The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-04-29
WIN
ROUND FROM
POLITICIANS
BY EARL GOODWIN

his Sunday night "fireside chat"
via radio, indicates to the inside
circle that the idealists, for the
moment, at least, have won a
round of the battle from the hard
boiled politicians of the New
Deal.
Although "Jim" Farley is re-
ceiving kicks by the ton, accord
ing to his own statement, the
politicians out in the field still
claim that the brain truSters are
getting the big slice of this work
relief four billions.
No matter what the charts OF
organization show, with Politician
Frank C. Walker, holding the fun
mel through which the applica-
lions flow, politicians out in the
country which has to be organ
lied for votes in November, 1885,
claim they are holding the bag"
They state that the two big
Jobs in the work-relief program
are held by Harry L. Hopkins,
who deSpises politics and insults
politicians; and by Brain TruSter
Rexford G. Tugwell, who is widely
credited by the members Of the
Democratic National Committee
with not knowing what politics Is
ell about.
While the politicians and the
Brain Trust are quarreling about
who has the limelight and most
of the prizes, there is a serious at
tempt by the Presidents close
friends to get the bulk of the
money spent before the next cam
paign.
This is for two reasons: one is
the Presidents high minded in
sistence that he does not want the
program to reach a peak at a time
that could be considered an op-
perfume moment for the polite.
ians. The other is the legislative
limits on the funds make it neceS-
Sary to "get going" now.
War Time Psychology
Harry Hopkins, who is actually
in the drivers seat and who will
crack the whip over the entire
working gang from Maine to Cali
fornia, has it in his mind to try
to stimulate the people of the
country somewhat after the man
ner Of war time drive to keep
up the morale of the people.
This, he told a friend, is the
best way to avoid the legal delays
which have hindered Secretary
1ckeS' PWA program. It means,
too, that where there is legal tech
nicality in the way of rapid &C.
emulation of land for building
projects, etc., the work may be
switched to something easier to
start in hurry.
Mr.. Hopkins hopes to produce
q national feeling that it is un-
patriotic to hold out for high,
higher and highest prices on prop
erty that the Government needs
for its building projects.
Wide Distribution
PolltlcalIy minded men in the
Administration complain that the
country is not being divided
along political and State lines;
that the unemployment map"
which Frank Walker and Harry
Hopkins are going to make,
shows a disregard for congress
Slonal districts. There will be
considerable noise about this, it
is predicted, before Congress ad-
journS.
Also, insiders tell stories of sad
politicians claiming that the way
the Setup is going to work out,
gives large sums of money into
the hands of Republicans to
spend. Details of this complaint
are lacking; but there are strong
indications that President Roose-
welt is working for wide distribu-
tion-politically, and in every
other way.
Probably the biggest purse will
go to Professor Tugwell, left
winger, Suave Brain Truster, con-
corning whom there have been
1nSiStent rumors that he was on
his way out of the New Deal.
Far from being out of the picture,
the rural rehabilitation and SINH
lar work instructed to him cost in
the neighborhood Of a billion dol
lars, if New Deal insiders are
correct.
Rural TTnJifk pIouno5
Prof. Tugwell's part of the
program comes far down on the
organization chart, but the ex-
tent of his work is large. He
will attempt to move whole armies
OF people from unproductive soil
to fertile soil; to spend millions
on social betterment and economic
uplift in forgotten rural areas.
He will be the motivating i'm
pulse in a social and economic
experiment somewhat after the
nature of the social uplift in the
IVA project.
Meantime, political MS have
their eyes on the program for
New England, where the New Deal
has the toughest problems of it's
experience. New England bust
ness is in a bad way, it is reported
here. Not only is the textile in
dustry sick, but the shoe manu-
facturerS are reported to be in
just as bad a way.
Daniel C. Roper, Secretary Of
Commerce, is on the committee