Evening star., 1936-03-07
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

heard Mr.. Browder's speech could have
observed that had the same utterance,
with just one or two minor changes,
been given by Secretary Ickes or Dr.
Tugwell, it would have been exactly
in line with the speeches that have
been made on the radio by other
prominent New Dealers for the last
year and a half.
Matter of Viewpoint.
From the viewpoint of the New Deal
therefore, it was a good thing to have
the Browder speech broadcast, because
the New Deal party's argument might
we'll be that there now is no need fol
communism, since the New Deal vir'
tually covers all the main items
enumerated by the Communist party
spokesman.
From the viewpoint of the opponents
of the New Deal it was good thing
to have the Communist leader speak
his doctrine because of the re.
semblance between New Deal expires
sions and Mr.. Browder's points.
Since both the New Deal party ane
the Republican party benefit by the
utterance, the discussion hereafter O.
what is or is not communistic is some
thing which the radio audience L
bound to find of interest.
Summarized, Mr.. Browder argued
that the Communist party was:
/. Against labor-saving machinery
2. Against increasing unemployment
3. Against subsidies for war pur.
poses.
4. Against Wall Street, the Du Points
Melons and Rockefellers.
S. Against the Supreme Court.
6. Against the American Liberty
League and the "reactionary forces o.
both parties"
Communist "Pro" Planks.
Then Mr.. Browder declared the
Communist party was also:
l. In favor of the Federal Govern
ment assuming responsibility THAI
every bodied worker shall be
given a job at union wage-scales."
2. In favor of guaranteeing the
farmer market "at fair prices fol
their produce"
8. In favor of Federal system o1
"old-age, unemployment and social in
surance sufficient to maintain the
American standard of living and paid
for out of the profits of capitalists"
4. In favor of farmer Labor party
S. In favor of the plan of John L.
Lewis for industrial unionization.
6. In favor of legislation "along the
lines of the Frazier-Lundeen bill now
before Congress, which every one
knows was originated by the Com
munists"
7. In favor of equal rights for Ne
groes.
8. In favor of the youth bill worked
out by the American Youth Congress.
Talk Has Familiar Ring.
There were in Mr.. Browder's
speech paragraphs that read almost
identically with arguments made by
prominent New Dealers recently. Thus
Mr.. Browder said: When you hear
the Observation-Disclosures denunciations
of the Communists, remember that the
same accusations were made against
Lincoln when he led the struggle
against chattel slavery"
The New Deal argument has been
that President Roosevelt, like Lincoln
Is attacked for emancipating the peo-
ple from slavery except that it is eco
nonic emancipation now rather than
freedom for particular racial group
The principal inconsistency in Mr.
Browder's speech is that after de-
nouncing the financial interests. he
insists that Wall Street "has strength
ened its rule under Franklin D. Roose-
velt," which will come somewhat as a
surprise to Chairman Lands of the
Securities Exchange Commission and
his co-workers.
The nearest point that Mr.. Browder
came to limiting at some kind of rev.
olutionary force to accomplish Com
munist ends was In the following
sentences:
"Such a Farmer-Labor party would
not require that we all agree on a
complete program. It would not yet
take up the full program of Socialism,
of revolution, for which many are not
yet prepared. It would pledge itself to
carry out only these few simple meas
ures which millions of people are al
ready agreed upon"
There have been New Deal speakers
like DR.. Tugwell who in addressing
groups composed largely of the men,
bers of the End-Poverty-in- California
movement spoke Of the necessity of
avoiding possible revolution In the
event that the New Deal program
was frustrated. DR.. Tugwell also spoke
of the Importance Of doing away with
Sterile morality of individualism" de-
claring all who disagreed to be tories,
autocrats and enemies" and finally he
made this appeal:
"And we should succeed for once
In establishing farmer-worker alli-
ance in this country which will carry
all before it, which will reduce our
dependence on halfway measures and
allow us to carry through these re-
constructive ones both II agriculture
and in industry without which our
Nation cannot continue either free
or prosperous"
The Tugwell quotations are cited
not in any discussion Of their merits,
but In relation to the controversy
which is going on as to whether Mr..
Browder's speech should or should not
have been broadcast. From the view
point of freedom of speech, it is bet
ter that what DR.. Tugwell said under
the auspices of the Democratic State
Central Committee at Los Angeles and
what MIR. Browder said over the radio
should not be suppressed, but that the
people be permitted to know all sides
Of all questions and make up their
minds for themselves on the merits.
(Copyright 1936.)