The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1934-09-12
New Deal Opposed
BY Liberty League

Organization Proposes To Stop
Encroachments On Consti-
tutional Rights
WASHINGTON, Sept 10 (Auto-
eastern 1.-The first organized oppo-
sition to the New Deal that is taken
seriously in Washington is the
American Liberty League. This is a
non partisan group of industrial
leaders and political experts which
has as it's avowed purpose the stop
ping of further encroachments upon
the constitutional rights of the tax
paying, property owning classes.
The caliber of the League may
he gathered from the character and
regulations of the men who or
ganized it. These include two for
mer candidates tor the presidency,
John w. Davis and Alfred E..
Smith; two former chairmen of the
Democratic National Committee,
John j. Raskob and Jouett Shouse;
such Republican leaders as Repre-
sentative James w. Wadsworth and
former Governor Nathan l.. Miller
of New York; a powerful Industrial
ist of independent political stand
ing, Irenee Du Pont, and several
others OF national reputation. In
it's set-up it certainly cannot be
classed as a Republican Organiza-
ton.
White House Comment
The only comment that has come
from the White House on the Lib
erty League is the presidents re-
mark to the effect that it seems to
be an organization in the interest of
property, with the Ten Command
ments left out of it's charter. TO
which one of the astute commenta-
tors here made the pat answer:
Better read the tenth command
ment again"
The Liberty League Is the most
impressive phase, so far, of the
growing wave of criticism of many
of the features Of the New Deal.
Washington is hearing rumblings Of
protest from many parts Of the
country, from rural districts as we'll
as from industrial centers. 1t would
be going too far to say that the
administration is on the defensive,
as yet, but there is a decidedly con-
ciliatory tone in the public utter
ances Of many Of the presidents
supporters. Secretary Of Commerce
Roper made speech the other day
which was directly aimed at bust
ness men, and calculated to allay
their fears. Even Donald Rich
berg made speech in which he
somewhat guardedly admitted that
private profits might be permitted.
The administration plans to re-
organize all of the recovery agencies
into one unit-putting MIRA, AAA,
ERA, PWA and all the rest into
one bag, as it were, are said to be
making Roadway, but there is wide
diversity of opinion as to how to do
it, and a great deal Of dissent among
the executives charged with max
ing the New Deal go. This dissent
is not merely in words. General
Hugh johnson got so mad the other
day that he offered his resignation
as head of the MIRA, and was only
dissuaded by a personal appeal by
the president.
Richberg and johnson
Back Of General Johnson's at
tempt to quit lies an interesting
personal controversy between the
General and Mr.. Richberg, his chief
assistant It is no secret that Rich
berg wants to be the head of the
five man commission that is to take
the place of the one-man control of
MIRA. He has been working for a
long time on plan of reorganiza-
ton. General Johnson beat him to
it with a plan OF his own, which he
handed to the president as soon as
Mr.. Roosevelt got back from
Hawaii. Richberg followed with his
own plan. In three-cornered con-
ference between the two and the
president, General Johnson sud-
denly walked out and declared that
he was through.
Inside gossip has 1t that the
president, who leans more to Mr..
RichIberg's point of view than to
the generals, has been looking
for chance TO slide the general
out gracefully. But he didn't want
him to 60 away mad and possibly
make trouble for the administra-
ton: So he sent for the general,
who in the meantime had sent his
written resignation to the White
House, and suggested that he tear
up the resignation and take q six