Evening star., 1935-12-28
LITTLE CAPITALS
HIT AND PRAISED
Roosevelt Committee Idea
OF Sectional Districts
Called OictatoriaI.
BY the Associated Press.

oS bhc AeooClaLcQ FKeb6.
The idea Of dotting the country with
10 or IL Little Capitals" from which
Federal activities would be directed.
was received with praise and hostility
today.
The proposal, made by President
Roosevelt's Committee on Natural
Resources, is that the country be
split into administrative districts
with Little Capital" for each. The
aim. the board indicated, would be to
serve sectional needs better and pro-
vide a geographic framework for the
development of resources.
Several Western members of Con-
gress greeted the proposal with kindly
words. while the American Liberty
League called it another "dictatorial'
move, designed TO cut "the Nation up
into provinces or satrapies."
Under the plan Washington would
remain the major Capital of the Ma
ton, although Senator Thomas, Demo-
crat, Of Oklahoma. who called the
proposal worthy Of consideration"
said it would decrease the, Importance
of Washington and increase the inn
portance Of such cities as New York,
Chicago and Denver" Zach was
named as a possible Little Capital"
by the board.
Ultimately" Thomas said, 'these
cities would be the principal sources
Of government for their areas"
Saws Dslays Would Re Less.
Senator McNary. Republican, Of
Oregon, believed the plan might en-
courage decentralization Of govern-
ment, while Representative Pierce,
Democrat, of oregon. asserted regional
offices would be extremely advan-
tageous" in speeding up such matters
as wheat allotments. He said delays
have been extremely vexatious."
Representative Buchanan, Demo.
crat, of Texas, chairman Of the House
Appropriations Committee, raised the
question Of costs. I'm against any
thing that calls for more money" he
said.
The Liberty League. often a critic
Of New Deal policy. said in state
ment that Washington lis rapidly be-
coming inadequate for the horde Of
play-boy experimenters who have
taken up their abodes on the banks
of the Potomac"
II logically carried out. the league
said. the plan would call "for viceroy
Of each province, with perhaps vice
regal brain trust to assist him"
State Sovereignty Held Hit.
The Liberty League, said DR.. J. W.
Manning, president of the Southern
Political Science Association, had pro-
posed that regional governments be
set up to "supersede largely the sover-
eighty of individual States" and added
that the committees report indicated
a trend which can hardly be dismissed
with the levity that would seem to be
appropriate"
Holding places on the committee
which made the recommendation were
Secretaries Ickes, Wallace, Roper. Per.
kins and Dern and, in addition, Harry
Hopkins. in charge of the Govern
ment's relief activities as works prog
ress administrator.
The committees earlier reports were
utilized by the President as the basis
for the present work-relief program,
but its ambitious plans for co-ordi.
mated developments Of natural re.
sources were laid aside partially be-
cause Of Hopkins insistence on light
construction projects,
Ickes, as head Of committee allot-
ting space to Federal departments In
the District of Columbia, already had
suggested that because Of the shortage
Of the rentable buildings here some
new agencies might be transferred
to Baltimore.
No space outside Washington has yet
been rented, however, and it was ex.
planned that the committees recon-
mendations applied only to the Federal
field Staff.