Evening star., 1934-11-02
R|CHBERG POWERS
NEXT TOPRES|DENT|
Appointed by Roosevelt
Operating Executive OF
Federal Government.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.


WASHINGTON, November a.
Through a carefully phrased edict
from the White House there has been
created an office which resembles in
every respect what the popular i'm
preston is of the vice presidency.
People generally think of the Vice
President as the first lieutenant Of
the President. his right-hand man,
his second in command, the man who
is to familiariZe himself with the du-
ties of the presidency because he was
No man in the election conducted
by the people.
But, while the Constitution plainly
says that the Vice President shall be
the man to take charge If the Presi-
dent is unable to discharge the du-
ties and powers of his Office himself,
there is no provision of law for an
operating Vice President or executive
Vice President to assist the President
and coordinate all the various de-
partments of Government. So Mr..
Roosevelt. by executive order. has ap-
pointed Donald Richberg to be the
operating executive Of the Federal
Government.
Old Orders Superseded.
have been superseded. The cabinet
has been relegated to a secondary
position and each cabinet member is
on a parity with the other 20 execu-
tives who head different commissions
and boards in the executive establish
ment
In all, there are 80 heads Of Fed
eral institutions and they all become
members of the so-called National
Emergency Council.
Prior to the new executive order
Mr.. Richberg had certain administra-
tive duties related solely to the emer-
gency commissions and alphabetical
agencies.
Now Mr.. Richberg may coordinate
inter-agency problems of government,
whether the agencies are permanent
departments or emergency bureaus.
Heretofore Mr.. Richberg was re-
stricted in his supervision of field
agencies Of the Government through
out the United States to the newly
created agencies, but, under the new
executive order, he takes charge of
all field agencies of the Federal Gov
eminent.
The entire National Emergency
Council-which, by the way, also has
on 1t the Presidents own secretary
and Assistant Secretary Robert of the
Treasury-is directed to act in an ad-
While there is nothing which says
In so many words that the cabinet
is to report to Mr. Richberg in his
capacity of executive director of the
National Emergency Council, every
one Of the 80 members Is presumably
to follow the general instruction which
says the council is ito serve in an
advisory capacity to the President
and the executive director"
No Doubt About Orders.
But. if there is any doubt as to
what the members of the council will
do for Mr. Richberg. there is no
doubt at all as to what Mr.. Rich
berg may ask them to do and. indeed,
command them to do For Mr.. Rich
berg. as executive director. Is author
lied to execute the functions and to
perform the duties vested In the
council by the President through
such persons as the executive di-
rector shall designate, and he Is
further authorized to prescribe such
rules and regulations as he may
deem necessary to supplement, am
plify, or carry out the purposes and
intent of such rules and regulations
as may be prescribed by him and ap-
proved by the President under the
provisions of this order
No such vast powers have ever
been welded heretofore by a subordl-
nate of the President of the United
States. Nobody has ever been for
mally interposed between the cabinet
and the President and nobody, even
in war days, was ever put between
the War Council and the President.
Nobody before has had the authority
to issue orders to heads of independ-
ent commissions created by Congress.
Certainly never before have such in
dependent bodies as the Federal Re-
serve Board, the director of the budget,
the Reconstruction Finance Corp, the
Federal Trade Commission, been placed
directly at the command Of the Presi-
dent or his subordinate representa-
tive. The only important body omit
ted is the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, but the President did include
the Federal co-ordinator of transpor-
tation, Mr. Eastman, who is member
OF the I. C. C. and supervises all
transportation matters.
Even the Federal Communications
Commission, which has charge OF
radio broadcasting, and the Federal
Securities and Exchange Commission,
which superyises the sale and distrl-
button of securities in America. are
put under Executive Director Rich
berg's rules and regulations.
Need Long Discussed.
For a long time there has been a
discussion over the need for an as
sistant president or for a general sec
retary for the cabinet, but Congress
never created such a position. 1t
would not be surprising If the Rich
berg precedent. now based on emer-
sency laws, were made permanent.
For. irrespective of Mr.. Richberg s
qualifications for the job, there is
need for some one to take the burden
of a President of the United States.
Other Presidents have put much OF
this responsibility on private secre-
tary, but Mr.. Roosevelt, with three
secretaries, finds himself overwhelmed
with the tasks that relate directly to
him, and hence the executive ofices
have not been the instrument for the
actual coordination of governmental
activities.
Slowly but surely the New Deal is
bringing some interesting innovations
to Government, emphasizing more
and more the idea of concentrating In
the hands of one or two individuals
the power of life and death over the
economic affairs and business forces
of the country.
Mr.. Roosevelt is expected to leave
here shortly for his annual trip to
Warm Springs, Ga. When he used
to do this as Governor of New York
State he had Lieut. Gov Lehman to
act in his absence In Washington