Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1936-05-21


Of Senator Steiwer was not wholly
pleasing to the Landon forces but be
that as 1t may, there has been no par
ticular Ill feeling created by 1t. If 1t
represents piece Of strategy by the
eastern Republicans who we're dealing
with their problem by remote control,
they apparently have played into the
hands Of the more liberal wing of Re
publicans. 1t is being predicted rather
freely that the Oregon senator's key
note speech will lean strongly to the
liberal side but that it will stress sound
economics.
The best advance information obtain
able on Senator Barkley's plans is that
he will devote the bulk of his time on
the convention platform to review Of
Roosevelt accomplishments in the be-
lief that such a review will take his
presentation out of the class of de
Tense" speech. Those with whom
have talked concerning the Barley
speech believe he has adopted smart
political course; that he feels there is
no need to defend anything that has
been done and that the record itself is
the thing upon which the Democratic
party make plea for reelection
of Mr.. Roosevelt.
Having observed Senator Barley in
action in the senate for q number Of
years, believe am justified in saying
that he is square shooter and a
fighter. In this respect, he and Senator
Steiwer, the Republican keynoter, are
much the same type of man and, there
fore, If either convention gets off on
wrong foot, the fault will lie with the
convention managers rather than with
the proposals offered by the men who
are supposed to lay before the dele
gates rough outline of their respec-
tive party's campaign policies.
Concerning the record of the key
noters in the senate, each stands four
square. Senator Barley has consis-
tently battled in behalf of the Presi-
dent and New Deal policies throughout
Mr.. Roosevelt's administration. Senator
Steiwer has been just as consistent
In his opposition. Certainly, Senator
Steiwer has been much more outspoken
against New Deal policies than most of
his Republican colleagues, and much
more so than Senator McNary,
For many months Washington has
heard the plant of business leaders
who wanted to fight
rear socialistic schemes
Crack Doun' and unsound eco
nomic policies given
birth by New Deal brain trusters but
were afraid to do so because of ire
taliation." Almost constantly, informa-
ton has filtered into Washington to the
effect that If corporation undertook
to oppose New Deal plans vigorously,
there was danger that some agency Of
the government would "crack down" on
them. Much Of this information has
been taken by Washington observers
with a grain of salt but different as
pect has been placed on the situation
lately.
1t was in the senate that New Deal
Democrat, Senator Homer T. Bone of
Washington, broke loose with state
ments that seemed to substantiate the
fear voiced so frequently by business.
Senator Bone charged that there was a
veritable and budding OGPU" organ
lied within the government. The
OGPU, as most persons realize, is the
coorot CIV, evctayy, ~ fha Puccion Couf
ct and I think no one in this country
has a complete knowledge of its Vi
cious character. So, when Senator
Bone likened the espionage system In
our government to the OGPU, he was
making, to my mind, one of the most
serious charges yet leveled at the
Roosevelt administration.
OF course, Senator Bone was attack
ing this espionage system because Of
a feeling that 1t might be used to CO.
cree members Of congress and even
executive or administrative officers Of
the government who were opposed to
plans propagated by Presidential ad-
visers. His thought obviously concerned
the political phases of such a system.
but the fact that he brought the mat
ter to public attention serves, in a
measure. certainly, to substantiate
some Of the claims that business inter-
ests have made.
am unable, however, to reconcile
Senator Bones position respecting the
OGPU which he charged was In opera
ton within the government and his Mt
ter silence when the obnoxious senate
lobby committee, headed by Senator
Black, Democrat, of Alabama, engaged
in the wholesale seizure of private tel
egrams. II will be recalled that 1 re-
ported in these columns how Senator
Black and agents Of the Federal Com
munications commission went into the
files of the Western Union Telegraph
company and carried of literally thou
sands of private kilograms. was con-
vinced then and repeat It now that
the Black seizure was nothing more
than an attempt to dig up dirt on any
body against whom they could find dis
creditlng information. Yet, Senator
Bone, by his silence, condoned that
course only to denounce later the sys-
TENS Of so-called inspectors" used by
Secretary Ickes Of the Department Of