Evening star., 1934-01-28
LOWER HOUSE DECLARED
REELECTION CONSCIOUS
Many Voted for Monetary Measure Be.
cause 1t Was Politically Inexpedient
to Oppose Roosevelt.

Government control is set up over in
dustry the administrator of the con-
trol-call him "bureaucrat" If you wish
tends to prefer to deal with large
units. This in turn gives some color
to the Judgment which says that the
natural evolution of N. r. A. tends
toward "Fascism." largely dominated,
or at least largely satisfactory to, great
organizations of business, as it Is in
Italy.
N. r. A. and the Anti Trust Law.
One point made by Senator Borah
and those associated with him in the
attack on N. R. A. is indisputable. As
Senator Borah puts it, N. r. A. and
the antitrust law are irreconcilable.
President Roosevelt seems to think
We can both preserve the antitrust
laws and also have N. r. A. The
President admits Senator Borahs
charge that N. r. A. In its present
phase is working detriment to the small
business man as against the big; but
the President assumes that the small
business man can still be cared for
within the framework of N. r. A. But
Senator Borah has a firmer grasp of
principle when he says that N. r. A.
and the antitrust laws cannot stand
dismiss the other.
In all our history so far we have
relied on the antitrust laws N. r. A.
is departure from that into new
and revolutionary conception. What
the antitrust law forbids among other
things is restraint of trade"-and re-
Straint Of trade-restraint of trade not
only permitted but required, made a
virtues the fundamental principle,
the very heart not only Of N. r. A.
but of much Of the new deal Quite
possibly Senator Borah and those asso-
ciated with him are right when they
say they can force the administration
to make the choice. Some of the
Senators taking this position, men long
experienced in politics and acutely SEN
Sitive to the popular pulse, say that
the temper of the American people will
never tolerate departure from the anti
trust law, once they understand it is
being done
N. r. A. and an Ancient Echo.
Senator Borah says the number of
letters he receives, the popular re-
sponse to his attack on N. R. A., is
greater than he received in his fight
against the League of Nations, even
when that mighty struggle was at It's
peak. Another Senator says that the
new deal as whole is just now about
where the League of Nations was in its
early stage. In that early stage, dur
ing year or so after the League of
Nations idea emerged, it was univer-
sally popular. 1t was popular. that
is, in the sense of being taken for
granted The League had the aroma of
ideallsm: it had been brought forward
by President Wilson at a time when
he still had much of his great war
time popularity. 1t occurred to almost
no one that in the practical appli-
cation of the new ideal there might
be objections to Americas adherence.
Beginning in such a state of opinion
as that. small number of men-the
number of leaders of the fight was
never more than about Is, of whom IL
were in the Senate-dedicated them
selves to defeat of the League That
they brought about complete revul-
sion Of American opinion everybody
knows.
1t is possible-it may not be mere
WhlmSy-for Senator now to say that
the new deal could be attacked as sue
cessfully as the League of Nations was
But if We accept the possibility. where
are the leaders? Those who do not like
the new deal might aptly quote:
o Countie Guy, the hour is nigh!
Bird, beast. and flower proclaim the
hour
But where is Countie Guy?
Borah May Lead Fight.
Senator Borah was one Of the leaders,
perhaps one Of the two most formid-
able, of the group of Senators who sue
cessfully worked UP the opposition to
the League of Nations. Senator Borah
seems now willing to lead the assault
on N. R. A. But Senator Borah is
nearly Is years older than when he car
ried the torch and the American flag
in the fight against the League-and
in struggles of this sort sheer physical
vitality is important.
One other of the anti-League bat
talon of death" Senator Hiram john
son of California is still alive and in
the Senate-but he, too, is older, and
besides has no inclination to oppose the
administration. OF the others who
composed the "irreconcilables" in the
League fight, most are gone, gone from
the Senate and gone from this earth.
Senator Medill Mccormick is dead
these 10 years; Senators Philander
Knox Of Pennsylvania and Frank
Brandegee of Connecticut are likewise
gone. Two of the anti-League ire
concilables who still live are not in the
Senate, Moses of New Hampshire and
Reed of Missouri.
Reed of Missouri. if he were still in
the Senate. would be the aptest leader
for fight against N. r. A.. because of
his fiery passion for individual rights.
OF younger men, especially of younger
men in the Senate. there seem few or
none with the virility and passion that
a fight of this sort calls for.
tCopyrieht 1p34)