The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-01-27
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES,


any political dorrnitory ever housed in our whole
national history Here are to be found James
Montgomery Beck and w. e. Foster; Simeon b
Tess and Norman Thomas; Colonel Robert r.
Mccormick and Mike Gold; Al Smith and John
Dewey
1t has remained for a new publication, "The
Awakener: A National Organ of Sound Opinion,
to line up under the same masthead near-Fas-
cists and advanced Liberals and to enlist them
in joint effort to discredit the Roosevelt adj
ministration.
The Awakener appears fortnightly in a
large and Sumptuous formal, even surprising
that of George Nathan'S American Spectator.
I missed the first issue, but it could scarcely
have been more staggering than the second
number which made me dizzy.
In the first column on the front page we
find some snappy news notes on current events
in washington, accusing Miss Frances Perkins
of duplicating the late Mr.. George w. Doak's
statistical poetry, charging that the CWA is a
political expedient designed to grab off votes
for the Democrats in 1886, and condemning this
relief measure as fastening upon us the worst
aspects of the dole system.
The main headlines, however, introduce us
to long and perfectly corking exposure of the
activities of Earle S. Bailie as a member of the
investment house of j. & w. Seligman.
This good slashing radical article is sand
wiched in between the aforementioned Tory
news notes and two articles charging that the
Brain Trust idea was deliberately copied from
Russia and that the NRA labor board is de-
signedly encouraging the growth of comnunistic
unions.
The editorial page bewails the fact that the
opposition to "the Tugwells, the Ickeses, and the
PerkinSes is so pathetically irresolute and di-
vided." The capitalists are exhorted to show
some backbone" The Scottsboro defense is
criticised, Haywood Broun rebuked, and the
Brain Trust derided AS columniSt, we find
Congressman Beck warning that 'the New Deal
imperils American liberty" He closes with:
Let our prayer tonight be: God save the United
States"
ON the page opposite the editorials there is
~ critical but sensible article by Lawrence
Denis weighing the new deal to date. There
is longer article by Harold Lord Varney: us
the Constitution in Danger" Mr.. Varney
opines in no uncertain terms that it is, quoting
the "ominous words of the distinguished Har-
ward professor Thomas Reed Powell, who warns
the court to consider the results of any juristic
obstruction of the recovery program. The ener-
gency argument stressed by Chief Justice
Hughes in the recent Minnesota case, is de-
nounced by Mr.. Varney of true vi
ciouSneSs."
The fourth and last page has an article by
Mr.. Varney denouncing John StracheyS book
exposing Fascism, contends that the NFSA is
creating a swarm of government-paid publicity
men to grind out johnson copy and clog the
mails" and assaiIs Mr.. Tugwell as dazzling"
contributor to socialism who has totally repudi-
ated the capitaliStic system and wishes to launch
regime of democratic communism.
A side-swipe is taken at "Comn1ssar" Paul
H. Douglas, friend of Tugwell and now a promi-
nent member of the government department
devoted to the defense Of the American con-
sumner. Other articles here predict the estab-
lishment of a press censorship and lament the
decision of Miss Perkins to admit Emma Gold
man to the United States. The latter act is de-
upon us a horde of alien radicals.
The editors of this externally impressive but
strangely conglonerate sheet are Harold Lord
Varney, Lawrence Dennis, and Colonel Milford
w. Howard
Mr.. Varney is an old publicity war horse of
the Republican national committee and was
decorated a "Cavalere of the Crown of Italy,
in 1882. From this decoration, it is safe to as
sumo that he is not openly unfriendIy to II Duce
and his theories of government
Who's Who gives us no information as to
Colonel Howard and his social philosophy. but
Lawrence Dennis is well-knoWn as one of the
ablest liberal writer's in the country, whose
aforementioned book was one of the most de-
vastating exposures ever written of our finan-
cial pirates and rugged individualism To find
him in the company of Mr. Varney and Con-
gresham Beck is more amazing than the new
deal itself
If Mr. Roosevelt's policies can produce sucG
confusion Of tongues among the opposition. he
has little to fear.