Evening star., 1936-10-31

The issues, as he sees thnm, are be.
tween socialism and capitalism.
So there you are. Just two more
candidates.
A THING which ought to be closer
to the interests of many Washing
tonians than campaign generalities is
the fight which Scribner's is waging
to have the merit system in civil serv-
ice made hard and fast reality. 1t
opened last month with a leading edi-
torial on the subject and follows up
this month with historical piece on
the past follies and sins of the spoils
system. 1t asks support for its efforts
through contributions to the Civil
Service Reform League.
The Mercury this month offers as
its leading article Enemies Of the New
Deal" of which the author Is Mr..
Donald Richberg. former head Of the
N. r. A. The explanation for Mr..
Richberg's appearance in the peri
odical which has most entertainingly
and pertinently attacked the admins
tration is that he was asked by its edi-
tors to write what he wished in defense
of the Roosevelt regime. This, they
explain. was done purely as move
ment toward 'air play. They wanted
to give the other side chance.
Such idealism in these days first
takes ones breath away and then
makes one wonder if the editors Of
| the Mercury have a cleverness be-
yond human origins. Because Mr..
Richberg is, alas, not very substantial
in his role of defender. He deals in
generalities and vituperation. and he
! does it with heat that bespeaks more
| passion than skill. 1t may be said,
and with perfect truth, that Mr..
| Mencken, attacking for the anti-New
Dealers, also dealt in generalities and
vituperation. But who can do better
than he? Not Mr. Richberg, on the
evidence on his present piece at least.
The contrast, one fears. is all to the
benefit of the ants. Mr.. Mencken Is
funny. Mr.. Richberg is just mad.
The editors announce with, as II
were. restrained glee, that, in pub
fishing Mr.. Richberg's piece. they have
| printed it exactly as it was when re-
ceived in their Offices.
Mr.. TUGWELL'S always fertile
field, the Resettlement Admins
tration, comes in for a neat raking in
the Mercury this month at the hands
Of Blair Bolles of The Star staff Mr..
Bolles culls quite nosegay Of thistles
from the resettlement acres at Reeds
vile, w. Va, that experiment in Cow
eminent support of citizens, which,
although the Oldest of them all, still
does not seem ever to get going
This piece makes nice comparing
with Mr.. Richberg's. While Mr.. r. is
insisting in his pages that the Presi-
dent has gathered the best brains OF
the country about him to advise and
guide, Mr.. Bolles. somewhat toward
the rear of the magazine. is pointing
out that there is a complete absence
of consistency in the entire Reedsville
project, whether it be in a matter Of
building plans or in the somewhat i'm.
portant detail of the payment plan.
As Mr.. Bolles sees it, this inconsis-
tency will work invariably to the
/ further burden of the taxpayer. 1t is
astonishing to observe that the errors
are always on that side of the ledger.
MADAME SYLVIA of Hollywood,
writing in Mr.. McFadden's Lib.
erty about being beautiful. tells us this
week that nobody can buy that highly
valued state If it is to be had by
sweat, says she, then it must be by your
own sweat and not that of a masseuse.
And it must be by sweat created from
effort. Alas, the easy ways are all out,
whether they be steam baths, synthetic
exercises, medicines or what have you
Exercise will do it. says Sylvia, and
! exercise alone. Even the negative path
of starvation is no good. You must eat
well and then rush about and burn up
what you have eaten. Starvation will
only make you weak. Weakness is not
beauty. Hard words, these, indeed.