Evening star., 1936-09-02

With dawn of September there's rea-
son to expect that the singularly color
less 1896 presidential campaign will grad
ually begin to assume liveliness hither-
to almost completely lacking. Prognosti-
cations that the fight to unhorse the
New Deal would witness the most bitterly
fought contest in modern American his
tory have so far conSpicuouSly failed to
pan out. For one thing, Gov. Landon' S
invasion of the East has not produced
that ferment of intensive enthusiasm on
his behalf which was widely expected.
Doubt is beginning to arise whether the
purely common sense" tactics to which
the Republican nominee is apparently
committed are capable Of generating
anything approaching whirlwind interest
in his cause: 1t is presumably this state
of affairs which reStrains the Democratic
management from turning loose any
high-powered activity of its own. He'll
bent New Deal belligerency is not sched-
uled to be in evidence until President
Roosevelt personally embarks upon his
campaign three or four weeks hence.
Meantime his drought inspection tour,
unintentionally or otherwise, is unques-
tionably good politics. From october on
ward the Democrats plan to make the
national welkin ring with old-fashioned
fire and fury. Perhaps Chairman Hamll-
ton is waiting until the G. o. p. can see
the whites of their eyes.
***
1t appears that Gov. Landons de-
nunciation of the 1896 tax bill as cock
eyed" finds Joseph P. Kennedy. former
chairman of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, in pretty general agree
ment with that theory. In his new book,
I'm For Roosevelt" Mr.. Kennedy has
just said: Among the accomplishments
of the present administration which
have brought forth much criticism, men
ton should be made Of the revenue act
Of 1886. believe that justifiable criti-
cism can be urged, not only for the man
ner in which the original tax bill was
presented, promising a new and unex-
pected theory of taxation; not only for
the lack of supporting data for the
provisions sought to be made into law,
but also for some aspects Of the statute
as finally enacted by Congress.
Finally, believe the statute, even as
presently enacted with the multitude of
concessions to special circumstances de-
serving exemptive treatment, is promised
upon fallacious economic principle"
Up to date, first-hand information on
the chronically chaotic and menacing
Far Eastern situation will shortly be
brought to Washington by Joseph C.
Grew, American Ambassador to Japan,
who is on his way home for the pur-
pose of attending this months tercen-
tenary at Harvard University An
alumnus of the Presidents alma mater,
Mr.. Grew was graduated with the class
of 1902, two years before F. D. r. received
his A. B. Some eminent Japanese Har-
ward men are also expected to particle
pate In the forthcoming celebrations at
Cambridge.
It will probably come as q surprise to
most of his compatriots to learn that
Vice President Garner is one Of the
powers behind the throne In foreign
affairs at Washington. In his new book.
half Way With Roosevelt" New York
Herald Tribune Correspondent Ernest
K Lindley expresses the belief that from
the beginning Of the Roosevelt admin
istration until the present the member
Of the cabinet who has had the most
wholesome influence oc discussions Of