The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-06-21

Washington, Jan 21.--Chief political topic among conserva- tive leaders these days is, "Who is the man who can stop Roose- velt?"
 From Philadelphia's Union League to Pittsburgh's Duquesne club, and in those starched ren- dezvous Of success along New York's Fifth avenue-every place where business leaders gather you will hear this question earn estly discussed.
 And the name most frequently whispered among them Is that of Lew Douglas, former director of the budget.
 Scion of a wealthy Arizona copper family, former close ad- wiser to Roosevelt, bitter critic of the New Deal policies, Lew is considered the ideal choice by many of those who would stop Roosevelt. They figure that conservative democrat has Q better chance to split the democratic party-carry the solid south as well as republicans of the north and west--than any old-labed republican.
 This may not be the view among republican rass-rooters of the midwest, but 1t is the pres- ent philosophy of conservative politicos of the east.
 lew Douglas, they whisper, will be the St. George to rescue them from the New Denl dragon. Fast Retrieve
 Representative 0. IT. Cross had to do some fast retrieving the other day.
 A practica. joker in his Texas district sent word that con- stituent had a now baby. Cross directed his secretary to dispatch a letter of congratulations and q copy of tho Children's Bureaus famous booklet, Infant Care"
 A few days later Cross received q letter from tho constituents 0-ycar old daughter, reading: 1: WC nuNCnt ' " uCW UuDJs HUI made mistake"
 The Texan moved fast. He per- sonally wrote Il letter of apology to the young correspondent.
 And just to show you that we congressmen have your interests at heart" he added, "I am sending you something which may in part make up for the lack of Q baby brother or sis- ter"
 "The something" was a life. sized doll.
 Careful Survey"
 The story of a three hundred million dollar mistake will be told for the first time when Sec- retary Ickes' new book comes out late this month. The book Is an account of the two years of PWA, entitled Back to Work"
 The mistake involved the or. iginal appropriation for Public Works made just after Roose- welt entered office in 1888.
 On warm May day, Senator Wagner of New York was has, tiiy inspecting a final copy of the PWA bill. It had been drafted by simon H. Rifkind, Wagner's secretary. The bill called for an appropriation of three billion dollars.
 Wagner, calling to Rifkind through the noise of other con. versation, said:
 "Does this three billion figure include the three hundred niil.. lion for New York?"
 In reply, Rifkind said, T put it in"
 But in the confusion Wagner thought he said, Put it in."
 So he did. He crossed out the &3,OOO, ,O0O,OOO and wrote instead $3,3O0, 100000.
 Thus when the president sent his PWA message to Congress on May IT, he said:
 "A careful survey convinces me that approximately 3,3OO, ,0O0, 900 can he invested in useful and necessary public construction" Party Strife
 In the allegedly august United States senate the matter Of per- sonal privilege is highely import tant. Part of the rule is that no senator shall say or cause to be put in the Record anything derogatory of q colleague.
 Bearing this lli mind, get the full significance of the action of senator "Cotton i1d" smith of South Carolina. when he put into the Congressional Record certain south cnrolins editorials