Evening star., 1935-08-26
ROOSEVELT TALK
GOOD POLITICS"
Foes Lack Chance to Refute
President, Observer
Saws.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

to say that he liked to deliver speeches
Of implicit" politics, Mr.. Roosevelt
did not mention party achievements,
but dealt wholly with basic ideas that
are nevertheless the central thought
OF the New Deal.
To the masses who listened in, Mr..
Roosevelt appeared as sincere cham
pion Of human rights, anxious not to
tear down, but to build up, ready to
preserve American institutions, calling
for changes in rules and not funda-
mental principles, and revealing him.
self as the leader OF the underpriVi-
legged versus the privileged.
This correspondent could not help
feeling as he listened that nowhere in
the Republican ranks has appeared as
yet anybody who can match Mr..
Roosevelt's manner or style on the
radio and that, unless some one equally
skilled and aggressive appears. We shall
find the radio the biggest vote-getter
for the Presidents reelection that We
have known in modern politics.
Fallacies Get BY.
There we're in the speech a number
OF fallacieS-indeed, number Of in
consistencies and contradictions. But
they got by the radio audience last
Saturday, just as they will get by fu-
ture radio audiences, because nobody
speaks Immediately after Mr.. Roose-
velt on the same national hookup to
point out those flaws and to carry on
the debate as 1t should be carried on
so that the American people can hear
both sides.
The radio is. Of course, indirectly
in the hands Of the administration
in power and the President, who
controls the Federal Communications
Commission, can utilize to political
advantage the prevailing system Of
granting licenses according to public
interest. convenience and necessity.
BY this device stations or broadcast
ing companies which dare to permit
critical speeches Immediately after
the President speaks can be harassed
and intimidated.
There will, Of course, be radio ad-
dresses replying to Mr.. Roosevelt's
speeches "a hours or more after he
delivers them, but not to the same
audience or through the same number
Of stations. 1t Is like having joint
debate and letting one speaker have
the floor entirely and then telling the
other speaker to put his remarks in
writing and mail them for future
reference after the crowd goes home.
Answer to President.
1t might be asked here: What
were some of the points in the Presi-
dents speech that would have been
answered had there been an oppor-
tunity to tell the Self-same radio
audience the other side Of the So
called non-political questions being
discussed?
Well, for one thing, the following
paragraph in the Presidents address
caused dismay among those who have
watched close at hand the course
of the New Deal for the last two
years:
Just as the evolution Of economic
and social life has shown the need
for new methods and practices, so
has the new political life developed
the need for new political practices
and methods. Government now de-
mands the best-trairled brains Of every
business and profession. Government
today requires higher and higher
standards of those who would serve
it. 1t must bring to its service greater
and greater competence. The con-
ditions of public work must be i'm
proved and protected. Mere party
membership and loyalty can no longer
be the exclusive test We must be
loyal, not merely to persons or parties,
but to the higher conceptions OF abil-
ity and devotion that modern govern
ment requires"
How many Of the radio audience
who heard the President make that
statement knew of the intrigues OF the
Democratic party politicians in get
ting their friends appointed? How
many thought Of the fact that in the
Presidents own cabinet sits as Post
master General the chairman OF the
Democratic National Committee? How
many thought of the tragic fate OF
the so-called Business Advisory Coun-
ell. known as the Roper Council,
whose reports have been pigeonholed
by the President himself repeatedly,
though they came from the best
trained brains of every business and
profession?
How many people also thought OF
the fact that, on the very day Mr.
Roosevelt was making his speech he
was appointing the Democratic ma
tional committeeman from Arkansas
to sit as one of three on the Social
Security Board? And how many were
thinking Of the fact that, notwith-
standing the Presidents professions
of Government fairness and helpful
ness, Mr.. Roosevelt on Saturday last
was sending to the Senate the nomi-
nation of a public ownership advocate
to be a member Of the ail-powerful
Securities and Exchange Commission
which is to regulate" holding COM
panies in the utility field?
Mr.. Roosevelt's conception OF pub
lie service, when he isn't ooeying the
Farley command to appoint Demo-
Gratis of known party service, is TO
appoint to Government commissions
and to key positions only those per-
sons whose preconceived notions OF
social and economic philosophy are
certain to be sympathetic with his
battle for state socialism.
Thus Government becomes a class
partisan or an economic partisan and
not the fair, disinterested, med1atlng
influence 1t should be IN reconclllng
conflicting interests.
Then there was the comment by
the President in his speech that
rules are not necessarily sacred
principles are" Most people listen
ing in will think that's fair enough
statement. Rules, to be sure, are
merely guides to methods to be used
in the application of set of princi-
Piles, but the Constitution of the
United States happens to be set OF
principles. The codes of ethics in
public life in making pledges in q