Evening star., 1935-03-13
PRIEST DISPUTED
ON BARUCH STORY
Writer Holds CoughIin Mis-
represented Capitalists
Attitude in Speech.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

Father COugnllnS ueHuHCiatioi Va
Gen. johnson was very much ike
Gen. Johnson's denunciation OF Faith
er Coughlin-a series of charges
criticizing motives and appealing to
emotions and prejudice.
Debate on public affairs Of vital
moment to the Nation is needed, but
these personal attacks have obscured
1t and developed instead an anger and
indignation on the part of the princl-
pals in the controversy over the air
which has not cleared up either the
future of our banking system or the
redistribution of wealth or income.
Regrettable, too, is the unjust al
tack by Father Coughlin on man
who had no more to DO with inf1uenc-
ing Gen. Johnson's policies in the
N. r. A. than did Father Coughlin
himself. The assertion, made time
and time again in Father Coughllns
speech. that Bernard M. Baruch was
responsible for Gen. Johnson's pol
icies and views has no basis in fact.
Baruch Not Consulted.
Almost everybody in Washington
who knew of the circumstances sur
rounding the selection of Gen. john
son by President Roosevelt and Of the
subsequent administration of the N.
r. A. by Gen. johnson knows that
Mr.. Barucn not only had absolutely
nothing to do with the original selec-
ton, but was not consulted on N r.
A. policies by Gen. Johnson.
1t is true that Gen. johnson was
associated with Mr. Baruch before he
went into the N. r. A. But the bun den
of Father Coughlin's attack was that
Gen. johnson in public office was the
tool of MT. Baruch and that the ladio
speech made by the general was re-
Election Of Mr.. BaruchS views.
The facts now revealed are that
Mr.. Baruch was one of those who
counselled against the johnson out
burst. What is even more important
Is that the Roosevelt administration
did not intrust to Gen. johnson the
making of banking policies or any,
thing that remotely related 70 the
''money-changerS iii the temple
Row Becomes Personal.
It is plain that Father Coughlin
was irritated by the johnson attack
and made the same mistake that is
often made in debate-he looked about
for a basis of personal reply and hit
upon the idea Of tying up Mr.. Baruch
with Gen Johnson
Mr. Baruch was the trusted adviser
OF President Wilson. Indeed. he at
one time offered Mr. Baruch the Sec
retaryship of the Treasury. During
the war, Mr.. Baruch was chairman Of
the all-important War Industries
Board He has been consulted by Re-
publican as well as Democratic Presi-
dents. He was one of the first public
men in the postwar period to recog-
nize the importance of bringing q
greater return to the farmers Of Amer
lea. He has steadfastly refused to
become involved in any current bank
ing legislation or in any questions that
affected businesses in which he might
be an investor AS a matter OF fact,
Mr.. Barueh retired some time ago
from active business and finance.
In spite of these facts, the impress
sion given the millions of persons in
the radio audience was that Father
Coughlin was inveighing against Mr..
Baruch as the sponsor of Gen. johnson.
Coughlin "Ill-Informed."
With Father Coughlin so ill-in-
formed on a point which Is common
knowledge in the National Capital and
really easy to verify, questions will
arise whether the eminent priest is as
careful with other statements that he
utters. For example, the charge that
banks make s6O, 1000 on s10O 900 of de-
positS by turning money over and over
at per cent is made without regard
to the losses sustained by banks.
If banking is as profitable as Father
Coughlin says it is, then there should
have been no losses in the banks that
were closed in the bank holiday, and
today banks should be among our gilt
edged investments, when, as matter
of fact, the earnings of banks since the
1929 crash have been notoriouSly low
in comparison with other enterprises.
Discussion of Issues Needed.
What the people would like from
Father Coughlin and Gen. johnson
and any other protagonists who have
the public eye or the public ear is
frank discussion of issues and not
persons.
The Detroit clergyman has the right
to speak as much as anybody else
and to engage in politics If he
wishes--there's no law against it,
though citizens may differ am~lg
themselves as to it's wisdom or pro-
priety-but the public understanding
will be more advanced by a higher
plane of debate, with more informa-
tion and less invective. Otherwise,
the Pittsburgh promoter who offered
a purse for a six-round bout between
Senator Long and Gen. Johnson will
seem to be the person really possessed
of logic, as well as a proper sense Of
values.