Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-05-16

NetU Deal business. 1t is sig.
nificant and imp0r-
tant that the business voice, as repre-.
scented by the Chamber Of Commerce
of the United States, has spoken in
such emphatic terms about the New
Deal. 1t is further a matter of sig.
nificance that the business voice criti-
sized the New Deal generally as well
as specifically, because it is the first
time in the period since President
Roosevelt took charge that anything
like unity in business thought has been
presented.
The reaction was instantaneous
First, Secretary Roper of the Depart
ment Of Commerce mustered 81 mem.
bers Of his business advisory commit.
tee for a counter attack. 1t was al
most drowned out by the chambers
roar. Such was not the case however,
with the Presidents reply. He waited
until the convention had ended to let
loose a charge that the business in
terests were selfish. It made all the
front pages.
This brings us to the crux of the
condition precipitated by the outburst
Of the Chamber of Commerce conven-
ton. 1t is seldom, and 1 believe the
record shows this statement to be alb
solutely true, that annual conventions
of the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States have been taken serious
" hu
men have been looked upon as possess
sors and promoters of rather anti
quated ideas. Their interests have
been and are of a selfish character.
That Is quite obvious and quite nat
ural But at this time, the voice of
business speaks more than just busi-
ness views. 1t speaks politically.
Hence, when business spoke this time
the newspapers of the country paid
heed. The result was an unprecedent-
ed amount of publicity was obtained
by the chamber through the medium Of
its convention this year.
Whether this represents a change in
the thought Of the country, surely no
one individual of any group is able
to say definitely. 1t must be recog-
nized, however, that for many months
a highly vocal minority of politicians
has been accusing the administration
Of throttling criticism. Although this
group fought vigorously and charged
the administration with having the
greatest propaganda machine ever to
exist, 1t obtained little publicity for
those views. Most newspapers dis
missed them by publication of three or
four paragraphs, buried on the inside
pages of the metropolitan dailies. So,
necessarily, significance attaches to the
fact that when the business voice was
raised in apparent unity the newspa-
pers accorded columns of space to 1t. 1t
can be construed in no other way than
as meaning there is a larger opposi-
ton to some phases of the New Deal
at least than most Of US had expected.
For quite a while such groups as the
American Liberty league have pounded
away at certain
Imposition phases of the New
Unified Deal. To the Wash
ington observers 1t
appeared that these groups were get
ting nowhere and getting there fast.
Of sudden, however. the voice op-
posed to the New Deal seems to have
found itself. Certainly at the moment
and for the first time, there is an ap-
Proclamation of unity to New Deal
opposition and that fact is reflected in
a rather important way. I refer to
the courage exhibited in congress
where there is more and more evil
dence of decision on the part Of the
legislators to assert their independence
in contradistinction to previous silent
obedience to the White House.
believe 1t Is too early to attempt a
prediction whether the Chamber of
Commerce leadership will last. II /
were to make an individual guess /
would say that leadership of this type
will crumble. That guess is predicated
upon the record of the past because
heretofore it has been true that
business always suffered OBJECTIONS
and presently there was bushwhacking
In its own camp. Regardless of
whether that condition develops again,
the explosive character of the speeches
In the chambers convention have
added momentum to Roosevelt oppo-
sition which it has lacked heretofore.
II Is just possible, therefore, that even
II business leadership fails in its efforts
20 curb radical tendencies among the
administration group, a well knit oppo-
Vitlon may now be developing.
Pursuing this assumption further.
one hears suggestions around Washing
ton to the effect that a genuine and
basic issue for the 1896 campaign NAV
be in the making. II would seem that
Mr.. Roosevelt will be forced into the
position again of appealing to the
forgotten man Of his 1882 campaign
who has since been forgotten. The
conservative thought of the country
meanwhile will marshal behind the
home owners. the possessors of property
and capital and the workers whose in
come must be taxed heavily in subse-
quent years to pay for the program
Of spending our way out of the de-
preston.