Evening star., 1934-11-17
STRAWN|S NAMED
BY c. Of c. To AID
RECOVERY PLANS
ErstWhiIe Roosevelt Critic
to Head Cooperating
Committee.
SPEED IS ESSENTIAL
IN DRAFTING PROGRAM
Other Business, Industrial and
Agricultural Organizations
to Unite in Work.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
Silas H. Strawn, erstwhile critic Of
the Roosevelt administration, was
chosen today by the Chamber of
Commerce of the United States to
head a committee to cooperate with
other business groups in drawing up
a national recovery program for Con-
gress.
Strawn, former chamber president,
has been generally accepted as the
leader of the chambers Roosevelt
foes, but he was said authoritatively
to have accepted now the necessity
of cooperating with the administra-
ton. His appointment TO head the
committee was described authorita-
lively as evidence of the strength
of the chambers intention and to
demonstrate the unanimity of the
chambers move, because the liberals
urged him to take the job.
Strawns committee expects to work
with groups from other business, in
dustrial, financial and agricultural
organizations to draw a program be-
hind which they all can unite.
Speed Held Essential.
Strawn has said that speed is essen
tial so business will have a program
to present to the administration.
Business leaders already had signi-
fed their intention of supporting the
Administrations housing program un-
der which every effort is being made
TO put private capital to work.
The other members Of the cham
ber's committee are: w. L. Sweet.
president Rumford Chemical Works
Rumford r. l.; P. w. Litchfield. pres
ident Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co..
Akron, Ohio; Harper Sibley, Sibley
Farms, Sibley. ILL.,; Charles E. Backus,
Clinchfield Coal Co, New York; W.
8. Gephart, vice president First Ma
tional Bank, st. Louis: Robert v.
Fleming. president Riggs National
Bank here and first vice president Of
the American Bankers Association.
The inclusion of the name of Flem-
ing indicated a liaiSon with the Bank
GERS Association. and 1t was said fur
ther that conversations between
chamber directors had been held with
the National Association of Manufac-
turers looking toward joint action.
Earlier an authoritative source had
disclosed that the business leaders
u.nltli NJ thoir full fnrra hahipd the
housing drive as a means of hurrying
recovery, striking a blow at unem-
ployment and thus preventing Con-
gress from plunging far to the left"
This. it was said, probably will be
a chief plank in the recovery platform
which spokesmen of the Chamber of
Commerce and other organizations
win present.
M0ley Liaison Man.
Raymond Moley. a chief adviser
of President Roosevelt. is understood
to have been acting as liaison man
between the White House and these
sessions, attended by men of the
Chamber of Commerce. the National
Association. of Manufacturers and the
National Industrial Conference Board.
James A Moffett, Federal housing
administrator. also has been playing
a leading part. He is understood to
have urged the business leaders to put
all their powers behind the housing
campaign. under which loans for re-
pairs are 20 per cent guaranteed, and
mortgages on new homes insured up
to 80 per cent of appraised value.
Many business leaders note with
lends none of this money, but merely
arranges the insurance. A special
committee of the chamber, in urging
yesterday that the deficit next year
be held down to at least "a tolerable
limit" frowned on large-scale sug-
gestions for new public works, such
as Secretary Ickes has limited.
Cooperation Seen.
Assuming a deficit is inescapable,
the committees statement said. 1T
would appear that if its amount we're
limited to a portion of the expendi-
lures occasioned by direct relief
grants, it would not create the un-
easiness that would result from new
large appropriations for public works
and for other emergency activities"
In striving for a united front to
urge the business viewpoint on the
President. the chambers directors
adopted a resolution declaring there
is evidence of a growing determine
ton by business. industry and agri-
culture to cooperate in every possible
manner to promote an improvement
in recovery from our existing eco
nomic condition.
"Utterances by the President him
self encouraged the belief that he is
fully conscious of this attitude and
that he is receptive of suggestions for
the promotion of the common well