Evening star., 1934-03-05

Although Republican Leaders Nc
Nary, Smell, Hastings ct al are NUT
tering fiercely over the Roosevelt recl-
procity tariff treaty program and pre-
pairing to smite it hip and thigh. they
secretly rejoice that the President has
at last handed the G. Q. P. an issue.
In fact, they look upon the admins
tration's plan as mama from the po-
litical heaven. The elephants keepers
think. too, that it has descended upon
them at a psychological moment-on
the threshold of the 1884 congress
sional campaign, when it will be easy
to dramatize the issue and keep 1t
alive. Republican strategy contem-
plates that the fight on the Presl-
dents request for tariff dictatorship
will result in prolonging the session OF
Congress until we'll toward Midsum-
mer. Thenceforward, as now pro-
iected, the campaign will be waged
mainly on the tariff issue. with en-
phasis on the traditional Republican
doctrine Of protection, coupled this
time with attack on the "autocratic'
power which the President would
! py Selling lllC loi la PiSAO6o
tive which the Constitution vests In
Congress.
Republican leaders, Outraged" by
the Presidents reciprocal treaty prof.
ect, are prepared, they say, for an
equally audacious move by him in
connection with war debts. They
would not be surprised if the forth
coming Roosevelt message on the debts
seeks to tie them in with the tariff
plan, on the plea that unless Amer
lea lowers the bars to admit more
foreign goods, our debtors cannot be
expected to raise the wind necessary
for debt payments Reciprocal tar
IFS" as one Of the agitated Repub-
licanS puts it, will just be getting the
camel's nose under the tent" The
leader in question, who will be in the
forefront of the House antireciprocity
drive, foreshadows bold requests for
presidential power to cancel or semi
cancel the debts, in one guise or an
other, before the tariff hostilities in
Congress are over. He dopes out cur
rent administration moves as the lat
est development OF the carefully de-
vised scheme to reduce Congress to
less and less Of a factor in govern
ment, and concentrate more and more
power in the presidency. This, 1t
would appear, is to be one Of the key
notes of impending opposition on Cap
itol Hill and of the Republican cam
paign this Summer and Fall.
x x X X
All in all, despite the new deal,
it begins to look as if the hustings
and stump were going to echo in 1884
with old stuff. Along with the tariff,
silver is going to be in the thick Of
the campaign spellbinding fray. Sen
ator Burton K. Wheeler, Democrat. of
Montana. chief proponent of re-
monetization, says every Western
Senator of either party up for re-
election Is going to talk silver" and
many Of them, like himself, will make
it their paramount issue. Wheeler Is
not expected to experience much dif-
ficulty in winning third term from
silverite Montana. As his Republican
opponent he may face a veteran OF
the Federal bench, Judge George M.
Bourquin of Butte, who was ap-
pointed in 1912 and is now near the
retiring age.
X X X X
It was an historic event at the
White House correspondents dinner
on Saturday night, when for the first
time in IA years toast to the Presi-
dent of the United States was drunk
in his presence In legal wine. The
correspondents feast was Washing
toms first wet public banquet since
repeal. Il savorsd Of old times to