, 1935-05-07
WASHINGTON
BY Ray Tucker

BY Ray Tucker
slogan - President Roosevelt now
knows what conservative American
business men think Of his policies.
For a solid week during its national
convention at Washington. the
Chamber Of Commerce Of the Unit
cd States ridiculed and deplored the
New Deal. Their didoes confirmed
earlier reports that the President
was slipping with bankers, business
men and industrialists.
They talked economic problems,
but they thought In political terms.
MI. Roosevelt has taught them the
connection between the two realms.
Although they agree that business
shows a slight pickup, they insist
that Mr.. Roosevelt himself Is the
only question mark on the econom-
ic horizon. Talking confidently
I'm their off stage moments than In
their formal speeches - which were
bitterly anti-New Deal-they wish
that congress would extend the MIRA
In modified fashion and 60 home.
They have no heart for Mr.. Roose-
veltiS other must" bills.
Silas II. Strawn. the Chamber
one-man brain trust may have
picked the pOlitico-economic slogan
of 1896. Said he. Let's have re-
coverv and forget reform for a
while. Some Of Mr.. RooSevelt's ad-
visers have been telling him that
for a long time.
Leaders - Members Of the Cham
Der are not practical politicians.
They don't know how 10 translate
their beliefs or antagoniSms into
political action. They hate the
Long-C oughlin- Townsend clique
more than they do MIR. Roosevelt.
and a. vet they see no signs OF sta
bility IN the @. o. p.
What they don't seem 70 real
lie Is that Big Business Is develop
ing statesmen and Spellbinders
within II own ranks. Wendell Will
kie for instance. has emerged as an
eloquent champion Of the utilities
group. This young president OF
Commonwealth a. Southern made
an excellent impression on the poll
ticianS Of Capitol Hill and the
frost-bitten members Of the cham
Der. Business has other able. force
full and politically potential lead
erS IN George Sloan Of the textile
group. Owen y. Young Of General
Electric and Gerard Swope.
Politically minded observers who
have watched these men perform OF
O. OF G. conventions and similar
meetings often wonder why they
don't try their hand al practical
politics. As organizers Of a party
70 oppose the New Deal they out
shine the Fletchers, the Hastings
and the Teddy RooseveltS. And
1886 may be the kind Of a year to
produce such a realignment.
FlaunteH-Those twin poisons OF
prohibition days-graft and poll
ticS-are on the proWl again. They
are plaguing Joe Choate the fed
eTal boss Of the booze and bottles.
and cheering such white -ribboners
as Deets Picket and DR.. Clarence
True Wilson.
State monopolieS are shot
through with corruption II you can
believe federal officials. Half a
dozen are now under legislative in
vestigation. Retail dealers and rec
filters show no regard for the IL
uuor and tax laws. They are giving
the liquor traffic the same bad
name IL had before prohibition.
The remedy may seem visionary
but its consideration reveals how
rotten conditions may get If un-
controlled.
PaSSing-It may be too early 70
write the epitaph Of the grand old
mar OF the democratic party but
the administration has lost its fear
~ the explosive Carter Glass OF
Virginia. He can't q or bully
downtown Washington with his
sharp tongue and his distinguished
record as a party elder.
Mr.. Roosevelt has licked him
consistently. The Senator's opposi-
ton TO confirmation Of Mariner
Eccles as governor Of the Federal
Reserve Board melted away when
the issue came 10 a showdown. 50
did his demand for curtailment Of
the $4,000. 000. 900 expenditure for
the work-relief program. Although
they have not made the headlines,
many other issues which he OPP
posed we're settled satisfactorily 70
the administration.
There is drama In this vanquish-
ment Of an old democrat by a
young democrat who vas only a boy
IN political teens when both serv-
ed under Woodrow Wilson. But cur
rent significance lies In the fact
that Messrs. Roosevelt. Eccles and
MorEenthau now look for an
easier time In passing the omnibus
banking bill " e the opposition OF
the Virginia ~patriarch's opposition.
They think they have his number.
Migration-It Is an iii wind
which blows somebody good. SAYS
the political prophet Until a few
months ago proposals 10 construct
both a power and irrigation dam
Al Grand Coulee in Washington
state seemed chimerical. Even the
Interior Department. which always
favors bigger and better projects.
was hostile.
But now the Reclamation Service
wants to 60 ahead with the whole
project. It has submitted a recon-