The Washington times., 1936-01-04
LINES OF FIGHT
ARE FIXED FOR
DEMOCRATS
BY EARL GOODWIN

The fight is now on in earnest:
it is Roosevelt versus Big Business.
That is the pattern the Demo
Gratis will follow. The Presidents
annual message on THE State of
the Union" left the union wonder
ing when it was going to get a.
mention; but the boys who will so
out and garner the votes now J..
know just what to say to the lag.
CARDS who think of voting for
someone besides Franklin Roose.
welt.
In the words Of one staunch
Democrat:
mo wonder he wanted to go
on the air with his message"
It was toned and tuned for the
mass.
Good Political Sense
It was good political sense on
the part of the President to devote
so great a part of his message to
the upset condition of those ma.
tons of the world where the war
clouds threaten and the armies
are in leash-ready to move; and
to nations at war. The Presidents
message. is looked on here as a
daring slap at Mussolini, Hitler
and the war party Of Japan.
The President has been told
time and time again by members \
of Congress that the big issue in
this country is neutrality, and it is
evident that the Administration is
going in for peace in big way.
It looks as if the Democrats
may get out the old Wilson stand
ard with the words:
"He kept us out Of war;"
And remember what happened
after that?
Mauls Liberty League
President Roosevelt waded into
the American Liberty League, the
United States Chamber of Com.
merce, the American Bankers AS
ISOLATION and the Republican
party, with his fists doubled and
his sleeves rolled up. In one long
paragraph-the one filled with
questionable defends his course,
defends every act of his admins
tration and dares the opposition
to come on now and try to repeal
any Of it.
There are several who have
asked what will happen if the
Supreme Court smasheS any OF
the Roosevelt reform measures. :.
but apparently the President Is
going to cross that bridge when
he gets there.
The President has been read
ing and hearing the attacks OF =,
the opposing forces. and up to-
now has answered them only in
comparatively minor key. His
Atlanta and Chicago speeches
were on specific subjects; his
Chicago speech, for instance, was
an explanation and defence OF
the Administration farm policies.
His message to Congress, though.
is looked on here as a bugle can
for what may be almost a class
war in politics. He arrays the
mass of consumers, the mass OF
farmers, the mass Of household.
ers and workers against what he
calls "a minority in business and
finance"
Catalogues Reforms
He catalogued the reforms Of
the Administration, the relief pro.
gram, the housing program, the
farm program; he spoke to mil
lions of people on the air who
have had experience with many Of
these things: he asked if there is
anyone who wants to repeal them?
The answer will come, it is as
sumed, from the opposition.
The Presidents message would
seem to ask for only two things,
namely, neutrality and the ap-
preparations; but it must be re"
called that he asked for certain
other legislation in the previous
session, among which are amend
ments to the pure food and drugs
laws, also shipping legislation.
However, there is a mild SEN
tence in this message which re.
fers to ''the final adjudication
by the highest tribunal" That
is taken to mean by his close as
Sociates that the President will
have no hesitancy to ask for
legislation to meet the needs Of
any situation created by adverse
Supreme Court decisions.
He also promises smaller relief
appropriations; and one welcome
sentence in his message expressed
his belief that there is no fear
| of further tax increases