The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-03-02
National Topics Interpreted
by William Bruckaft

Washington.--It has been just year
yince Franklin Delano Roosevelt car
ried his NEW deal"
"A Year of the program into the Elk
ssNeny Deol'' ecutiveN Mansion at
Washington and the
country has witnessed, in that time,
many of the most revolutionary
changes In its economic and social and
financial structure that could be i'm
agined. Indeed, In nation that has
tradition of being largely conserva-
tive, some of the things that have hap
pened, or have been brought about by
the new dealers, could not even be
imagined except by those who dwell
In the house Of the theorist. But they
have come; they are with US, and
without commentator or criticism, 1t
Is being asked: what have we?
For one thing, in the past twelve
months, we have observed the slowly
stretching tentacles Of the federal gov
eminent reaching out into hitherto un-
known functions; we have seen those
same tentacles taking over more and
more the rights of individuals and Of
states and lesser divisions of govern
ment, and we have witnessed what
some persons hold to be an absolute
destruction of that basic difference
between one nation and union Of our
several states. That is, according to
the view just set forth, we are for the
period of the emergency at least, just
one people instead of peoples Of the
4S states and the District of Columbia.
Also, l think 1t is true that never in
our history have we known time
when the President of the United
States was possessed of such power
either legally or politically, as now.
In the preparation of this weekly
letter, consulted with men and wom-
en- of thought and vision, and believe
there was no exception to the convic-
ton that none can accurately fore
cast what the ultimate results Of these
changes are going to be. Economic
and social changes are slow to mature
into their full effect. It is natural
that they should be. SO 1t is going to
be some years before we can know
whether the theories and the plans of
the new dealers will be accepted into
the basic structure of American lives.
OF one thing we can be sure: If all
of the changes, or even half of them,
are knitted permanently into our So
cial structure, the accomplishment of
these last twelve months in that direc-
ton will have been greater by many
times than the changes that have oc-
Cured in any other century, indeed, In
several centuries combined. S
Take, for example, the principles of
MIRA, AAA, and the others Of the "al-
phabetical organizations" Every one
of them has injected into American
life projects and propositions which
were rejected in one form or another
in their basic ideas in years gone by.
Under the desperation of the depres-
sion, they were hurled into the whirl-
pool of our social structure with vary
ing success, as measured by the re-
suits thus far. Nearly all of the prin-
ciples injected into the commercial
lifeblood of the nation are of char
acter to promote group or unit action
distinguished from individual action
that was developed with the opening
I'D of American resources after forma-
ton of the Union. We never have
known, for instance, time when our
government told business In so many
words that 1t could work together as
a unit, If it met certain requirements,
nor have we ever known time when
our government said to agriculture
that it had to cut down Its produc-
ton in a monopolistic agreement In
order to force higher prices. One
could go on and on with illustrations.
Now, to repeat the earlier question:
what have we?
There is, and can be, little doubt of
economic progress in the last few
months. The coun-
Noticeable try has emerged
p-oor>.. from the depression,
to some extent at
least. believe no one can say with
assurance, however, that we are far
enough on the road to recovery that
we can be sure Of no relapse. But
those persons who are best in posi-
ton to appraise conditions certainly
feel there has been a gain.
AS to the cause of this improvement,
one can pick up an argument almost
anywhere. The ardent supporters of
the new deal assert the Roosevelt poll
cies are responsible. while those OPP
posed to the Roosevelt policies claim
there is probability that some or all
of the progress made came from the
natural wearing out of the depres-
sion. That is, history records the
same course for all depressions Stocks
and supplies are exhausted and pro-
duction starts up of its own accord to
meet the demand