Evening star., 1935-11-30
Roosevelt Address Hit by
Fletcher as "PoIiticaI
Propaganda"
RELIEF EXPENDITURES
IN STATES DEFENDED
Fleming Knows Nothing Of
Source of Presidents Bank
Advice" He Says.


penser OF charity in history OF
America. Under energetic Admin
istrator Hopkins, agency has spent
more than $1,000 900 900: served as
parent" for C. w. A., Surplus Re-
liet Corporation, and others:
marked for diScontinuance NTH
conception OF tUorks program. spirit
iCill 90 marching on in w. P. A.
The flow Of Federal relief funds to
the States will stop abruptly tomor-
row when the administrations goal
Of providing $500, 600 jobs for the un-
employed is reached and the F. E. r.
A. comes to its long g-heralded end.
Announcement Of the complete liq-
uidation of F. E. R. A. came as an
anti-climaX to President RooSevelt's
Atlanta speech yesterday in which he
said the Governments job objective
had been virtually attained, and gave
assurance that the days of lavish ex-
penditures had passed.
With the end of F. E. r. A., w. P.
A. will stand as the Governments re-
lief unit, and the responsibility for
the needy. aside from the $500 900 on
work relief, will be turned back to the
local governments.
F. E. r. A., since its set-up in May,
1888. has spent more than So, 900, ,OO0,-
600 in alleviating suffering, and its
death, by coincidence, comes during
the absence from Washington of not
only the President but Relief Admin
istrator Harry L. Hopkins. Both, how
ever, were in touch with developments.
Attack by Fletcher.
Administration leaders found In the
end of F. E. R. A. as we'll as the Presi-
dents speech many reasons for making
favorable comment. The only serious
attack came from Henry p. Fletcher,
chairman of the Republican National
Committee, who described Mr.. Roose-
yelt's address as sheer political prop
aganda."
THE sudden interest in economy
now shown by Candidate Roosevelt" I"
he declared, springs not from a de-
sire to cease his political spending and
squandering but from his tardy reali-
zation that the long suffering citizens
are about to call q halt"
But to Chairman Buchanan of the
House Appropriations Committee the
speech was splendid review" of Mr..
Roosevelt's Accomplishments"
''I do not believe" he said, "that
the Presidents address was as much
a campaign speech as 1t was an at
tempt to assure the people that the
administration is not going to spend
any more than it has to effect re-
covery."
One of the features Of the Presi-
dents speech which attracted much
attention in Washington was his state
ment that bankers advised him back
in the dark days of 1888 that the
public debt could safely be extended
to between 55 and 70 billion dollars.
Bank Advice Discussed.
Robert v. Fleming, president of the
Riggs National Bank, who recently
was elected head of the American
Bankers Association, said he did not
know the source Of this advice and
felt certain no officials of his organi-
zation had given such estimates.
That statement also stirred Chair
man Fletcher, who pointed out the
daily average deficit since July l
through November IS was $12,865, 900,
and asked:
will the President take the coun-
try into his confidence and name the
bankers who said in 1888 that the
country could stand a debt of between
SIS and 10 billion dollars?"
Taking issue with still another por-
ton of the Presidents fiscal discus
sion, Fletcher said:
"The statement of the President
that the so-called recoverable assets
will be used for the purpose of re-
ducing the public debt is misleading.
These assets so far as they are re-
coverable at all are not available for
the reduction of the public debt so
long as the Government operates at
q deficit"
Referring to Mr.. Roosevelt's re-
marks on the credit of the Govern
ment, Fletcher said the President
probably referred to the 'low rate of
interest at which the Government is
operating"
This rate of interest,"" he con-
tended, sis the result of the admin
istration's manipulation of the mar
ket for Government bonds and its
forcing of obligations upon our COM
mercial banks.
"Credit Of U. s. Good"
''But the credit of the United States
is an entirely different thing from the
credit of the Roosevelt administra-
ton. Mr.. Roosevelt continually
confuses the United States of Amer
lea and the American Government
with his own temporary and expert
mental administration.
Announcing the liquidation OF F. Z.
R. A.. Aubrey Williams, assistant
chief of w. P. A. and F. E. r. A., said
the entire $500, 900 unemployed would
be at work by tonight. He conceded
that direct relief would be continued
in December-that the final allotments
made yesterday may be used next
month for what has been called the
dole"
Two problems, however, still face the
work relief high command-one
transitory and the other permanent.
They are:
1. Some able-bodied needy must
continue to receive the dole for q
time in localities where job quotas
have not been filled, while everywhere
delay In actual payment Of work.