Evening star., 1934-02-06
BY RALPH w. PAGE.

The foremost topic in any part OF
the United States is Franklin D.
Roosevelt. The only general statement
can make with absolute authority
after a countrywide tour of inquiry
and observation is that If any man
on earth, supported by all and Sundry
who choose, on any platform he might
elect were put up today TO run against
the President, he would be beaten
10 to l.
This popularity is so uniform that l
had to reach Portland, Oreg., the Bos
ton Of the Pacific, and an outpost OF
the financial dynasty, before l could
find man to abuse him. This Is the
more remarkable because everybody
has some caustic comment to make on
the course of enactments and admin
1stration.
To hell with the N. R. A." says
one; Its flop. Roosevelt is the hope
of the country"
What could be more ridiculous or
useless than building all these dams
to compete with our power compa-
nies?" demands another. And adds,
Nobody thought he had 1t in him,
this Roosevelt"
LANCER Cited as Example.
The politicians know it. Witness
Gov. LANCER of North Dakota. Repub-
lican. and radio leader of the farm
revolt against the Agricultural Ad-
ministration. I attended a council of
war in a small town in Missouri
where he was rallying the farmers to
discard both Secretary Wallace and
George Nelson Peek, who then was
head of the Agricultural Adjustment
Administration, and enlist under the
banner of embargoes. moratoriums
and prices fixed by edicts. He called
for all that and more. But first he
took Is minutes in praise of that
Moses, that inspired light of the
world, the great President leading the
chosen people to the promised land
As every one knows, Father Charles
E Coughlin of Detroit has been Gre
ating a sensation on the radio, vio-
lently supporting the administration,
with a considerable caustic admiXture
of comment on high finance and a
broad Interpretation of the brother
hood of man. Aspects of this broad
side were offensive to those in control
In California so they cut Father
Coughlin out of their program. The
result was appalling. A tidal wave of
angry protest, hundreds of thousands
of letters and kilograms, literally
lifted him back on to the air. The
omission has been construed as a slap
at the President.
Details do not matter I will have
occasion to recount numerous in
stances where many items are sub
lect to attack from all directions.
But the working classes, including
all moderately salaried men: the
farmers. the holders of mortgaged
property, the bewildered and dis
tressed in every walk Of life, are
firmly convinced President Roosevelt
Is on their side. They believe he is
leading a battle against obscure
forces to relieve their debts. to in
crease employment, to improve their
lives
The vocal critics do the reverse
They argue that it is ruinous to in
crease wages, to reduce debts, to
spend money in relief. The critics
say 1t cannot be done, or that the
effort Is not succeeding.
Money Changers Enemy.
But all this sounds to the people
like propaganda from enemy sources.
They are enlisted in the army Of a
general who says it should and will
be done. And to say it is unde-
sirable or impossible is the same as
saying We shouldn't or couldn't beat
the Germans. 1t is a precise par
allel. 1t is war Of minds, and those
who are not for you are against you.
And no criticism from enemy sources
Is admissible
Who is the enemy? The President
who Is regarded as the friend of every
class. who puts artists and foreSters
and teachers and naturalists to work,
Who requires Gn their mind at least
that business men and merchants and
railroad and oil magnates have fair
break along with mechanics and
farmers. has spotted as the enemy
the money changers in the temple,
the racketeers of high finance.
Right or wrong this is what six
out of eight of the people in the
United States think.
In the innermost sanctluns Of the
biggest kind of big business, on the
very boards Of those castigated
money changers" in the boudoirs
of ultra-fa shionable women, in every
country club, at every cocktail party.
on the yacht, conviction is finding
ntterance that the hearts and spirits
of men can be depressed and revived
by other means than profits. Unless
] happened upon rarities in the Amer
Icap creme social Justice" and SaCri-
fees for the common good are tre-
mendous items in the Presidents
power.
tcopvright 1894 bv the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Inch
IMuCPITC .tIhIhPM P00MS