress, all are accepted
as showing the desire of the President
to accomplish change in the attitude
of the critics. 1t is automatic that If
people can be made to talk or think
about other things, they will forget to
voice opinions about things which they
oppose. Some say 1t is another ex-
position of the Roosevelt psychology
Of keeping peoples minds off the de-
preston.
But it has not succeeded vet.
Whether 1t will, remains to be seen.
1t is to be observed that, for the
first time, criticism of the New Deal
plans includes a siz-
Hit at able attack on the
E~rend;sures vast expenditures be-
ing made. Mr.. Roose-
welt has been spending money as fast,
II not faster. than was spent during
the World war, and many persons are
now coming forward with the asser-
ton that spending our way out of the
depression" may leave the government
with such a debt that our children's
children still will be paying on it. But
right in the face of these attacks, Mr..
Roosevelt has brought forth the CWA
substitute and request that congress
appropriate $3.50, 100000 to pay for II.
In the meantime and while the con-
fusion has become worse COMPOUNDED.
1t is to be noted that orders have gone
from the Executive offices to the Dem
ocratic leaders in congress to get new
air mail contract legislation through
In a hurry. This legislation is pred
icated on the theory that private air.
lines shall carry the air mail. Furth-
er, there is every reason to believe
now that the companies whose con-
tracts were cancelled so hastily will
be allowed to bid again for the jobs.
Postmaster General Farley main
tains the President was acting in ac-
cordance with law when he ordered
the mail contracts Cancelled Mr..
Roosevelt has said so in several differ
emit languages. The fact remains, how
ever, that 1t always has been the prac-