Evening star., 1934-11-25
Brain Trust and n. r. A. Held Facing
Changes With Convening of Congress

in Q cold sweat over DR.. Tugwell's
ideas and plans. Bankers were re-
acting in the same manner to the
efforts of DR.. Lands to control the
securities business, while all industry
was deeply stirred by plans Of Tom
Corcoran and Ben Cohen to frame
legislation calling for control Of Sc
curity exchanges. The only brain
truster" who was pretty much lost
sight Of at that time was David Lii
ienthal, who appeared to be puttering
around down in the Tennessee Valley.
What Of today?
Tugwell has q SIC, ,000-a-year Job,
but somewhat doubtful duties. He Is
going to see President Roosevelt at
Warm Springs to tell what he learned
on his extended and extensive trip
through Europe. Yet it is obvious
the Tugwell tag from any legislation
offered Congress. His pet plan to
amend the food and drug act 10 con-
troll advertising OF foods and patent
medicines Will be back again but, II
possible. under less obvious sponsor
ship.
- -
Business men always we're wary Of
DR.. Tugwell and his plans. Now he
labors under another handicap. A
personal effort made last Summer to
sell himself directly to farmers Is re-
ported to have failed. Advices from
the West say that the dirt farmers
considered him high hat" So the
leading brain truster" hopes to slip
into the shadows.
DR.. Ezekial, one Of the drafters Of
the agricultural adjustment act, and,
with DR.. Tugwell, an object Of busi-
ness antagonism, has been hard at
work and pretty much buried in the
extensive operations Of the A. A. A.
He is avoiding the limelight and sell
dom breaks into print.
DR.. Lands, chief Federal bogey-
man for frightening hnanciers, has
evaporated from front pages. He is
working hard as member Of the new
Securities and Exchange Commission,
but holds to the background while
broker trained Joseph Kennedy fronts
for the Government. Even more In
eclipse are Mr.. Corcoran apd Mr..
Cohen. The former is buried deeply
in the legal department Of the r. F. C.
The latter Is submerged in the legal
organization that Is serving Harold
Ickes, Secretary of the Interior.
Donald Richberg, who once talked
Of revolution, now speaks soothingly
to business men. He has become the
chief peace-maker between business
and the Federal Government. Re-
assuring speeches are his stock in
trade Left-wingers in the admin
istration feel that Mr.. Richberg has
been back-slider. He holds highly
responsible position, charged with
bringing harmony out of the in
evitable discord that followed the
mushroom expansion of many New
Deal creations. There is little Of the
brain trust" atmosphere about this
leading aid to the President.
OF all the members of that "trust,"
the one least in the limelight year
ago IS now causing most worry to in
dustry. He is David Lilienthal. His
drive to develop the waterpower re-
sources of the Tennessee Valley, and
to sell that power in competition with
private utilities, has struck fire. Now
President Roosevelt proclaims that
the experiment started by Lilienthal
will be the basis for a Nationwide ef-
fort to provide cheap electric power.
Public utilities are marshalling their
forces to fight this youthful enthusiast
and his plans. OF all the brain
trusters" he is the one who seems
to be making good, from the view
point Of his partisans.
But If the once powerful brain
trust" Is fading, what of the other
New Deal institution that raised such
high hopes among the people, only to
dash those hopes by shortcomings IN
performance?
The N. r. A. today Is q much sadder
and wiser outfit than it was q few
short months ago. It already has
abandoned thought of becoming the
instrument through which jobs can
be created for every one wanting to
work. Rather, attention Is being d.
rected to finding more limited place
in which the organization can func-
ton.
Many officials in Washington con-
slider that N. r. A. has done mucn
more to hinder recovery than to help
it. They would throw out the whole
machinery or else trim 1t down to
very narrow base. Other ofhcials
think that, while the recovery ad-
ministration may be down, 1t Is not
out. They believe something can be
made Of it after all.
(Copyright 19349