Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-11-08
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

b1 MAhA SULLIVAN.
URING several weeks preced-
ing the election there was,
in the upper circles of
Democratic leadership, a fer
ment beneath the surface, a move
ment of subterranean currents. 1t
had some weight In the election and
1t win strongly influence the course
Of events from now on.
There had been a time, months be-
fore, when It was touch and-go
| whether q large body of Democratic
leaders would leave their party. As
everybody knows, several did leave it.
Out Of only three living former Demo-
cratic candidates for the presidency,
two openly took q walk, ex-Gov.
"Al" Smith and John w. Davis. With
these went some others. But the
number who united in the walk
seemed likely at one time to be SEN
sational.
Three-fourths of all the Democratic
leaders-that estimate Is not too large
felt about the New Deal much as
Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Davis spoke about
It. Privately, to each other and to
intimates, they talked bitterly. But
they-especially the ones in active
political life, in ONCE and hoping to
remain in-hesitated to take the step
that might end their political lives,
and by ending their political lives
perhaps end their influence on public
affairs. In their hesitation and re-
luctance they sought for something
that would justify them in remain
ing Democrats.
They found their justification In
Secretary of State Cordell Hull. To
Mr.. Hull, more than to any other
man, President Roosevelt ought to be
grateful for having escaped such a
detection Of Democrats as would have
been really serious. 1t was not
that Mr.. Hull used personal per-
suasion on the other Democratic
leaders (though I imagine there may
have been some Of that, too. 1t was
rather that Mr.. Hull, by his char
acter and his achievements, created
q situation which made it possible for
conservative Democrats to remain
with the party. The circumstances
call for q brief account Of Mr.. Hull's
relation to the Roosevelt administra-
ton.
Story Of Hull and New Deal.
I shall tell the story of Mr.. Hull
and the Roosevelt administration
merely as it appeared to observers IN
Washington, and as it emerged in
newspapers. do not here attempt
exactness. and I have made no effort
ut verification. I have no doubt the
account as here given contains errors
and omissions. Since it will be a
highly important chapter in history.
perhaps the persons who were on the
inside will take the rough and tenta-
tive account here given and correct
and complete 1t for the benefit of fu-
ture historians. There are half
dozen or more men whose informa-
ton. compared and matched and |
pieced together, would screen out |
error and produce the accuracy that |
books Of history should have.
When Roosevelt was making up his
cabinet he asked two old-line Demo-
Gratis Of high character to take top
places, Mr.. Cordell Hull to be Secre-
tary of State and Senator Carter Glass
to be Secretary Of the Treasury. To
some it appeared as if Mr.. Roosevelt |
must have had a crafty intention, an
intention to use these orthodox, con-
sentative Democrats as window |
dressing, making his administration !
look good to conservative Democrats
while behind the window dressing Mr.. |
Roosevelt could carry on his New Deal |
Mr.. Glass declined Mr.. Roosevelt's |
tender-and some of us felt that the |
Virginia Senator must have surmised |
the President had such an intention.
Mr.. Hull. q very personiication of |
the best Democratic principle and |
tradition, was made Secretary of State.
Below him and behind him, a New
Dealer. Prof. Raymond Moiey. was
made Assistant Secretary. Mr.. Moley
was the original organizer. captain,
and trainer Of the brain
team. Mr.. Hull was q. believer in
tarif reduction, in increased foreign
trade. he was an economic liberal,
and an internationalist of the Wood
row Wilson school. Mr.. Moley, on the
other hand, was believer in national
Belf-containment.
1t looked as If Mr.. Hull was meant
to sit in the front window, for ortho-
dox Democrats to look upon and be
assured-while in the back office Mr..
Moley was to carry on the New Deal
notion OF foreign relations. That sur
mise was borne out by much evidence.
Secretary Hull saw President Roose-
welt very rarely; Assistant Secretary
Moley saw him every day, often more
than once. On at least one occasion
Mr.. Hull was obliged to use an outside
to get his ideas before
the President. The young New Deal
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