The times-news., 1936-01-29
ROBINSON ACCUSES AL SMITH
OF HITTING F. R. BELOW THE
BELT DESERTION UNDER FIRE
Sharp Reply Is Made by
Senator in Defending
the New Deal
By ARTHUR F. DEGREVE
United Press Staff Correspondent

WASHINTON, Jan. 20. (UP)
The New Deal last night sharp
ly accused Alfred E. Smith of hit
ting President Roosevelt below
the belt" and lashed him for de-
serting to the "enemy" under
fire.
In the administrations formal
and bristling reply to Smiths
criticism Of the New Deal before
American Liberty League diners.
Senate Majority Leader Joe I.
Robinson cited "the record" to
show that the former New York
governor once approved every
basic policy initiated by Mr..
Roosevelt.
Furthermore, Robinson essert-
ed, in the dark days of 1888
Smith advocated that the constl-
tuition be placed temporarily ION
the self" and that democracy as
sumo the powers of a "tyrant,
despot or a monarch" to fight
the depression.
"Just think of that" he ex-
claimed. "Alfred E. Smith pro-
posing in 1888 that we wrap up
the constitution and put it on the
shelf until the repression was de-
feated and then coming down here
in 1886 to lecture Democratic
leaders on constitutional govern
mentw
Point by point, he ripped into
Smiths speech to show that the
brown derby has been discarded
for the high hat" Denying that
Mr.. Roosevelt ever had implied to
congress that he sought the pow
ers of an autocrat as limited by
Smith, Robinson said:
"That looks just little bit
like a blow below the belt"
A moment later he causticaliy
reminded the 1928 Democratic
standard bearer:
"It rests with no soldier who
approaches the battle field under
the flag of his leader to retire
while the war continues. Above
all things, he must never go over
to the enemy"
This was the nearest direct re-
ference Robinson made to Smiths
threat that jefferson, Jackson and
Cleveland Democrats could not
subscribe to New Deal policies
and would "take walk" if the
administration was endorsed at
+bo phi1a ade1nhia convention.
Likewise, Robinson did not
comment on Smiths assertion
that he was "born in the Demo-
cratic party and expected to die
in it." :,
The reference to "the enemy"
was considered significant and
was designed to counte r a t
rebellious move m IS such
as the one Gov. Eugene Talmadge
of Georgia, a foe of the New
Deal, is inaugurating in the south.
The New Deal, Robinson insist
ed, was the platform of the
"Happy Warrior" The policies
of the Liberty League, he added,
have become the platform of the
unhappy warrior" Robi n n
asserted that was not a single
specific proposal in Smiths en-
tire speech which he described as
an "hour-long harangue" and a
"rehash of confusing and mean
ingless generalities."
Referring scornfully to Smiths
warning against permitting this
nation to become communistic,
Robinson pointed out that Smith
appeared before the senate fl
nance committee in 1888 and
urged that this country recognize
Soviet Russia and give it a five
wear moratorium on debt pay
ments. -, =.
Repeatedly he accused Smith of
second guessing, The former
governor, he said, charged the
New Deal with fostering an un-
constitutional farm relief pro-
"He forgets that in 1928 he
advocated the principles of the
McNary-Haugen bill which in
many respects was far more dras-
tic in it's use of the taxing power
than the AAA ever was" said
Robinson. He then quoted Smiths
jefferson Day speech in. 1882 in
which he said he would sooner
shake hands with the fellow who
can raise purchasing power Of the
farmers than to listen for a week
"to the fellow who knows how to
tell you what the trouble is"
"Well," said Robinson, Gov
ernor Smith, you should have
stepped out of that belshabbar
feast and taken a walk four blocks
to the White House to shake
hands with the man who raised
the purchasing power OF the
farmers more than $2,O0O,O0
600 in one year"
This was Robinson's only no
table departure from his prepar-
ed manuscript. The advance text
as issued by the Democratic Ma
tional committee contained the
more sedate wording; =.
should have stepped out of that
Liberty League banquet and
gone.
Smiths denunciation of the
NRA was another Second guess"
Robinson declared. He quote
Smith as saying in a radio ad-
dress on August %. 1888:
"The slightest reflection. I'll
CONTINUED on page four)