Evening star., 1935-08-11
New Deal Is Now
Ceared to Politics
By Otoen L. Scott.


New Deal. No longer do the admins
program will work best in the long run?
What plan Is the most sound as an
economic proposition? But rather:
What move will be most popular? Are
votes going to be made or lost?
This change is accepted as inevitable
by those who have been shaping policy.
1t reflects the fact that the New Deal
must begin to think very seriously about
perpetuating itself in office. 1t grows,
too, from the fact that President ROOse-
velt first of all is practical politician,
whose thinking rlow-his close friends
SAYS about 80 per cent in terms Of
politics and political reactions. The un-
usual feature Is that this planning for
election Is much earlier than usual.
Signs of the change in method are
numerous.
Mr.. Roosevelt is soon to set out on a
trip to the West Coast. with the objec-
tive frankly political. The vote last
Tuesday In Rhode Island served as a
straw to show the way the wind Is
blowing in the East. Its direction was
definitely anti-New Deal. The President,
aware of the shift of sentiment in in
dustrial centers. is out to solidify his
position through the West and the
South. Just year ago he made tri-
umphal return from Portland, Greg.
Another cross-country trip would be ex-
pected to stir sentiment.
That is just one sign. Others are
piling up.
DR.. Rexford Guy Tugwell, supposedly
above politics, found it necessary to
spend most of one day talking over
patronage matters in his Resettlement
Administration with James A. Farley,
the ruler of Jobs This was just before
Mr.. Farley left on his vacation and it
symbolized the merger of the economic
and the political brain trusts.
Word Is out that Harold 1ckes, Secre-
tary of the Interior and P. w. A. admin
istrator, a foe of Farley, now is playing
bali" An agent from the patronage
headquarters Is passing on all except the
few high -salaried jobs. The number of
Jobs. not only In Mr.. Ickes' bailiwick, but
throughout the New Deal, continues to,
grow. About $500 opened up in June,
bringing the Federal pay roll above
717.0O0. or an addition of about 100000
under Mr. Roosevelt.
Not only that, but spellbinders are be-
ing pawned of on departments, to make
sure they will be on the reservation when
verbal firing begins. Tom Hef1in. Ala
bama's former Senator. who landed a
Job with Mr. 1ckes, is just one of those
being cared for.
The shift goes on in other quarters.
Harry Hopkins. with four billions to
spend on relief work. an idealist who
was rather cold to political consideration
in the past now reveals that he can get
along well with politicians.
There are also signs that high officials
realize that political dynamite is
wrapped up in relief. Rhode Island
voted against bonds to raise money to
cooperate in the Federal works pro-
gram. In the Middle West relief had to
be curtailed to assure farm labor at
harvest time. Down South Georgia's S
Governor Eugene Talmadge, is building
his opposition to President Roosevelt
largely on the issue of what he regards
as high relief wages. Increasingly the
cry is that care of the unemployed costs
too much; that people would rather be
cared for than to take jobs.
The White House is aware of this
sentiment and is watching it.
One more sign is found in the A. A. A.
Word is around there that price fixing
loans on cotton-which some day can
cost taxpayers a pretty penny-will be
dictated this year not by economists and
market experts, but by Senators and po-
litical experts. The income OF the
Southern farmers is at stake.
AS for taxes. important features of the
new law being enacted by Congress did
not originate in the minds of the Pres
idents economic brain trust. There are
brain trust.
q + \
New Deal economists, who shaped the
early policies, favor bigness in business
If that bigness is efficient. They want
to regulate and canalize bigness, but not
to punish It, Some Senators are op-
posed to bigness in itself, and it is from
them rather than from the economists
in the New Deal that the idea came to
put graduated tax on corporation in
come. with size as guide.
Opponents of the President, judged by
what is going on here, must be prepared
for rough going. Not only are they to
be up against a well-oiled political ma
chine, kept in high state of repair by
Mr. Roosevelt and Mr.. Farley, but they
are faced with many another factor of
Importance
Opa IL tha r,ereou a 1itv nf the presi-
dent. Another Is the fact that the New
Deal has given advantages to large ele-
ments in the population who have felt
that they previously were Disseminated
against One more is the lack of def
mite program or an outstanding per-
sonality on which the opposing groups
can unite.
A taste of what is in store has been
afforded recently. Bitter assaults have
been made on Mr.. Roosevelt. The vol
time of newspaper and radio criticism
and the character of it have been in
tensif1ed. A President who year ago
presumably could do no wrong suddenly
could do no good. His every act was
bitterly asSailed.
Yet now there are definite signs that
q kickback has set in. Some of the
most severe critics are found explaining
the ground for their criticism in de-
fensive tones. Others are tempering
their attacks as a reaction to the scope
of the fiare-up of resentment at their
previous attitude.
One malicious attack has concerned
the Presidents health and mental con-
dttiOn Whtsnerinp camnaienS now