Milford chronicle., 1934-10-19
TRUE STATEMENT OF
POLITICAL AFFAIRS
BY JULIAN MASON
Vice-President National Re-
publican Builders

II isn't working and II can't WORK!
When are the people going to come
to this conclusion about the sheer
topsy-turvy righteousness Of whal
Franklin Roosevelt is putting on al
Washington?
Public opinion has gone through
all sorts of spasms about him, but
he still holds his audience. WhyT
Who doesn't remember the blaze
OF hope there, was in his first pop
ular role, when he started as Presi-
dent with three dramatic acts, each
pulling the nation upward toward
sound recovery? To stop the coun-
try-wide runs, all banks were closed
with the promise that only the
sound ones would reopen; there was
a close but final refusal to plunge
into the dangers of scrip currency,
and there was a national economy
act promising a balanced budget.
How sound all this was! How
helpful and hopeful! Yet how fool
ishly little 1t meant
The facile Roosevelt soon changed
his role.
A yielding to politics prevented
the cleaning-up of the bank list, the
crazy gold policy of the administra-
ton brought degree of credit in
1atiOn that an emergency scrip
would not have touched, while econ
omy and a balanced budget were
thrown into the discard by a sudden
program Of extravagant spending
such as the world has never seen.
Yet the people apparently go on
believing that Franklin Roosevelt's
leadership makes sense! And they've
had so many other lessons that it
doesn't!
When DR.. Writ came along, they
asked themselves whether he wasn't
right in saying that the Brain Trust
ers were trying to slip over" a So
cial revolution. At once Mr.. Frank
lin Roosevelt ran right off into the
sands, as he has done when any di-
rect issue has ever been raised
against him. The Brain Trusters
were turned. overnight, into the
most conservative of conservative
Americans. Tugwell painted himself
as an almost passionate reaction
aryi
And again the trick worked
Take the air-mail scandal. With
out warrant of law and for purposes
of politics, the air-mail contracts
were cancelled, the companies for
hidden to bid for new contracts and
their best men blacklisted. There
was no trial, no chance for men or
companies to state their case in a
court of justice. The people at |
large showed signs OF resentment. |
So again Franklin Roosevelt ran |
away. He appointed a high-sounding |
commission ito formulate a general
air policy" under cover of which |
the bitter injustices of the concel-
lation would be obscured. Thus he |
would reappear not as the air de-
stroyer, which he is, but as the air
savior, which he isn't.
What bunk" 1t all is! What
trickery!
Yet here we all are standing for
The same kind of hocus-pocus in con-
nection with the Reorganization" of
NRA.
For weeks this show has been 60
ing on; Statements" on this, prom
ses on that, rumOrs of something
Else, mufled rOars by Johnson,
'hrill barks by Miss Perkins and
Donald Richberg. conferences at the
White House, words of hope from
Mr.. Roosevelt, and so on and so on.
How can the people take all this
seriously?
The underlying truths are two:
rhe first is that NRA hasn't worked
Ind has to be given an alibi; the
second is that General johnson
couldn't be roughly fired because he
md his secretary know too much
lnd might tell II. rnese are the
'ealities which the Great Juggler of
iyde Park hides from the people by
VI his talks and hints about a
three-branched government for
'RA" or "a supreme board or
And once more the country Is
olemnly impressed. Press-agentry
wins again.
Roosevelt, the politician, is afraid
4 johnson. He kisses him good
ye" with a Dear Hugh" letter, yet
eeps a string on him for some
new duties" in the future. Again
q pushes on into the silence the
ynamic issue raised by Johnson's
ssertion that Mr.. Justice Brandeis I
the United States Supreme Court J
as been consulted on the NRA re-
rganiZation which will eventually s
ave to come before his court. 9
The President is just as silent on
his as he was on the resignation of I
lr. Lewis Douglas, as Director Cen I
RAJ OF the Budget. He let Douglas I
o without one word of appreciation {
1r his splendidly helpful work in {
le hrst difficult days of the admin
tration. -.
Its all part of the great game
now-you-see-it and now-you-don.t.
lie slick prestidigitatien that keeps
he people from finding out the basic r
nth that this thing isn't working a
nd can't work" t--o :
David Lawrence, the experienced J
'ashington correspondent, has come =
this conclusion; he writes that I
lie whole New Deal experiment has
ogged down on politics, insofar. as ,
actual administrative existence :,
concerned. l know that Robert y
oses, before he was talked OF for
le Republican nomination for the :
'vernorship OF New York, had con- .
uded' after many arguments with -.
rain Trusters that their plans, !
1wever logical In theory, were lust 0