Evening star., 1934-07-15
BY OWEN L. SCOTT.

The rise and fall of personalities
in Washington today serves as a
fever chart of the new deal. It's
series of rapid and rather violent ups
and downs shows the patient to be
nervous and unsettled. The wear and
tear on man-power here during re-
cent months has been heavy. Few
stand the grind of the work or the
glare of the publicity without suffer-
ing at least little in the process.
Yet as one personality, or one policy.
goes down in the struggle for the
limelight, another bobs up. There
is no dearth of candidates eager for
the sacrifice.
Gen. Hugh S. Johnson, on a pin
nacle less than a year ago, hailed
as the one-man depression breaker,
now is quietly slipping away for
vacation he would like to make per-
manent He has burned himself out
in a task of magnificent proportions.
He hopes to be able, If President
Roosevelt permits. to return to pri-
work he has started. That wish may
not be granted before next Winter
One year witnessed the rise of the
N. r. A. administrator to a position
where many thought he was out
shining the President, and then his
fall TO point where gentle hints
were passed that speeches by him
might prove a political liability. The
general is a soldier, absolutely loyal
and devoted to the President, ready
still to make any sacrifice asked of
him. But he is worn and has been
irritable and short tempered, after
year of such work as no man can
stand
With him, fading from the picture.
would go Miss Frances NJ. Robinson,
Robbie" TO the country. who has
served as assistant administrator She
skyrocketed to fame as a stenog-
rapher who became an executive with
salary larger than that of her emf
nent superior.
But as these two N R. A execu-
tives move down in the national pic
ture, up comes a third He is Donald
Richberg, general counsel of the N.
r. A. during its first year. Now he
is the diagnostician who is to tell
the President what is wrong with
the new deal and what should be
done about it. Mr. Richberg, a
suave negotiator, philosopher, poet.
musician, and a brilliant advocate.
may be the future head of the Re-
Covery Administration. He believes
in compromise, where Gen. johnson
always wanted to smash through to
victory. His prescription, given to
Mr.. Roosevelt by September /, is
quite certain to call for notifications
and adjustments in the recovery pro-
gram that will remove frictions and
provide for a quiet and gradual de-
velopment of system of self govern
ment in industry.
Only month or so ago. the buga-
boo of Wall Street was a a youthful.
brilliant and friendly Harvard Law
School professor, James NJ. Lands.
He was a real brain truster, one whose
very name gave financierS the jitters.
Young Mr.. lands was pictured as the
arch villain who was preventing re-
covery by slowing up investment.
When word went out that he was to
head the new Securities and Exchange
Commission. designed to control stock
and bond exchanges in addition TO
controlling the issuance of securities, a
cold chill struck high finance.
So now Mr.. Lands has moved back
into the wings and a new actor has
stepped into the limelight. He Is one
OF Wall Streets own. Joseph P. Ken
nedy, speculator. banker and moving
picture magnate. Mr. Kennedy will
head the S. z. c. as chairman, while
Mr.. Lands Is Just a commissioner
Thus the men who most strenuously
objected to brain trust domination and
to what they termed the impractical
idea Of immature officials" will be
dealing with one from their own
ranks. And as a further accommo-
dation. Congress has modified the re-
Strictions IN issuance of new securities.
Now the country can watch the re-
suits that arise from the new laws as
amended and administered to meet
the wishes Of those who deal in securi-
ties. Members of the commission ex-
pect a decided pickup in financing.
II was Tot long ago that Harold L
Ickes. Secretary Of the Interior and
Public Works administrator. was rid
ing high. He had $4,000 900 900 to
spend and with that wad Of cold cash
he confidently expected to be able TO
generate millions Of jobs The Jobs
came. but instead of millions there
were thousands. Mr.. Ickes was al
much pains to discount politics. But
now 1t turns out. from official orders
and from letters of subordinates. that
political clearance" is needed to get