Evening star., 1936-01-05


rich men who pay its bills and tell il
what they expect Mr.. Fletcher's organ
ization to do, complains that the
Presidents message to Congress wa.
a political speech. In his message
Friday night the President gave q
picture of the disturbed condition 81
the world outside of America and rec
commended legislation that he thought
was necessary to keep us out of pos
sibly impending wars.
He reported to Congress as thu
Constitution orders him to do on thu
state OF the Nation and pointed ou
that recovery was being delayed By
certain interests who desire to return
to the old conditions under which The
country was looted. and in one Of the
worst depressions of modern times
The speech was political to the extent
that any utterances by an official Il
political, for the success Of any admin
istration Is dependent on that admins
tration satisfying the people that it,
acts are those furthering the public
welfare.
Object to Suggestions.
Some of the opponents Of the ad-
ministration object to his having asked
them to present their grievances tt
Congress, to state specifically which
of the measures that have been enact
ed they would like to have repealed
and to put the question directly before
Congress.
"Congressmen are responsive TX
their constituents. If their districts
favor the repeal of the A. A. A. act
or the bank insurance act, or the socia
security enactments, or any OF ths
other laws under which the country
has progressed so far toward recovery
their Congressmen would certainly
heed their admonition."
Farley spoke of the expenditure o.
nearly q half a million dollars which
the American Liberty Leagues re-
port showed that altruistic organ
ization had collected in the past veal
from corporation heads, beginning
with the Du Pont family, powder anc
munitions manufacturers, whose con-
tributions alone mounted in gifts anc
loans to nearly $15o,o0o." Farley con.
tinued:
"The reason these people do not ash
a repeal of the measures to which they
object from Congress Is perfectly OBJ.
vious. They know that the vast hula.
baloo they are raising represents the
viewpoint and the interest of them
selves and that there is no popular
sentiment behind their opposition tc
the acts of the Roosevelt administra.
ton. Their hope is, of course, that
by continued expenditure of vast sums
they may be able to shake tie peoples
faith in their Government and that
perhaps they can frighten the coun-
try into believing that the present evi.
dent prosperity trend Is an illusion and
that the Nations only hope is tc
restore the control Of the Nations
destinies to the same outfit that
wrecked it before"
Knox Suggests Program.
ool. Frank Knox, an aspirant to the
Republican presidential nomination,
took up the gauge thrown down by the
observation-disclosures he did not list
those New Deal laws which he would
repeal at once. .et.
Col. Knox suggested an alternative
program. He included in IL drastic
cuts in governmental expenditures; a
sound currency; balanced budget
each year, an unemployment and old
age pension system under State laws i;
the removal Of the Government from
competition with private business; /;
abandonment Of crop restrictions, and
a strict enforcement of the antitrust
laws.
Up to noon yesterday more than 800
had been received at the
White House commenting on the
Presidents address. OF these, only 2a
were said to be critical. and most of
those attacked the speech on the
ground that it was political"
Whether the bonus or the neutrality
bill is to be given right of way in the
Senate was not decided. Both measures
were promised early consideration,
however, and one or the other may
come before the Upper House within
a week.
Another Neutrality Bill.
The administrators neutrality bill,
introduced in the Senate by Chair
man Pittman of the Foreign Rela-
tions Committee and in the House by
Chairman McReynolds Of the Foreign
Affairs Committee, will be considered
at an early date by the Senate COM
mittee. Tomorrow another neutrality
bill, sponsored by Senators Nye of
North Dakota and Clark Of Missouri,
and by Representative Maverick Of
Texas. will be introduced.
Last night Senator Nye issued q
statement commenting fayorably
upon the administration bill, although
declaring he and his colleagues would
offer their bill as planned.
II am quite content with the di-
rection which the administration
bill takes" Nye said. ION the whole,
1t is what we were striving for last
Summer when q compromise wak
struck (the existing neutrality act).
It needs Tightening up at one or two
points. We will introduce our own
bill, but whether it or the admins
tration bill is made the basis for the
final act, I anticipate no great dim
Guilty in reaching q satisfactory agree
ment."
Johnson Favors Amendment.
Despite this apparent Willingness Of
the Nye ana administration forces to
get together on q neutrality bin, there
we're indications that Senator Hiram
johnson Of California and others
would make attempts to amend the
johnson has been opposed
20 efnbargoes On any amount OF food.