The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-12-28
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National Topics Interpreted - fTNT1ITN
by William Bruckart <kn<1f1T
Topics Interpreted
by William Bruckart

scrupulous individuals may take ad-
vantage of this new avenue Of public
| ity for selfish means. II Is to be as
sumed that Mr. Roosevelt will protect
against this potential danger, but |
| find In many quarters expressions OF
a fear that the thing may get out OF
hand unless the President Is fully fore
warned so that he can be forearmed.
| Much significance attaches to the
| Presidents projected plan to take the
| profits out of war.
Presidenf's It is looked upon by
| Shrevd Moue those who know as
very shrewd move, af-
fecting both domestic and information.
| al politics. 1t will be some time be-
fore its full import can be pieced to-
gether In one picture but when that
time comes, wiseacres tell me. among
| the things to be seen will be:
/. Notice to congress that the Presi-
dent is not going to allow the legisla-
tive body to run away with things that
gain publicity, If the scheme is one In
which he desires to participate.
2. Notice to the world that the Unit
ed States is not going to surrender
leadership in world affairs even though
the London naval conference has failed
and even though Japan has renowned
her signature to the Washington arms
limitation treaty Of 1922.
It is too early to make guess
whether the senators who militantly
fought back after Mr.. Roosevelt's pro-
nouncement will get anywhere. Those
senator's were the leaders in the SEN
ate committees munitions investiga-
ton. Senator Nye, the committee
chairman, with all of the breeze of his
North Dakota plains, accused the Pres
ident in effect of trying to stop the
munitions inquiry. Senator Vanden-
berg of Michigan challenged the Pres
ident's right to interfere. Each
| thought, as did some of the other men,
bers of the committee who did not be-
come vocal, that Mr.. Roosevelt was
trying to steal the show because 1t is
a fact that the committee was on the
front pages day after day during the
| investigation.
Some observers here are inclined to
| the opinion that Mr.. Roosevelt will be
| able to lull the recalcitrant members
| of congress into kindly feeling to-
ward his program which is designed to
draft far-reaching legislation and that
they will eventually hush-up. At this
writing l am unwilling to agree fully
with that belief.
One must not be unmindful in dis
cussing this little controversy that 1t
can become of great magnitude or 1t
can sink out of sight easily. My own
thought is that Mr.. Roosevelt's control
of congress is not going to be serious
| ly disturbed by it. It is possible, how
ever, that there are enough dissatisfied
| members of the house and senate to
constitute bloc which will speak its
mind collectively as well as individ-
ually. If that should come about, there
will be fun.
| Every once in a while some one dis
| covers some new letters written by
| George Washington.
Washington Such circumstance
a Lobbvist? has just developed.
| The Chesapeake and
| Ohio railroad, preparing to celebrate
the one hundred and fiftieth anniver-
sary of the original corporation from
which it came, has found letter
signed by General Washington which.
4 authorities tell me, represents among
| the first petitions ever filed with leg
| islatiye body in behalf of private in
terests in this country. In fact, If the
| Washington letter in question were to
have been presented to the present
day congress, undoubtedly those In
opposition to the generals plan would
have described him as a lobbyist. H.
| o. Bishop, noted writer and historian
here, found in the Library Of Congress
that General Washington had sought
legislation in the general assembly of
Virginia in behalf of the jamestown
| company, corporation which in later
| years was to become the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad company. General
Washington interceded with the vir-
ginia assembly on the ground that If
| the United States ever were to become
of consequence as a nation in this
world there must be expansion west
ward and if there were to be expan-
sion there had to be means of transpor-
| tation.
The general. according to the LII
brary of Congress records, personally
surveyed westward route. over which
the jamestown company was to op-
crate. That is the route now followed
by the line of the present railroad.
Disclosure of the Washington letter
has brought again to the forefront the
question of what constitutes lobbying
before a legislative body. There are
those in this administration, the same
as there have been in numerous pre-
ceding administrations. who accuse
anyone attempting to present his side
of the story to q legislative body of