The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-10-31

ZION, just d jump dileelu VI IIIc SpCC-
tacular Supreme Court sinking of the
NRA, Gen. Hugh Johnson, one way
and another, has professed the most
devoted personal friendship for Mr.
Roosevelt. Upon numerous occasions
he has extolled the President and
with characteristic drama dwelt upon
the great love between them.
##*
1t will be interesting to see how
much of this love is left if and when
Mr.. Roosevelt reads the latest Johnson
article, which appeared last week in
the Saturday Evening Post. Because
that article is one of the most wither-
ing and complete indictments of the
New Deal that has yet been made 1t is
true the General again expresses his
belief that Mr.. Roosevelt is cable,
sincere and courageous" But having
said that he proceeds to paint a pic
ture of him which is practically i'm
possible to reconcile with any idea of
ability, sincerity or courage.
Coming from a friend of the Presi-
dent, and a man who, close on the
inside for two years, was certainly
in position to know the facts, it is
an amazing statement. No Republican
or no anti-New Deal Democrat has
made a more deadly attack. The fact is
General Johnson repeats and elab-
crates practically every charge made
by critics of the Administration, and
adds some of his own-even less COM
plimentary to the President-to-wit,
the completeness with which he has
been nodded and directed by the So
called "Frankfurter group"
##*
He calls the New Deal as it exists
today "a mess" He asserts that the
Administration I'd h o n 0 I d its
pledge" and diluted its integrity"
He charges that "some siren" slipped
in and sold Mr.. Roosevelt the age-old
fallacy of "tinkering with the cur
rency." He asserts that the AAA has
made no progress toward a perma-
nent solution of the agricultural prob
lem. On the contrary, it leaves the
basic condition worse than ever. Both
the PWA and WPA are denounced
as failures-the latter he describes
as an unprecedented blunder." Al
together, nothing escapes the john
sonian indictment. What isn't "a
mess" is partially paralyzed."
xxx
However, the most interesting part
of the Johnson article is that dealing
with the Harvard crowd" more gen
orally known as the Brain Trust. In
effect, he says that Professor Frank
furter and the men he has inserted
into key positions dominate Mr.. Roose-
welt and dictate his policies. DR.. Frank
furter, whose goings and comings are
described as "surreptitious," he de-
clares to be "the most influential sin
gle individual in the United States"
He ascribes the failure of the New
Deal to influence of the Frankfurter
group over the President and makes
the new charge that it was their STRAIT
egg which was responsible for the fam
Count pOnfnrpnpp
when Mr.. Roosevelt used his "horse
and buggy" phrase. That conference,
he says, dealt the New Deal its worst
blow. The Frankfurter group, he de-
clares, regard the Constitution as an
antediluvian joke and their thought
about the conference was to put the
Constitution and the Court ION the
spot"
Now all of this might be said by
critics of the President-and most
has-without being news. But when
it comes from a former member of
his official family, one who for two
years was a particularly close friend
and adviser, and who still loves him
personally, it seems more or less SEN
sational They are the sort of charges
which the Democratic National Com
mittee, now extremely sensitive and
on the defensive, usually replies to
with a barrage of mud. 1t will be in
teresting to see what it has to say to
the General-whether he is to be
permitted to go on publicly loving
the President while saying such de-
vastating things about his policies.
Certainly the johnson charges seem
to require an answer, if not from the
President or the committee. then
from Professor Franbfurter. Or, per-
haps, they will all take the view that
the whole attack was just in the
spirit of "good, clean fun" and let it
90 at that