, 1935-05-10
N
BY Ray Tucker


.ional chaos. Within a few days Sec
Morgenthau will use a ma
tion-wtde radio hookup to discuss
sterilization" In the most vigorous
and carefully documented speech any
presidential spokesman has vet de-
livered or that subject.
The secretary Of the treasury will
In a-b-c language the
address viii be to the voters. not the
bankers why this country went
off the gold standard. He will set
forth the results as he and treasury
experts sec them.
His pronouncement will of course
be interpreted In various ways -
especially as Sir Josiah Stamp Of
was a recent White House
Now that all but a few ma
tons are off gold. some will say
that IL is an invitation for would-be
stabilizerS 70 sit around a conference
Others will view the speech
as defense" designed 70 ward OFF
republican criticisms. You can take
your choice. but the important fact
is that Mr.. Morgenthau will tell the
inside gold story" for the first time
Unread NRA lawyers didn't care
for Stanley Reeds presentation Of
their case before the supreme court
IN the New York poultry action.
They feel privately that the Solicitor
General had a great chance and
muffed IL though still hopeful Of a
five-to-four decision for the Blue
they are not so cocksure as
they we're.
Mr.. Reeds answer to the courts
question about what he regarded as
a code Of fair competition seemed
feeble to the NRA-ers. There. they
say. he was invited to set forth the
basic philosophy and economic ne
ceSSity OF the codes. They complain
that instead he delivered a purely
legalistic argument. New Deal law
has not swerved the court SO much
as philosophic persuasion. II was
by recourse 70 the latter kind Of ap-
peal that Attorney General Cum
mings won the famous gold case.
While Mr.. Reed was arguing. NRA
chieftain Don Richberg wrote furi-
ously and slipped his suggestions 70
the Solicitor General. Those notes
would make interesting reading. But
Mr. Reed stuck them in his pocket
unread as fast as he got them and
Don won't tell what was In them.
Hurdles - Mr.. Reed isn't blamed
personally for what the MIRA law
yers regard as his unfortunate pres
entation of their case. They hold
the system responsible by which
matters affecting vital New Deal is
sues are argued before the Supreme
By government lawyers not IA
miliar with them from start to fin
ish. Other high officials - notably
Secretaries Ickes and Wallace -
make the same complaint.
No matter where litigation arises
NRA. AAA, the treasury. the
White House. the interior depart
ment, - the attorney generals Of
flee grabs ID as soon as 10 assumes
supreme court stature. Department
lawyers who have nursed the case
through lower courts are brushed
aside or assigned a trivial part in
preparation and presentation. No
matter how able. the ID. OF j. lawyer
can rarely make as thorough or skill
fui an argument As the man below
That was Mr.. Reeds trouble. He
a pitcher who went into the box
without warming up enough.
Don't be surprised II the system is
revised soon. The New Deal still has
many HURDLES 70 clear. but its high
est and hardest r those nine black
robed figures on what lawyers call
the Court Of the Last Guess"
Crazy - The New Deal household
IS riddled with rivalries and zeal
- Ickes versus Hopkins. Per-
<ins versus Biddle. the liberals
versus Farley and Roper - but the
finest hater Of all il George Peek.
He has been humbled openly and
.'lagrantly by Secretaries Wallace
and Hull. The former got rid or
him when he fought the crop reduc-
ion program and Mr.. Hull tore M
MS proposal for the barter Of goods
other nations.
Mr.. Peek's analysis OF our foreign
Trade and monetary transactions
vas a frontal attack upon the Hull
wallace policies of freer interna-
tional commerce. They have urged
over tariffs on the ground that
a creditor nation we must buv n
hope TO sell. MI. Peek main
tains We are a creditor nation in
name only. He insists that the out
side world. instead of buying orr
goods which he contends Il could
EASILY do - Is swiftly liuuidating ~
debts and shifting the debtor
role 10 Uncle Sam.
Officials I'm other departments
concerned with world trade and Iii
plomacy say say that Peek's figures
are crazy and his conclusion crazier
IN due but diplomatic time they will
so publicly. What they can't un-
nerStand is why the President per
United him to sound off 20 spectacu-
Iarly. The answer is that George
has been spouting his ideas around
ne White House for weeks. ard II
was thought best to let him get them
off his chest. They represent only
his personal opinion"
Tariff - Few may have noticed II.
but the White House gave Mr.. Peek
is answer the same day the head
carried his sensational story.
As II repudiating his criticism OF
Secretary Hull's reciprocal tariff
agreements. President Roosevelt pro-
claimed the effectiveness Of the
Haitian treaty with flourishes and
Guardedly but persistently Mr..
Hull Is making holes in the worlds
'arin dikes. He has negotiated and
put into effect four reciprocal
treaties. and a dozen more are near
ing completion. Each document
contains the unconditional most-fa-
proclamation clause which breaks Mr..