, 1935-02-28
The World
At Glance
BY LESLIE EICHEL
Central Press Staff Writer)

NCenIfh rrebS SLaII WrlLerD
NEW YORK. Feb. 2s.-President
Roosevelt Is beginning the second
half Of his term with the ebh
against him.
That Is the opinion expressed by
many persons.
There usually Is a mid-term reac-
ton 10 q president. That Is one OF
the healthy symptoms Of q republic.
The emotion then has worn off.
President Roosevelt, however. Is In
q more precarious predicament than
his predecessors. None has had
such an economic crisis to meet. nor
so many conflicting forces to con-
solidate. The Rooseveltian reaction
comes largely. though. Of his own
making-h.s endeavor 70 compro-
mise with all forces. first one then
the other.
That Is the opinion in the larger
cities.
The farm regions. however. may
believe differently, since their eco
nomic pressure has been greatly
leSsened.
Three Major Problems
There are three major problems
confronting President Roosevelt as
he begins the second half Of his
term-government, Itself; finances
apd social reform.
Students OF government do not
fear the forces from outside will re-
shape the American government
and destroy democratic safeguards.
They fear forces from within.
For example, the congressional
committee which investigated Nazi
and communistic activities. is
making recommendation that
might make IL possible for a gov
eminent to perpetuate itself and
actually imprison all its opponents.
There now lies within the hands
Of the president the power to pro-
mulgate regulations without the
sanction Of leg .slative assemblies.
Suppose somebody should criticize
such regulations. Under new laws
proposed by the congressional
committee. would the critic not be
an enemy" to the government?
Suppose, too, persons alarmed
over the destruction Of democratic
safeguards. should form a political
party TO protect individual rights.
Could such persons not be impri-
soned?
It IL not that President Roose-
welt himself fosters any such ideas.
Nor Is II likely that his aides fore
see any such results.
But in other democratic countries
the beginning Of the end Of liber-
ties came under liberal regimes
which compromised with anti dem
ocratic forces TO retain their good
will. Such has been history from
Rome TO Germany, through the
centuries.
Finances
In the matter Of finances, PreSi-
dent Roosevelt enters the second
half Of his term with o burden Of
debt that augers either for con-
tiscation OF property values or in
flation, with It's consequent hard
ships and disIllusionments.
Efforts to maintain the esta-
blished economic system through
vast expenditures may. In the
end. prove the destruction Of that
system, conservative economists
tell lbs.
That. however. Is not to be ar
gued here. The money has largely
been spent-and millions still are
unemployed.
The next efforts. by forces that
the president VII have difficulty In
resisting, will be toward initiation
on a large scale.
Then. when initiation on a large
scale does come. when viii the
bubble burst7 Prior 10 the next
election-or after7 But whether 1t
bursts or not. the problem win re-
main q dangerous one There are
no party lines on such matter, and
ell who resist dncluding even q
president) undoubtedly will be
called reactionaries or "old fogiesP.
Emotionalism may rise high against
them
On the other hand, the alterna-
tive suggested by liberal econo-
mists Is not likely 10 be tried in
the United States during the i'm
mediate future at ieast-legal con-
fiscation Of excess property values.
That Is the single takers method
OF equaliEtng wealth and income.
But conservative economists say
that the worst feature of a pro-
gram Of plunging ahead on the
bass Of expediency Is that we may
fall heir to both initiation and
property value c~onfiscation in a
nerve-wracking. hazardous man
ner. Instead OF a planned orderly
manner.
The rule OF reason may give way
to the rule Of mob. in the extrem-
ity.
An experimental service is plan
ned for early next spring over a