, 1934-12-14
WASHINGTON
BY George Durn0

and anti-American activities with
In u borders. It's said backStage
We have been given only the
Sketchiest inkling Of what's in store.
The House Committee on I'm
American Activities. chairmaned by
Representative John w. McCor-
mack. Of Mass, and fathered b.
Representative Samuel Dickstein
OF N. r., moves its big top into
Washington Monday for a soul
stirring performance. All summer
and fall II has been on the road ga
thering material for the grand fl
male.
road behind closed doors are going
TO be given a chance TO repeat their
acts under the CapitolS dome be-
fore the whole public.
General Smedley Buffers diSclo-
SureS OF a Wall Street plot 10 raise
a fascist army and take oVer the
government should steal the show
although II may be the Congress
siOnal investigators arc good
enough showmen 70 have an eXplo-
Sive surprise under cover.
Present arrangements call for
the doughty eX-Marine'S reappear-
ance TO tell publicly and in detail
his story that General MacGuiTe.
New York bond salesman offered
him heavy sugar 10 lead the march
on Washington.
MacGuire naturally will be called
10 tell the world II isn't So-and
submit TO more croSs-eHamination.
Public reaction generally has been
to deride this Wall Street putSch
idea.
Committee members, however.
can't get Buffers past record out Of
their heads. They don't think he
has gone crazy. and unless he has
they can't imagine Butier coming
forward with an unfounded story
Of such spectacular nature.
The dope Is that the Committee
will put all the principals back on
the witness stand and let the pub
lie decide what's what.
Word comes via the grapevine
that the investigators plan further
TO expose some New York brOk-
erage houses as the financiers and
guiding geniuSes OF a publicity
campaign TO undermine the New
Deal.
MacGuire. whom Butler made the
villain OF his act, is expected TO be
pressed about his activities in get
ting p sound money resolution
through the 1888 American Legion
convention al Chicago.
Prominent Legionnaires who we're
present at Chicago wondered why
II was put 10 a vote but figured ID
was the Resolutions Committees
business.
POssibles Administration Off
Gals are steadily reaching the con-
cluSion they have been under-eS-
timating extreme left-wing Scnti-
ment throughout the country.
President Roosevelt scnsed wide
spread. but -unorganizcd. discomfort
back III 1892 and gave II a voice.
He vas elected swcepingly and re-
/ affirmed last month What WOr-
ries the New Deal car-to-the-
/ ground department is Just how rad
/ ical that element is-and how
strong II could be If coaleSced I'M
der new leadership.
In varying degrees, and each
working largely alone. there arc six
men noV gathering in fOllOWings
from the disgruntled. There arc
many more than Six. of course, but
these seem to stand out az the
present mOment-Fathcr Cough
In, tho radio priest: Senator Huey
Long. with his redistribution Of
wealth. etc.. Floyd Olson. Farm
Labor Governor OF Minnesota. who
wants general price-fiXing and con-
troll OF business: Dr.. Townsend and
| elderly 5000 a month to spend: Up
ton Sinclair and his EPIC plan, and
Senator Bob LaFollettc. head OF
the new Progressive Party.
AL the moment II would DC hard
I'd conceive OF them all under n
tent. La Toilette and President
Roosevelt embraced each other .
the last two elections-but Senator
Bob's program veerS much farther
left than FDR'S. LaFollette and
| Olson would have no great trouble
joining hands. L
Critics or Father Coughlin call
him the Mad Monk but they can't
overlook his Overwhelming fan
mail. The Father voices the sen
timcnts or the in~flati0nists tn terms
most easily understood.
No one Is more criticized or rid-
iculed IN print than KingfiSh Long
but he gets his way and ne has
important support. Sinclair was
beaten but his Utopian plan Stiu
looks good 70 countless malcon-
tents. The Townsend old-age plan
is giving many Congressman the
Willies. what with the deluge Of mail
they arc getting IN support OF N
Not a happy picture for the New
Dealers. What would happen
they stubbed their collective toe
even momentarlly?
PoSition-Those representing Big
Business in Washington say pri-
yately that next Mondays White
Sulphur Springs assembly OF bust
ness and industrial leaders has two
underlying motives.
one Is a realization that II things
don't start picking up Soor in many
industries the unemployed and ul-
tra-liberals may saddle the employ
ers with legislation they very much
don't want.
The other ~ a desire 10 outward
IN az least reverse the attitude OF
biz business toward the admins
tration. Heretofore they have been
cr~iticizine and baking - and get
ting nowhere. Now the play Vll be
20 cooperate and possibly work
industry into a position where u
may claim a~ggrieyedly II IS being
denied legitimate consideration
while thus cooperating.
m FN~~.r-ratt. - r-fffny