Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1934-03-15
Topics Interpreted

New Deal but
have been impressed lately with the
predominant place now held By two
questions IN the conversations one
hears about the streets. Offices, clubs
and other places where nten meet
Largely 10 the exclusion Of other mat
ters. one hears people trying 70 figure
out whether a turn has come in the
Roosevelt political luck. as one topic.
and growing comment on the prevalent
confusion within the administration.
as the other subject OF comment True.
they constitute questions 70 which the
final answer Is not Jet apparent, but
the thought ] am trying TO advance
Is that possibly the New Deal Is IN
oergOing some sort Of a transition aft
er one year.
Attention should be called again TO
the aIl-embracing control which Pres
ident Roosevelt hitherto has exercised
almost without effort Anything be
Eaid, anything he did. or anything he
proposed was accepted There were
few critics. and those who did criti-
cize cannot be described as highly yo-
cal Now, however. il is a fact that
there are more critics and they are
making noise that is not hushed-
There are open opponents Of the adj
ninistration policies. not only In the
Republican ranks where II is natural
they would be found. but among the
Democrats as well
as nearly as ! can ascertain. the
wave Of criticism that has come forth
into bloom Is traceabIe to one Of Mr..
RoOseyeIts acts. directly. The con-
fusion that has followed seems. at the
same time, TO have been given birth
as a result Of the unexpected criticism.
Or to state the proposition in another
manner, the administration efforts to
fend OF the criticism are viewed by
some observers as having formed the
basis Of the confusion. | can report
only that which can ascertain to be
fact and, on appearance alone, it
seems Mr.. Roosevelt acted hastily on
the air mail contract cancellation and
his action Embossed an issue over
which individuals can take sides. It
is really the first time he has provided
the opposition with a peg on which
they can hang their hats.
While the official spOkesmen Of the
administration say there is no connec-
ton between the back-fire resulting
from the contract cancellation and the
several moves made by the President
since. in his far flung efforts TO get
US out Of the depression, am told that
these declarations are having no effect
on those who want to criticize the New
Deal schemes. The NRA revision pro-
gram. the substitution Of new billion
dollar program of a relief character
for the CWA which Administrator
Hopkins now comedies has been some
thing Of flop, and the battles for leg
islation in congress, all are accepted
as showing the desire Of the President
to accomplish a change In the attitude
of the critics. 1t Is automatic that If
people can be made to talk or think
about other things, they will forget to
voice opinions about things which they
oppose. Some say it is another ex-
position of the Roosevelt psychology
Of keeping peoples minds of the de-
preston.
But It has not succeeded yet.
Whether it will, remains to be seen
It is to be observed that, for the
first time, criticism Of the New Deal
plans includes a siz-
Hit at able attack on the
Expenditures vast expenditures be-
ing made Mr.. Roose-
welt has been spending money as fast,
If not faster, than was spent during
the World war, and many persons are
now coming forward with the asser-
ton that spending our way out Of the
depression" may leave the government
with such a debt that our children's
children still will be paying on 1t. But
right in the face Of these attacks, Mr..
Roosevelt has brought forth the CWA
substitute and request that congress
appropriate $950,OO0.OOO to pay for it.
In the meantime and while the con-
fusion has become worse COMPOUNDED,
1t is to be noted that orders have gone
| from the Executive offices to the Dem
Ocratic leaders in congress to get new
cir mail contract legislation through
+, In hurry. This legislation is pred
! icated on the theory that private air.
lines shall carry the air mail. Furth-
er. there Is every reason to believe
now that the companies whose con-
| tracts were cancelled so hastily will
be allowed to bid again for the Jobs.
Postmaster General Farley main
talns the President was acting in ac-
! cordance with law when he ordered
the mail contracts Cancelled. Mr.
Roosevelt has said so in several differ.
ent languages. The fact remains, how
ever, that 1t always has been the prac-
tIce to accord an opportunity for q
hearing. whether the charge be one of
fraud or whether II be some other al
legation. No hearing was granted the
/ air mail contractors. Indeed, they
were given less than two weeks Of
time before they were Off Of the Job,
and the army pilots were doing the
work. According to the discussion In
congress, II is quite evident there are
| many influential narsona fhrouuhout