The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-04-05

Washington. april - After
nearly a year OF hectic, spectac-
ular pioneering work in WASH
ington, it looks as II General
Ride En-" Hugh johnson was
about to shake the dust Of gov
eminent service from his feet.
There have been reports that
the high-pressure boss Of the
Blue Eagle was going to quit
before, and there was one time
last summer that he had a def
nite-though temporary - break
with the president. This time, the
general will step out--if ne
finally decided to do so--entirely
for reasons Of his own.
First Of all he is tired. He has
been working until all hours OF
the morning, has kept mp this
pace since the MIRA began. Sec
ond, he is broke, has gone into
debt heavily I'm order TO bolster
his modest government salary.
finally decides to do so-entirely
his basic idea OF Industrial self
government may not be possible
of success.
The general, therefore, has
laid tentative plans to let the
Blue Eagle fly alone probably
soon after congress adjourns.
To this end q complete recasting
of the whole MIRA set-up has
been in progress. The pyrotech-
mics of labor strikes and congress
sional bouts with the president
largely have obscured this, but
the command and policy-framing
machinery of the MIRA today is
vastly different from a month
ago.
Instead of everything revolv-
the Blue Eagle boss has decen-
tralized, has given his Number
Two men real power.
TWO FRIENDS
Johnson's netirement-when it
comes-wili not mean a break
with the administration. Roose-
welt probably has no more genu-
inely loyal and devoted supporter
than his NRA chieftain.
But despite the close friend.
ship between the two men,
despite the aIl-important place
johnson has held In Rooscvelt's
scheme of things. the unacceptable
fact is that "Iside I'm Hard"
Hugh basically is alien to the
New Deal.
MILES APART
Between the presidents fun
damental economic philosophy
I'll ~ L. ~ A.
chasm. Roosevelt is inherently
a liberal. johnson is not.
Roosevelt, for instance, ap-
proaches the root problem of
government and business from
the viewpoint that government
must rule and business be ruled.
Johnson has deep and caustic
contempt for what he calls the
"swineishness'' of business. Few
men speak more bitterly of the
stupidity, short-sightedness. and
downright incompetence of the
great mass of businessmen.
But he sees the government
business issue from q widely
diFerent angle than his chief.
Johnson's aim Is not for the gov
eminent to rule business but for
business to rule itself.
TWO NRAs
The NRA, more than any
other mans Is Johnson's crea-
ton. 1t graphically illustrates
this underlying difference be-.
tween the two men.
To the president, the MIRA is
an 1nstrumentality-still in the
formative stagc-by which the
government. after shcpherding
and guiding industry into orderly
and organized groups, will supcr.
wise and regulate It for its own,
IabOr's. and - above all - the
public's good.
To Johnson. the MIRA also Is q
shepherd and organizer. But not
by government rule. He sees the
MIRA as the initial step toward
industrial "self-government."
ON ITS OWN
Once industry has been rallied
into orderly ranks he would have
government bonds loosened. Ex-
cept for an advisory representa-
ton, johnson would then turn
over entirely to industry the job
of regulating itself.
In recent months, Johnson's
belief in the capacity of industry
to regulate itself has suffered
disheartening reverses. He has
emerged from stormy encounters
with obdurate and defiant en-
ployers. big and small, splitting
fire and damnation.
But, intrinsicalIy, he still holds
TO his theory. He believes ''in.
dustrial sclf-gOvernment" should
be given a further trial.
The president does not-and
never has