Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-09-22
Political Planning
By Queen L. Scott.

IMAM u year away, lie ID IcpldCulB GU
nomic planning with political planning
in anticipation of it.
Mr.. Roosevelt takes up this new task
with assurance. He frequently was criti-
cized for lack of definite policy or of a
clear objective when performing as an
economic planner. That field admit
tedly was new to him, and the President
entered it on an experimental basis.
Not so the political planning business.
The same critics who found fault with
Mr.. Roosevelt's venture into economic
planning complained that his trouble
lay in the fact that he was chiefly
interested in politics and political
strategy.
Now the country can watch this new
style performance. 1t opened with an
exchange of correspondence in which
the President assured business that the
New Deal now is substantially complete
and that a quiet breathing spell can be
| counted upon. This assurance was de-
signed to upset New Deal opponents who
argued that Mr. Roosevelt held a grudge
against business men and desired TO
harasS them.
Next is coming the presidential jour-
ney to the Pacific Coast, in the course
of which President Roosevelt will make
number of addresses expanding upon
his breathing spell" plans. He also
will sound out sentiment and try to de-
termine for himself whether the people
are firing of experiment and long for
period of quiet.
He has been told over and over again
that they do. He also has been told
equally as often that the people of the
country are worried over New Deal
spending. So, before starting out on his
first campaign trip, Mr.. Roosevelt ordered
the alphabetical agencies to clear their
administrative expenditures through the
Bureau of the Budget. This is inter-
preted as the first step in forthcoming
economy wave.
Most vulnerable point in the New
Deal armor is the fact that the Federal
pay roll has risen in less than three
years from 100000 to above 100000
gain of 10000. Those figures do not
include the Army or the Navy, with their
large increase in personnel nor do they
include the 100000" farmers receiving
Federal checks, nor the 100000 unem-
ployed to be added TO the Federal pay
roll, nor the III 900 farmers helping TO
administer the rm-adiustment plan.
The President feels that >if he can
show reversal in the trend toward eX-
pansion of Government employment, he
can satisfy the people on that point
But. queStioners ask: Why is the New
Deal reelection campaign getting under
way SO early?
Several reasons are advanced by the
New Dealers.
One is that Mr.. Roosevelt is eager to
get into action along a political front.
He has spent most of his life in politics
and enjoys the fray more than almost
anything else.
Another is that the Democrats fear
most of all split in their ranks. When
present plans were laid, Senator Huey
Long was threatening factor who prom
ised to upset reelection strategy by a
campaign OF his own. An assassin has
removed the Louisiana dictator from the
scene, and his death sinplifes the Presi-
dents political problem.
There still remains the prospect of
break on the part of some conservative
Democrats. The Republican party would
in the fold. But Mr.. Roosevelt has been
given the assurance of the principal
Democratic conservatives that they have
no intention to bolt the party. He also
feels that anything short of a real
coalition between the conservative Demo-
Gratis and the Republicans would merely
serve to split the conservative vote and
further simplify his problem
A third rPaCOY for Onapir1o bo
election campaign now is that the Presi-
dent would like to gather a larger cleo
toral vote in 1886 than he had in 1882
He thinks that a showing Of that type
would write the New Deal 'indelibly into
law-provided the Supreme Court agrees
or, if it does not, then sweeping VIC
tory would be expected to lay the ground
work for constitutional change.
This shift from economic planning to
political planning brings with it change
in planners.
The country from now on will hear
less about the personalities who have
figured in economic experiments; more
about those who will do the political
experimenting.
Mr.. Roosevelt remains as the chief
political strateglst just as he has served
as the chief strategist during the task
of writing the New Deal into law.
The team working under him knows its
stuff.
James A. Farley is the organizer and
salesman The Democratic national
headquarters under him is high-pow-
cred organization in constant touch with
the party units throughout the country.
Mr.. Farley, veteran observers of political
operations say, has done job of organ
izing such as the country has not seen in
the past. The machinery is in a high
state of efficiency. Mr.. Farley has seen
to that by ironing out difficulties with
a number of the big city Democratic
organizations.
Charles Nicholson heads the propa-
ganda organization. During the 1882
campaign he was on the attacking side.
Now his principal job is one of defense.
Mr.. Nicholson finds that he functions
less effectively in the new role, but his
long experience as a political observer
is invaluable to the President in shaping
his political course.
Emil Hurja, assistant to Mr.. Farley,
is the chief analyst. His job is to chart
the political sentiment of each State
and each locality so that Mr.. Roosevelt,
Mr.. Farley and Mr. Nicholson can know
just what tactics to apply. He is a sort
of scientific politician, translating public
sentiment into readable graphs.
Frank G. Walker is the contact man
and arranger. At present Mr. Walker
heads the applications division of the