Evening star., 1934-10-19
NEW DEAL LOSES
GROUND IN POLL
Politicians Concerned as
Negative Sentiment Shows
Increases.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
The Literary Digest has such q
reputation for accuracy in taking
polls that political Washington Is
much concerned over the latest tabu-
lation. which shows . sharp decline
in sentiment toward the Roosevelt
administration.
Whereas an earlier ballot showed
6s.03 per cent in favor, the percent
age now has gone down to 50.s7 and
the opposition has risen TO 4s.03 per
cent.
What does this mean? As for the
congressional elections, it might, Of
course, be supposed that this Is the
forerunner Of considerable Republican
gains. On the other hand. there is
no evidence as yet that dissatisfac-
ton with the New Deal necessarily
makes one a Republican.
Some extremists seem to assume
the New Deal to be something upon
which q person must say yes" or
no." that he must be enthusiastically
for 1t or he Is q reactionary or an
old dealer or q Republican or q die
hard or o member of some such other
class.
Many See Advances.
As matter of fact. there are lots
OF people who see many advances
made by the New Deal in tackling
dificult problems of Government and
many policies. such as for instance
Federal Housing, to which it Is pos
sible to give whole-hearted approval
What the Literary Digest ballot
may mean is that the negative senti-
ment is rising. that the number OF ir-
ritations over current problems is
growing, and that, as the New Deal
unfolds its policies in detail, it must
encounter opposition. But whether
the country Is ready to return to an
other political party or to show its
disapproval Of Mr.. Roosevelt himself
Is something else again.
There can be no doubt that the Re-
publicans are feeling better than they
were several months ago, and there
can be no doubt, also. that Mr.. Roose-
velt's personal popularity has under
gone some change In strength with
the electorate. but not an appreciable
amount.
Negative Trend Usual.
The Digest poll reveals q negative
trend, something that always begins
to show itself about midway in any
administration, and 1t would not be
surprising If the people manifested their
disapproval Of specific acts In the New
Deal by Furnishing various incum-
bents running for Congress, whether
they are Democrats or Republicans.
1t Is to be noted that there were
many hard contests In the primaries
and that radicals won many Of the
nominations.
There Is, therefore, nothing to show
whether the growing disapproval Of
Mr.. Roosevelts policies is due to q
desire for q return to more conserva-
tive lines or whether the dissenters
think he is not radical enough. 1t
Is on this point that more evidence
is needed. and it cannot be furnished
by Yes" or No" answers to . ques-
tionnaire.
The feeling here Is that the Demo-
Gratis will have q substantial ma ajority
in both houses, but that the total
number Of conservatives in both par
ties will De diminished rather than
increased.
The conservative groups place the
blame for this trend entirely on the
administration, arguing that 1t has
unloosed forces bound TO intensity
radicalism and that the discomfort of
the people has increased generally
because the administration, with all
its spending and experimenting. has
not succeeded in cutting down unem-
ployment.
The radicals blame the administra-
ton for not having been more drastic
and for having shown lately tendency
to compromise with the conservatives
Between the two, Mr.. Roosevelt is
now aware that he must steer q middle
course and try to retain the confidence
of both extreme groups If he can. But
the Digest poll shows conclusively that
the negative sentiment-the people
who are against things, without being
particularly in favor Of an alternative
party or programs again showing
itself in the electorate, as 1t has 20
often In the past.
Revisions Promised.
The Roosevelt administration has
had more than q year and half in
which to reveal its concrete plans to
bring about recovery. Some of those
plans have produced their own counter
irritants. Many changes have been
made and many revisions are prom
ised by the administration, showing
that it has for some time been aware
that not all the criticism was political
and destructive.
1t seems as If the administration
would sooner have been able to trim
sails and adjust itself to public senti-
ment If more people had refrained
from blind support Of all policies, ir-
respective Of their merits, and If criti-
cism had been expressed forthrightly
as the policies were developed. Such
an attitude would have been more
helpful to Mr.. Roosevelt and made less
dificult his present course, which is
one of friendly and sympathetic in
terest in the protests against his