The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-02-13
A Question Of Strategy

n QucSI1Ou vi OtIdtcSy
Washington, Feb. 8.
An interesting Washington develop
ment in the extent to which that class
of New Dealers in the Roosevelt circle
who have heretofore functioned on the
high intellectual plane have now gone
political. This, it is held, is due to a
change in their frame Of mind.
Early in 1884 there was not the
shadow of a question among them as
to the Roosevelt reelection. Now they
are assailed with doubt. The result is
that some of the Presidential advisers
who heretofore have regarded the bla-
tant Mr.. Farley as more or less OBJ
noxious and unsavory person, feel it
essential to devote some thought to
the business of practical political
strategy. 1t is true their success in
the economic field where they were
supposed to have specialized has not
been sufficiently notable to justify
much hope that they will work any
miracles in the field of politics, with
which they are totally unfamiliar.
None the less, they consider the
situation acute enough for their at
tention. 1t is plain that unless Mr..
Roosevelt is reelected all their noble
plans for the future Of the country
must be abandoned and retirement to
the obscurity from which they so re-
Gently emerged be forced, just at the
time when the business of governing
130,000,000 people is beginning to be
genuinely thrilling and they are really
getting the knack. Four years, it is
reasoned, is too brief period to Gre
make America" At least eight will be
needed. Hence, the vital thing is to in
sure another Roosevelt term. To that
end they are now bending their mas
sive minds, considerably to the annoy
ance, it may be said, of the Farleyites.
***
Already two schools have developed.
One urges upon the President the
necessity of recapturing the popular
imagination by dramatic gestures.
These advise him to ignore the charges
of broken promises and make his bet
upon the response of the people to the
sort of clarion call Of which he is
capable. They want him to hurl de-
fiance at the enemy, boldly proclaim
his detectives and rekindle popular en-
thusiasm by refusing to hedge, trim,
placate, cut down, reduce or abandon.
They think the winning strategy is not
to give an inch, but to plunge straight
ahead.
The other school has exactly the
opposite view; that that will intensity
the effectiveness of the chad faith
issue. They want Mr.. Roosevelt to de-
clare the emergency over, make a
series of convincing gestures in the
direction of economy, budget balance,
REIMBURSEMENT of Executive power and
reduction of governmental agencies.
Only in this way, it is contended, can
the most damaging allegation against
him-to wit, that his word is not good
be minimized. Efforts of the pub
licity department, through the Messrs.
Farley and Robinson, to contend he
had to break his pledges to keep peo-
pie from starving are too thin to stand
up through campaign.
If this is to be met-and it must be
more effective answer than that has
to be made. They strongly advise as
the first step Presidential declaration
that the emergency is over and the
time for dismantling arrived. There are
several objections to this. One is that
it would at once be charged that it was
a move to stave off defeat and not
genuine; another, it would be held that
the Supreme Court had compelled Mr..
Roosevelt to backtraek; third, that
any step to retrench and reduce would
be unpopular with Democratic Con-
gressmen just ahead Of an election;
fourth, it isn't easy to declare the
emergency over and recovery here
with 100000 people still living off
Federal funds; fifth, there is Mr..
Roosevelt's own personal disinclination
to retrace his steps and his recent an
nouncement that there would be "no
retreat"
Still. this course is being considered
and he has already made one or two
tentative moves in that direction. The
chances, however, seem remote that he
will make the move that would stamp
the strategy as sincere-to wit, a real
effort to compel Congress at this ses-
sion to levy taxes not only to continue
the bonuses to the farmer but to raise
the money it has voted to the soldiers.
That is the way to get us back on an
even keel, but it isn't likely it will be