Evening star., 1935-05-12

in the Atlantic Monthly on eco
non,ic conditions, and he is the
author of a recently published
book, "Labor's Fight for Power:"
He also is 1peI k1,o1rn for his tDrit-
inq on Far Eastern affairs.
BY GEORGE E. SOKOLSKY.
SEVEN months tour through
n the country, just completed,
II has taken me to every part
4 \ except the Northwestern
States.
Every one spoke of the presidency
It is impossible to say that President
Roosevelt is not popular with the
American people. But it Is clear to
an impartial observer that his per-
sonal popularity is on the wane.
Business men used to blame the
''hrain trust" for their liability to
impress upon the administration the
single fact that bureaucratic rigid
tiles impede recovery. Now, in sadness
more than utter disapproval. they
blame the President. They used to
suggest that TugWell or some one like
him kept the President ill-informed.
Now. they are beginning to wonder II
the President really wants to know all
the facts in a situation, whether 1t IS
now he. himself. who prevents the
small business man from getting on
his feet again by continuing the exist
ence Of the N r. A.
Last year they laughed at the A..
A A in farm States. Uncle Sans
checks came in handy and the farm
ers bought shiny motor cars with
them. This year, processing is no
longer a joke. In the cotton States
President Roosevelt has become an
unwelcomed leader. and that explains
why TIuey Long and Gov. Talmadge
Of Georgia talk secession.
Everywhere taxes and food prices
are going up. The sales tax is be-
ginning to be felt by the housewife
and although this is everywhere
state or municipal tax the President
is nevertheless being blamed for hlgn
taxes. After all. economic conditions
are national, and the small business
man. the salaried white-collar man,
the 1aborer-these elements in the
population who have survived the
depression and the recoverv-note
that the cost of living which includes
taxes. is rising with accelerated
rapidity.
Price OF Familiarity.
President Roosevelt. it is apparent.
will have to nay the price of familiar
itv. The public is accustomed to him.
Thev say that he makes fine speech
on the radio and that he has an eX-
cellent voice, but that he always says
the same thing. I have heard this
criticism in every part OF the country
namely, that the President paints
wonderful picture in his talks but that
he never gets down to brass tacks-he
never tells in advance exactly what
he is going to do, clearly, specifically,
unmistakably.
Furthermore. the average business
man, who has survived the depression,
Is no longer afraid as he was in 1888
and 1884 He is regaining confidence
in himself and his intellectual powers.
He Is no longer willing to be told how
to save himself and how to manage
his business. He must be smart. he
feels, or he would have gone under
as so many of his colleagues went un-
der He is tired of codes and code
authorities and the racketeering czars
in industry and commerce-the man
ayers of code authorities and their
lawyers. He is growing restive under
the cost of these operations and he
blames the President for their con-
tinued existence.
The elimination of Gen. johnson
from the N r. A. had the effect Of
removing a buffer between the Presi-
dent and the small business man, and
complaints are now being hurled di-
rectly at the President.
AS I travelled about the country
found that liberals are terribly diSap-
pointed with the President. He will
not go far enough to see the New
Deal through, they say. Or he plays
favorites and only listens to an in
side group. But the really irritating
complaint they all harbor is that they
believe he promised to do what each
man wanted him to do and did not
keep his promise.
In a word. his charming manner,
his smile, his engaging personality led
all these men and women to believe
that he had accepted them and their
ideas at each persons own valuation.
And it has turned out not to be so.
Many of these men will now vote
against Mr.. Roosevelt, and for any
person who seems to be more radical.
Defeat in '36. -.
When I began to travel last October,
no one thought Of the possibility OF
Mr.. Roosevelt failing of reelection.
It was taken for granted that all he
had to do was to run and he would
roll up the largest vote ever gained by
q candidate for his Office. That Is not
the atmosphere today.
On all sides speculation is active
as to the probability of Mr.. Roosevelt's
defeat. It would be inaccurate to
suggest that the pendulum has swung
so far that a majority Of the citizens
desire his defeat. To suggest that
would be to exaggerate and distort the
picture. My observation is that If
the election were held today, Mr..
Roosevelt would be elected. but more
people discuss the merits of other
candidates and their chances today
than q year ago.
If we place Mr.. Roosevelt In the
center, we find to the right Of him
the Republicans. They divide into
two general camps, the conservative
and liberal Republicans.
Herbert Hoover and Ogden Mills
represent the conservatives in the
public mind as Presidential possible
ties. Last year the mention OF either
name started a quarrelsome argument.
Now they are both taken seriously.
Mr.. Hoover somehow is coming back
in popular favor. visited him IN
Palo Alto and I saw something of him
in San Francisco. He is younger.
more cheerful, more energetic than
when I saw him in the White House.
More people speak kindly Of him than
before. More are friendly. Mr.. Mills
speeches are making favorable i'm
yression. Many who say that he Is