The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-06-29
Ignores
Critics

Ignores President Roosevelt
Critics Is an apparent will
ingness on the part
Of the White House to pay less and
less attention to critics. That is, many
observers lately have called attention
to an indication that Mr.. Roosevelt is
willing to ignore more and more of
the attacks on his administration. He
is not the type, of course, who will
make a face at his critics. He is a
master politician, and keen politicians
never do such things. But when one
examines the statements and informa-
ton that is passed out from the White
House in these days and those forth
coming, say, six months ago, the pres
ent-day grist is much more, if not en-
tirely, free from ANSWERS" to critics.
And this is happening in period when
there Is obviously very much more
criticism than in the earlier days Of
the administration.
Let me supply basis of COMPARE
son: When the airmail contracts were
cancelled, Col Charles Lindbergh sent
a telegram to the President, complain
ing about the act. The colonels air
transportation company made the mes
sage public before it was laid on the
Presidents desk, or so Stephen Early,
one of the Presidents secretaries, said.
After the message appeared in the
newspapers, Mr. Early spoke at length
to the newspaper correspondents
about the coloners "discourtesy" in
making the message public. Some six
months later, Clarence barrow, the Chi
cago attorney, and the board of review
of NRA affairs which he headed, let
loose blast on NRA that constituted
a most vitriolic criticism of this phase
of the New Deal. The President, him
self. has said almost nothing about
the barrow board criticism. True,
General johnson replied in his usual
bombastic way, but that was General
johnson and not the White House.
Criticism has been made in con-
gress Of the Agricultural Adjustment
administration. Attacks on this have
come also from the outside. But there
has been no reply from the President,
the top of the administration. Money
policies have been under attack, as
have been some of the relief measures
which seem to some to hint of govern
ment-owned factories soon. These at
tacks have been allowed, however, to
spend themselves in the thin air.
The President is going to Hawai- for
vacation. That fact, of course, is gen.
orally known. But
Writer'S there Is one feature
Left Out of the trip that has
not been generally
circulated. Arrangements for the trip
call for virtual elimination of news
correspondents from the picture of the
Presidents vacation. That is almost
without precedent. Washington cor
respondents are wailing and gnashing
teeth all over the place, because that
would be gorgeous trip for those as
| signed to write news about the Presi-
dent. Usually, fifteen or twenty writ
ers accompany the President every
where he travels. 1t inks the CORE
spondents, personally. but it seems to
be irking some Of the great newspa-
pers more because they are taking the
| view that it constitutes censorship by
the President.
The arrangements for the Hawaiian
| trip are a little hard to understand.
They appear to be right-about-face
on the part of the administration.
This writer has been in Washington
almost twenty years and never In that
| time have the facilities made available
| for the correspondents at the White
House been greater than under Mr..
| Roosevelt's direction. He has courted
| a friendly press at all times. Every
thing that was necessary for the news
| paper writer's was theirs to COM
4 mand.
Now. however, the President is trav-
| cling on a naval cruiser, and he does
not even have his own secretaries
with him. He has permitted only
three correspondents to accompany
him on the trip, and they must remain
| on another naval boat which has been
ordered to stay at least three miles
away from his ship. Those three
writer's will have no contact except by
radio, and their press services must
supply the news, therefore, to the
whole country. and the world.
In defense of the action, it can be
said officially that Mr.. Roosevelt would
not obtain complete rest In any other
manner. He has been through grind
this past winter. But that fact has
not satisfied the writer's.
Cby Western Newspaper Union.