Evening star., 1934-04-06
MENCKEN FEARS
NEW DEAL HACKS
Planned Economy Bound to
= End in Mess, Writer
49,
Declares.
ey the Associated Press.

ey the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, April 6-The planned
ecbnomy of the Roosevelt administra-
tion, said Henry L. Mencken yester-
6sy, is bound to end in worse mess
of,political corruption than existed be-
fore Franklin and his boh-tailed plan
nFs went to Washington"
They're probably well-meaning fel-
lows, these advisers to the President" +"
added the famous Baltimorean ,.ho
returned yesterday with his writer
wife, Sara Haardt, from six weeks
Mediterranean cruise, "but they're
sttpidly inexperienced.
They're working at cross-purposes
constantly. They're trying too many
ideas. There are too many discordant
ndtes in Washington"
Degenerate Into Hacks"
s'And to keep themselves in power
while they give all their brainstorms
Z chance Of trial. they play in cahoots
with the politicians Thus they de-
generate themselves into political
hicks"
The editor Journalist, who speaks as
. social critic and not a social
plAnner, picked up his glass of whisky
and soda. slipped bit-he never gulps
at liquor-and settled back in the
comfortable chair in the comfortable
room of the old-fashioned comfortable
hotel he has patronized for years.
His typewriter was opened in front
OF hin-for he's way behind in his
D4rk. On davenport across the room
hts wife surveyed with glee the re-
suits of recent work: Three stories in
current periodicals.
Where will 1t all lead, you ask?"
continued the former editor of the
American Mercury.
We'll, If by observation Of the
American scene for years gives me
any inkling. think it will end where
the political mess in France ended a
few weeks ago.
Wait for the Bills.
,"Give the people time to watch for
the tax bills roll in and pile up
They'll feel Just like the Frenchmen
did who marched to the Chamber Of
Deputies. And If they hadn't been
shot at, they'd have marched on In
ahd strung up a few of the French
politicians.
Mencken emphatically said he IA
v6red a planned economy.
but let's have some experienced
people do the planning" he added.
You'll never build a planned econ
on1y in a democracy with the use Of
political power. It's all right for a
Fascist or Communist nation. But In
q democracy-and suppose We still
are democracy-you've got to DEM
onstrate to the people that old hands
at the business are doing the plan
ming.
mo one has ever convinced me
that there isn't enough Of the Messiah
in all the bigwigs in big business to
lead them to abandon their gathering
OF wealth to plan for the benefit Of all
the people-if they were asked to
do so.
J. p. Morgan Smart"
Take ]. p. Morgan. for instance.
Jack has enough of everything. He
Couldn't get anything more. He knows
all the Eays-in and out. He's smart,
too. -. Is .-.
Nov Roosevelt could say to Nor
gan: You're getting old. You don't
need anything more. Now come down
to Washington, quit working for your
self. work for the people I'm blamed
II don't think there's enough of the
Messiah complex in Jack and many
others like him that they'd do it,
too"
1twas domestic scene in the hotel
roon-the lights on low. luggage piled
around, home from q trip, rest.
Mencken grinned.
You wouldn't think I used to be
the cynical old bachelor, would you?"