Milford chronicle., 1935-10-18


The Howard Roosevelt question
ahd-answer stunt has changed l
ones opinion of the Roosevelt a,
ministration or the policies ard pr,
gram of the New Deal.
1t probably was not expected to I
so. More likely it was designed
afford Mr.. Howard a freshly laul
dered alibi for keeping his newspap'
chain narrowly partisan in their SUI
port of the President, and furnis
them an excuse in advance for az
vocating his denomination and r.
election
It was a good piece of partisa
propaganda, even though perfect
transparent. The collaboration wa
perfect. The President did not daT
run the risk of having such a prOm
nent publisher publicly ask him an
embarrassing questions to which h
was expected to make a public reply
For that reason, Mr.. Howard aVoidei
bringing up questions about infia
tion, return to a sound currency
balancing the budget. getting the
government out OF private business
and. particularly, about the Presi'
dents determination to make the
United States Constitution conform
10 his sOcialistic program rather than
abandon that program because 1t
runs contrary TO the United States
Constitution. In other words, the
political significance of Mr.. HOward's
letter is measured not by what it
asked but by what il cOnspicuOnsly
failed TO ask.
On the other hand, Mr.. Howard
had something TO protect. He could
not afford to take his newspaper
chain out OH a limb by blindly haz-
arding a reply from an Administra-
tiOn that has been as erratic as
weathervane in Il whirlwind.
Ghost writer No. of the New Deal
may not have composed. both the let
ters, but he must be given due credit
for a good job of editing. The Presi-
dent knew in advance the qquesiions
that would be- asked. Mr.. Howard
knew in advance the answers that
would be made.
Other than easing Mr.. HOward'S
Journalistic conscience and furnish
ing the President opportunity to Of
fer Il very abridged and very lame
defense OF his policies and motives.
the corresp pOndence has accomplished
nothing.
1t is obvious 10 the frightened
business men," out of sOlicitude for
whom the corresp spOndence was Osten-
sib.y initiated, are not going TO be
reassured regarding the Roosevelt
H.
mite and dependable answer TO the
questions which Mr.. Howard did not
ask.
There is nothing in the Presidents
letter to which the confidence OF
men Of affairs can make fast, He
reiterates the fundamental fallacy of
the New Deal--that il is Impossible
to distinguish between recovery and
reform. I
Because of that ObsessiOn. the
Roosevelt Administration. in the
name OF reform, unlOOsed forces de-
struetive of our sound and legitimate
economic structure. which made il
impossible to have business recovery, !
and which are iustifiaOly account
able for the hostility and fright
which Mr.. Howard himself admits
now perYade the world OF business,
finance and industry.
The Presidents letter aggravates
the very situation it is supposed to {
alleviate by insisting that the poll
cies of the New Deal are lin cOnfOr-
nifty with the basic economic pur- {
poses which were set forth three !
years ago." 5
Three years ago the President was a
engaged in a presidential campaign, \
running Oh a platform adopted by 5
the party which nominated him. He il
that platform 400 per p
cent" Throughout his campaign he h
reiterated the platform pledges. S
elaborated upon them, and. gave his
wo.d that he was irreVO- 3
cably committed TO redeeming them. 4
No one with even a modest intel g
Iectual equipment and possessed OF e
mental integrity will seriously ad- p
vance the claim that the policies Il
which have been initiated and car &
led into effect by the New Deal are v
II conformity with, or a fulfllment Ii
If those Platform pledges and can o
lidate promises. ip
What were some of the basic eco y
ionic purposes which the Demo- e
ratio platform and the candidate
et forth three years ago? p
First, "a sound currency to be pre- II
erved at all hazards" Candidate e
roosevelt supplemented this pledge o
With a statement that such cur &
ency must be maintained. by inter- Ii
ational cooperation. Both pledges p
gere repudiated early in the Admin e
stration. The President himself tor h
edOed the international conference t;
1 London, called for the purpose of Il
a sound currency sys- o
I'm the world around by interna- Il
ional cooperation.
Furthermore. the President, in a P
1int statement with the Financial a
Iinister of Italy, SignOr Jung, is b
ued. May 6, 1888, stated, I'VE are in Il
greement that a fixed measure of
xchange values must be re-estab- &
shed in the world, and we believe 81
his measure must be gold" The al
esident himself, personally, took Il
le nation of the gold standard. a
November 4, 1882, in the Academy b.
T Music. Brooklyn, N. Y, the Presi- Il
ent made his famous "ruDber dol Il
If" speech, in which he stated. 1t "
as a libel on the credit OF the d
nited States even to intimate there II
as any likelihood of its being taken jo
ON the gold standard. In addition, tc
E stated, NO responsible govern Of