Evening star., 1934-03-08
The Political MILL
By C.. Could Lincoln.
The battle over the new deal Is
growing. The new dealers, however,

The battle over the new deal Is
growing. The new dealers, however,
from President Roosevelt down the
line. are not hesitating to take the
offensive. The President, opening the
N. r. A. conference here Monday,
frankly told the representatives Of
industry that the new methods and
new policies under the new deal had
come to stay; that there would never
be q return to the old system and
conditions. And, furthermore, he
warned industry that in the future
the strong arm Of the Government
would be used to see that tnfractions
Of the N. R. A. codes were punished.
Gen. Johnson, N. r. A. administrator,
last night in more detail said that
the Government Is preparing to en-
force the penal provisions Of the law
under which the codes are set up.
Senator Joseph T. Robinson Of Ark
ansas, Democratic leader Of the
Senate, on Monday took occasion in
the Senate to extol the Roosevelt re-
covery program, during the course of
which he justified the proposal to
grant to the President authority to
make reciprocal trade agreements
with foreign nations and to reduce
tariff duties by nifty per cent in con-
nection Herewith.
Senator Robinson's discussion Of the
recovery program included q state
ment that: 1.-The cries and complaints
| OF those who have nothing to suggest,
however voluminous, cannot win back
power and confidence to those de-
scribed as financial wizards, and who
were dumb and helpless in the ex-
tremity which their own misjudgment
| brought upon mankind"
This Is in line with the whole de-
tense Of the Roosevelt program. II
it Is attacked. its supporters invariably
reply; What do you propose as q
substitute. President Roosevelt made
distinction between patriotic critics
and unpatriotic critics in his address
, to the N. r. A. on Monday, listing
as unpatriotic those persons who
/ merely attack the new deal without
Offering anything as a substitute.
| y
The Robinson speech In the Senate
led Immediately to an attack upon
! the new deal by Senator Simeon D.
| Fess of Ohio. Senator Feas Is tho
assistant Republican leader. He told
the Senate that despite the expendi-
ture Of billions Of dollars by the Gov
eminent, the results to permanent
business and employment have been
small. The Government expenditures.
he said, are not and cannot be called
recovery. And he asked the pertinent
question: What is going to happen
when the expenditures cease? The
supporters Of the new deal, in the
Senate, rushed to the defense Of the
recovery program, including Senators
| Wagner Of New York, Byrnes Of South
Carolina and Norris Of Nebraska, the
Senator from South Carolina present.
ing long list of clippings from Ohio
newspapers picturing restoration Of
business and employment.
+ r ~
Senator Fess stuck to his guns,
however. and insisted that recovery
will come only when industry-private
ndustry-absorbs the unemployed
workers. and the figures he presented
indicated that the great measure Of
unemployment brought through the
| recovery program to date has been
due to Government pay rolls.
The debate in the Senate was in
some measure forerunner of the
political campaign which is to come
which. indeed. is already getting
under way. The Democrats point
with pride to the Roosevelt program
. program which has turned the
wheels, opened up many factories and
brought certain social reforms which
the Republicans acclaim along with
the Democrats, among them the
practical abolition Of child labor
through the codes Of the N. r. A.
| The President has urged upon in
dustry an immediate increase in en-
ployment and In purchasing power.
Gen. johnson has asked that industry
provide q 10 per cent reduction in
working hours and q 10 per cent in
crease In wages per hour, so that the
purchasing power Of the people may
be increased and industry itself stimu.
lated. There is no question but what
further activity by private business is
becoming more and more essential
daily. OF course, such activity has
always been the deSideratum since
the beginning Of the depression, now
| in its fifth year. But today, when the
| Government itself through its various
relief measures, has undertaken to
substitute for private industry in pro-
Nding wages, the need to shift the
burden back to industry is growing
daily. Unless industry does take over
this burden. State Socialism, follow
ing . financial collapse Of the Gov
eminent appears to be inevitable.
~ + +
Recently the full membership OF
| the new Democratic Senatorial Cam
paign Committee, headed by Sena-
tor James Hamilton Lewis Of Illinois,
was announced. Senator Tydings of
Maryland is vice chairman and the
other members are Senators McAdoo
of California, Duffy of Wisconsin and
Bailey Of North Carolina. with Col.
e. A. Halsey, secretary of the Senate,
| 40 CACNdCANC SCNACtdAys oCldCOl KNS-
Adoo has declared himself for the re-
election of Senator Hiram johnson,
Republican Progressive, in his own
State this year. Senator Duffy, like
Senator McAdoo, halls from State
represented by a Republican Senator
who supported President Roosevelt in
the last campaign. Senator La Fol-
lette. So far the Democrats of Wis
consin have not been so kindly to-
ward La Toilette as have been the
Democrats of California toward
Johnson.
The Democratic National Commit
tee, under the apparent direction of
the President, is purging itself of
members who hold public of1ice in
washington or who have come here
to practice law. Perhaps it would
be more correct to say that the men,
bers who hold office and the pOlitico-
lawyers are retiring from the COM
mittee at the suggestion Of the Presi-
| dent. Arthur Mullen of Nebraska
has Joined the ranks Of former men,
\ - u