Evening star., 1935-03-25
ThePOliticalM Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

Reading former President Hoover's
attack on the New Deal, contained
in his letter to the California Repub-
lican assembly, one would think
there was q lot In 1t with which
Republicans might agree. He made
SPECIFIC indictment of the Demo-
rejuvenated and vigorous Repub-
hcan organization. Yet there are
Republican leaders who would not
comment on Mr.. Hoover's letter.
There Is still ap inclination 10 make
the former President the scapegoat
for the G. o. p, and particularly for
its defeats in the last four years.
Considering the manner In which the
Republicans split up into factions and
the lack of support which many of
them gave Mr.. Hoover when he was
in ofice, this seems unfair and
ridiculous.
Naturally 1t was not to be expected
that "presidential possibilities" among
the Republicans would do much
cheering when Mr.. Hoover launched
his attack on the Roosevelt admins
tration. He is still the titular head
Of the Republican party; he has still
q very considerable influence with
men prominent in the party organ
ization. Although he has never inti-
mated that he would be a candidate
for President again, he has never said
that he would not. There always
fingers the possibility that he might.
And that would not fit in with the
plans of a uumber of gentlemen. As
q matter of fact, unless there was a
real demand from lot Of people. it
seems entirely improbable that Mr..
Hoover will be a candidate for the
nomination in 1886.
x& -
Mr. Hoover waited for two years
after leaving the White House be-
fore he made this distinctly political
statement, attacking the New Deal.
He waited until the operation of the
New Deal had been under way suffl-
cient time to estimate its success or
lack of success. The indictment
which he produced was both definite
and pointed 1t ranged from criti-
cism of the repudiation by the ad-
ministration and the Democratic Con-
gress of the obligations Of the Gov
eminent to a denunciation of the
policy of a national economy based
upon scarcity. A lot Of the things
which he criticized have been criti-
cized by others. But he gathered
them all together, and the collection
is formidable.
The G. o. p. will have to decide
sooner or later whether it is going
to advance a platform relatively con-
servative or whether it shall have
a platform that tries to 60 the New
Deal one better in the way of hber-
ality. Mr.. Hoover's attack was on
the conservative side of the fence
He talked q lot about the liberty OF
the individual American, which has
been regarded in the last year or
two as old stuff However. it will
have its appeal to many. Whether
Mr.. Hoover becomes candidate or
not. he is likely to have influence
both in the drafting Of platform
and in the selection Of the presi-
dental candidate.
Mr.. Hoover sent to the California
Republicans a letter. Col. Theodore
Roosevelt, son of the late President,
was a principal speaker at the Repub-
lican gathering In the Far West State.
Col. Roosevelt said unkind things
about the Democratic ADMINISTRATION.
He said, for example. that mo social
legislation is worth the paper on
which it is written unless the nation
be prosperous. He added that no
social scheme and no governmental
scheme is Of any value when a nation
is bankrupt. Col. Roosevelt was hit
ting at the huge expenditures of the
administration, which have reared a
public debt twice the size it was in
1890, public debt that is around S30.-
! 900, ,000. .000-larger than it has ever
been in the history of the country.
About the same time that Col
Roosevelt was delivering his attack
the Senate finally put through the
1880 600. 900 relief and work-relief
bill. This is the largest single ap-
preparation bill ever passed by the
National Legislature. Whether it is
to be last Of such measures or the fore
runner of others rs large, time will
show. One thing Is true. Many Of
the Democrats in Congress are wor-
ried over the appropriation of money
on such . scale. They are not sure
that the work-reief plan OF the Presi-
dent will prove effective, and they
shudder when they think of the taxes
that will be needed to pay the bill,
sooner or later.
The big appropriation, which will
now surely be placed at the disposal
of the President, continues through
out the next presidential campaign.
1t is tremendous political weapon.
That the Republicans might as well
realize. The administration will be
in .. position to pour out these Fed
eral funds during all of next year.
Not only does it mean money in hand
for millions Of the voters, coming
from administrative sources, but it
also means an even greater bureau
cratic organization. And such an
organization means a political army.
Take it altogether and the situation
does not look bright for Republican
success, unless there should come a
real revulsion Of feeling against gov
ernmental expenditures.
The success Of the administration
in finally getting the work-relief bill
through in a form that is acceptable
to the President will hearten the ad-
ministration leaders in their drive to
put through the rest of the Roose-
velt program of legislation. Had the
Senate, for example, stuck to the
prevailing wage amendment and sent
it to the House. that body would, in
all probability, have accepted it and
the President would have been faced
with the need of going through with
his announced intention of vetoing
the relief bill. 1t would have been
disorganizing to the administration
forces. In the end, despite the
urgings of organized labor, enough of
the friends of the Roosevelt New Deal
in the Senate swung over and made
thu Acrorron aynopdrnent q moro