Evening star., 1935-10-27
A. A. A. ATTACK NECESSARY
FOR BATTLE ON NEW DEAL
Republican Leaders Finding Difficulty
in Opposing Activity So
Widely Favored.

SHOulu accept LrlS system IN tOt0 anQ
stand on the position that 1t really
was a Republican creation. In
stead of attacking the Roosevelt farm
program, McNary says the Republic
ans should base their campaign on
the New Deals profigate spending,
the unbalanced Federal budget, the
protective tariff and restoration Of
sound currency"
Awkward Fact for G. o. p.
Senator McNary's attitude means
that he thinks he. as an individual
running for reelection to the Senate,
can get more votes in Oregon by sup
porting A. A. A. That. and Senator
Cappers utterance about Kansas,
means that in the judgment of these
Senators a majority of the people in
their States, and presumably ajor.
ity throughout the West favors A.
A. A. If that is a facc, it is a fact.
1t is an awkward fact fol the Repub-
lican party. But should the Repu6-
licans. as a national party, do whit
Senators McNary and Capper recon-
mend?
The attitude Of the Western Ropub-
lican leaders, demanding approval CT
A. A. A., is affirmative; they know
what they want and they say it. The
attitude Of the Eastern leaders is
merely negative. And ghe outcome OF
a conflict between an affirmative and
a negative attitude is certain. The
two, meeting in the Republican Ma
tional Convention. would not even
fight; the affirmative attitude would
win without fighting If things 60 on
as they are the Republican leaders
will be successful in the Republican
platform and in the choice of the
presidential nominee.
If the Republicans in their conven-
ton next year indorse A. A. A. and
choose a candidate identified with A.
A. A.-what happens? DO they really
help themselves toward winning the
election?
First, what will be the attitude Of
the Western voters whom they try to
appeal to in this way? Which way Will
the Western voters 60 who want
A. A. A? Will they go with the Demo-
Gratis who invented it and whose loyalty
to it is beyond question? Or will they
go with the Republican party, a good
half of which will indorse it unWill-
ingly, if at all?
Eastern Voters Could Strike.
Second, what would be the effect Of
aF
the Eastern voters? 1t would outrage
them. True, the Eastern voters could
not revenge themselves by voting the
Democratic ticket-for the Democrats
will be completely in favor of A. A. A.
But they could stay at home. In short,
Republican Endorsement of A. A. A.
would take the heart out Of the whole
anti-New Deal campaign. 1t would be
so plainly a political eXpedient hypo-
critically adopted to get Western votes,
that the action would destroy Repub-
lican morale. 1t would take all the dig
nifty out Of the anti-New Deal cam
paign. A Republican campaign which
does not attack A. A. A. is not an anti
New Deal campaign, for A. A. A Is the
heart of the New Deal A. A. A. IS the
framework upon which the new order
of society" as Mr.. Roosevelt describes
it, is to be constructed.
The isue in the campaign next year
is whether America shall keep its tra-
ditional form of society. or shall adopt
what Mr. Roosevelt calls the new
order" The new order" if adopted,
will be a variation of the experiments
now under way in Europe. containing
the common characteristics Of them.
If in next years campaign no party
opposes the new order" naturally the
new order will come into being.
All that I have said depends upon
one premise. namely, that A. A. A. is
not lust a form of fem relief. but
is the charter and mechanism Of the
new order of society. For adequate
demonstration of that there IS not
space here. I quote Just one state
ment by one of the few men who
understands what A. A. A. is. He is
a Democratic Senator; he is speaking
of Just one detail Of A. A. A. the
amendment which makes cotton
control compulsory: IF this Cotton
control bill should pass the Congress
and if the Supreme Court should
uphold it. I shall know that the end
of all things has come in Amer
ica. I believe We have come
to the crucial hour of decision in
the Congress and in the country. It
is going to be free republic or 1t IS
going to be a socialistic, regimented
communism, and if this legi-lat'on
goes through the latter will be in
dicated
That amendment did go through.
Later an even longer step was taken
in the potato-control measure.
I should like to quote also, and in
a future article will, what Democratic
Senator Harry F. Byrd says about
A. A. A. He. too, is one of the few
who know what A. A. A. means.
Those who think A. A. A. is merely
control Of farm crops are tragically
mistaken. It is mechanism for the
control of every process and activity
aF