Evening star., 1934-01-30
MILLS TALK OPENS
c. 0. P. CAMPAIGN
Topeka Speech Seen as, First
Shot in Battle to Wrest
Control of Congress.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

'AAN Aieuiy IA tic 11oOVer AQmlnlS-
tration. picked kansas day." yester-
day, to deliver in Topeka a political
speech, detailed criticism of the new
deal' and its ramifications. Mr.. Mills
speech is In measure an opening gun
in the Republican congressional cam
paign. 1t is the first extended politi-
cal speech delivered by Mr.. Mills since
the Roosevelt Administrations pro-
gram has been definitely unfolded anC
in operation. Mr.. Mills has been de.
clared o potential candidate for the
Republican presidential nomination two
years hence, although Republicans gen.
orally are trying to soft pedal talk ol
candidates at this time.
Whether he intended to do SO or not
Mr.. Mills got the jump on some of the
other Republican presidential possibili-
ties when he went to Kansas, center o1
the great agricultural West, to deliver
his attack on the Roosevelt adminiStra-
tion and his call to the Republicans to
rally in opposition particularly to max
ing permanent the activities of the
Government under the emergency re-
covery program. But other prominent
Republicans are to take the PLATFORM
If not the stump-in the near future.
Many to Talk February IL.
The birthday of Abraham Lincoln
February IL. will see a lot of them
speaking in many different parts of the
country. For example, Senator Arthur
Vandenburg of Michigan, Senator Hast
ings OF Delaware, the new chairman OF
the Republican Senatorial Campaign
Committee; Senator Dickinson Of Iowa,
Representatives James w. Wadsworth,
Jr., of New York, all have been requested
to deliver addresses on Lincoln's BIRTH
day, and most of them. if not all, will
do SO.
Senator Vandenberg is journeying TO
his home In Grand Rapids to make a
speech on that occasion. Chairman
Everett Sanders of the Republican Ma
tional Committee may make an ad-
dress, too. on Lincoln's birthday. al
though 1t has not yet been scheduled.
Notwithstanding the fact that Presi-
dent Roosevelt and his administration
appear at the present time to be on
the top Of the wave. with a control of
administration for years and . pop
ularlty OF large dimensions throughout
the country, the Republicans are stir
ring and planning. More particularly
are Republican activities in the indi-
vldual States getting underway after
an almost complete cessation during
the last year.
Not only are candidates for congress
sional Office becoming active. but the
candidates for Governor. for the State
Legislature, for prosecutor and sheriff
ere beginning to sit up and take notice
And 1t is from the interest in these local
contests that the national Republican
organization hopes that interest gen.
orally in Republican affairs will come
more and more to the fore as the weeks
roll by, climaxing in the congressional
and gubernatorial campaigns next Fall
Did Not Mince Warning.
Mr.. Mills address was read by the
politically-minded in Washington today
with keen interest. That goes for
Democrats as we'll as Republicans. Mr..
Mills did not aSSail President Roose-
Welt by name. He found a certain
amount OF good in parts of the recovery
program of the Roosevelt adminiStra-
ton. But while his address was tenn
perate in character he did not mince
his warning to the country. as well as
to the Republicans. that if the New
Deal policies are permitted to become
permanent policies, permanent law,
there will be a Government of men and
not of law in this country. with a
bureaucracy governing all activities of
American citizens and a dictator at its
head.
Mr.. Mills did not go along with the
President in his monetary policy and
insisted that the President still has left
great uncertainty In the minds of
American business as to just what is
going to happen to the American dol
lar and fear that eventually there is
to be a great imitation of the currency
made necessary by the need of the Gov
ernment to meet its ever-growing obli-
cations.
Stresses Farm Problem.
It was perhaps natural that Mr. Mills
should lay particular stress upon agrl-
culture and its treatment by the Demo-
cratic administration, and its future in
his address in Kansas And it was in
connection with agriculture that Mr..
Mills uttered words that will seem
strange because they came from q
spokesman of the Republican party.
I'VE will have TO abandon the pres.
ent policy of isolation and intense ma
tionalism and to some extent modify
recent tariff practices" he said. He
admitted in his speech that this may
sound strange coming from an ortho-
dox Republican, but added that he did
not believe that sound principles of the
protective tariff. If followed, called for
impossible barriers to international
trade. He quoted the late President
Mckinley, who said IN a speech at
Buffalo just before he was assassinated
"A system which provides a mutual
exchange of commodities is manifestly
essential to the continued and healthful
growth of our export trade. We must
not repose in the fancied security that
We can forever sell everything and buy
little or nothing"
Opposes Limitations.
Mr. Mills argument was against pro-
posals that Americas agricultural pro-
duction be limited to American needs.
He pointed out that Americas agricul-
tural exports in 1928 had shown a
tremendous shrinkage as compared to
the exports from this country during
the four-year period before the World
War Broke out in 1914.
The Roosevelt administration has
been studying the situation with respect
to foreign trade carefully, however, and
it has been reported that the President
would send to the Congress special
message asking for authority to make
special trade and tariff treaties with
individual nations in war on inter-
national trade barriers. There have
been suggestions from Republican lead
ers in Congress that such a proposal
would be vigorously resisted by the
minority in the Senate and the House.
Mr. Mills present proposal that some
thing be done to the tariff to relieve
the situation which exists today did not
specify just what line should be taken
but it is interpreted as meaning that
the Congress itself should go into the
matter Of rate slashing rather than
that the President should be given un-
limited authority to remove or lower
tariff duties as between this and other
countries.