Evening star., 1934-02-25
REACT|0NAR|ES HIT
IN |cKES' ADDRESS.
Secretary Warns They Are
"Laying Lighted Match
to Powder Keg."
BY the Associated Press.

CHICAGO, February 25.-Secretary
of the Interior Harold L. Ickes, re-
plying to fault finders Of administra-
ton policies, tonight said those
groups identified with great wealth
who seek a return TO the old system
he would warn "are laying a lighted
match to a keg of powder when they
raise difficulties in the way Of PreSi-
dent Koosevelts program"
They run the risk of blowing
themselves up along with all the rest
of U.S." he added in an address before
4 Joint meeting Of the Chicago and
Cook County Leagues of Women
Voters.
ST have noted that those who criti-
cize the President and his methods
offer not one single substitute policy"
he added They are negative critics.
Hypocritically they grieve over bu-
reaucracy. But they offer nothing
affirmative. They are constructive
critics They are as lacking in effec-
tive remedies as was their admin
stratior prior to March A.
Human Beings Exploited.
Tracing a history of American eco.
nomics from the Colonial days, which
he admitted was not an attempt to
give a complete or even carefully
balanced review OF our American So
cial order" the Secretary said, the
early Americans bred pioneers who,
generation after generation, success
fully coped with human and natural
enemies in laying the foundations
for the republic.
Prom exploiting nature, we turned
to the exploitation of human beings,
the cabinet member continued, Ito the
building up of an industrial and CON-
mercial empire"
From the profits Of human slavery
In the South and of cheap immigrant
labor in the North, the descendants
Of the pioneers lived more and more
lives of ease and comfort" Then
came. he said, the series of inventions
which developed almost human ma
chimes at which women and little
children could be profitably ex-
plotted"
THE brutal social dictum was
enunciated that it was better for
children to work in factories than to
be on the streets, and our captains
Of industry cheerfully, and not alto
rether unselfishly, assumed that If
they were not in factories children
would be on the streets serving no
good purposes
Sensed Dangers.
"And all the time the rich became
richer and the poor poorer" he said,
land all the time there were relatively
fewer rich and relatively more poor. "
THE exploiters of our natural re-
sources and the Simon Legrees hold
ing to their tasks men, women and
children too weak to defend them
selves, early sensed the poSs bility
that the economic system they were
erecting might some day tumble ABOUT
their ears unless they safeguarded it
by securing control Of Government.
The cabinet member said they
placed men in city councils, on
county boards, in State legislatures,
and in the halls of Congress who
knew which side their bread was but
tered on" Nor did these rugged in
dividualists overlook the courts" he
added
"The people won in November,
1892" Secretary Ickes said, because
the rugged individualists, the captains
of industry, the masterful fnanciers
were so disorganized and frightened
that they neglected to give their GUS
tomary attention to the political af-
fairs of the Nation"
Begged Government Aid.
1.-THE strangest procession to come
10 Washington after March was
composed Of those who had been
among the great and powerful under
the old regime.
1T is fair to say that in the early
days of the present administration
there was a general disposition
throughout the business world to beg
the Government to come to the rescue
of business" All requested to be saved
from disaster, the speaker said.
Now" he said, with a return to
confidence among business men, it is
regrettable to note there is already to
be seen in some quarters renewed
tendency to disregard the rights Of
others"
Men who came frightened to Wash
ington only a few months ago." he
said, ARE beginning to adopt the
who's afraid attitude Of the small
boy trying to make himself believe he
never has feared anything"