Evening star., 1934-03-04
BY OWEN L. SCOTT.

At stock taking time in the new
deal, one year after its Inauguration,
appraisers are seeking to select the
one man, other than President Roose-
welt, who has grown the most and
worn the best under the ordeal of the
emergency.
Almost instinctively, the Washing
ton watchers turn to Gen. Hugh S.
Johnson, fighting leader of the NJ
r. A. But they find the general just
now on the defensive, in the midst Of
reorganization and readjustment of
the recovery machine built up within
eight months largely through his
amazing energy.
has tanned 100000 employers, turned
industry back from the anarchy Of
cut-throat competition, provided the
basis for several millions Of jobs and
opened the way for an industrial
democracy. Yet the public, whether
encouraged by too roseate promises or
fed by false hopes, expected more
from N. r. A. than it got. So the
administrator, with monument to
his effort in N R. A.. is scarcely the
national hero that he was six months
ago.
Then the scanners Of the Capital
scene think of Harold L. Ickes, Secre-
tary of the Interior, oil code admins
traitor and public works administrator.
Mr.. Ickes was given $4,000, 900, 900 to
spend in q hurry but, like the hero of
''Brewsters Millions" he is having a
terrible time with his spending job.
*A+
Probably the champion result-get-
ter of all the leading performers is
Harry Hopkins, relief administrator
With amazing speed he turned on, and
now is turning off, millions of civil
works jobs. His compact Washing
ton organization has been a model of
efficiency. The 15.0000 900 persons
who have been on relief have been
his wards and he has sought to i'm
prove their lot and smooth their way
back to self-support. But Mr.. Hop
kinS is not politician and has not
always been wise to the ways of poll
ticians.
Or there is Jesse Jones, the EN-
peror Jones' among money lenders.
With $4,500,00O,000 poured out
through his Office and another two or
three billion on the way, the Texan
who heads the Reconstruction Finance
Corporation is the potentate among
bankers of the world. But Mr.. Jones,
like others, has been eclipsed by the
personality of the President, whose
agent he is.
It is much the same with Henry
Morgenthau, jr., Secretary Of the
Treasury and guardian of the $2,-
000, 100000 stabilization fund. Mr..
Morgenthau is doing an intensive job
OF recognizing the Treasury Depart
ment. He is q model of efficiency, but
again he is dominated, on matters OF
policy, by the White House. Also. the
Secretary of the Treasury is not polit-
ically ambitious.
That brings us down to Henry A.
Wallace, Secretary of Agriculture,
guiding genius of the Agricultural Ad-
justment Administration and most
outspoken political economist of the
new deal
Mr.. Wallace, fresh from editing
farm paper, personally unacquainted
with President Roosevelt before he
was rendered a cabinet job, youthful
and regarded as wild-eyed radical
to use his own description-was placed
with leading member Of the brain
trust at his right hand and leading
practical exponent of farm relief on
his left.
The young Iowa editor, despite the
fact that his father had been Secre-
tary Of Agriculture under President
Harding, was pretty much an un-
known factor. Rexford Guy Tugwel,
leading brain truster, became his as
sistant. George N. Peek was put in to
guide the emergency A. A. A. ma
chine. Mr.. Wallace seemed well in
sulated and properly protected.
That was months ago. Today Mr..
Wallace is undisputed boss Of his
bailiwick. He crossed swords with Mr..
Peek on policy and was supported by
President Roosevelt in his stand. Prof.
Tugwell advises, but does little, If any,
bossing.
Not only that, but Mr.. Wallace's
farm program Is showing signs Of
working at q time when kinks are
developing in so much Of the emer-
gency program. As q political philos-
opher and political economist the
Secretary Of Agriculture has just at
tanned national attention and recog-
milton by his analysis Of the paths
that lie ahead Of the new deal.
+
In fact, Washington appraisers on
the first anniversary Of the Roosevelt
administration almost uniformly are
awarding the palm for effectiveness
and for growth In national standing
to the Iowa member Of the cabinet.
They ind In him . quiet, unasslm-
ing individual and one who will 60 to