The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-04-15
Eminent Author Is
Former F. D. R. Aid
BY RAYMOND CLApPER

WASHINGTON April 15.-The White House
w is extremely mysterious about the eminent
author whose fourpoint cure for the countryS ills
sarcastically quoted by President Roosevelt in
his Baltimore speech.
Some thought he taking dig at Hoover
Some thought it side Swipe at Charles P
Taft, son of the late President, whose little book.
You and land Roosevelt is being recommended
as required reading by Gov. Landon. And some
thought Roosevelt must have been referring to a
couple of other fellows
Well, just to clear it up, the eminent author"
is Ralph Robey handsome young economist and
lecturer on banking at Columbia University Roose-
welt quoted Robeys four-point cure verbatim in the
Baltimore speech and remarked sarcasticaly that he
hoped his audience would be as thrilled and ex-
cited" as he was by it.
TT all came about quite casually Roosevelt had
Il just returned from his fishing trip and had to
throw something together in hurry for the Balti-
more speech. One story is that the thing had been
forgotten until the last minute But more credi-
BILE one is that Harry Hopkins furnished the data
about unemployment and the necessity of limiting
work to persons from Is to SIS and that since Secre
tary Stephen T. Early out of town on vacation.
his assistant, William D. Hassett, prepared a
memorandum to help the President in knocking ont
his Baltimore address.
Anyway, the President returned to town Friday.
and Saturday began collecting ideas to what he
should say. He was reading the New York Times
and on Page B. after glancing at Washington dis
patch about how he back at his desk he
skinned over the page and three other items
all giving him advice. JobeSs workers who marched
on Washington announced program of action
Frank E. Gannett New York newspaper publisher
and running mate of Senator Borah advised the
President to restore the value of the dollar The
third was brief Chicago dispatch reporting a
speech by Ralph Robey-but the impeccable New
York Times made and called him Paul
Robey.
Roosevelt seized upon that item and went to it,
If you don't believe this, read over his Baltimore
speech and then read the New York Times There
it iS-word for word
THE funny thing is that Robey now quoted with
Il such disdain, original member of the
brain trust-in the 1882 campaign when Prof Moley.
Tugwel, Gen. johnson and others, then :, known
to fame. we're hidden away fabrcating New Deal
theses for the next President.
THIS may be giving away trade secret but after
Il all 1t isn't fair to embarrass innocent bvstanders
White House Secretary Mcintyre said he didn't know
who the eminent author" was Assistant Secretary
Hassett said he didn't know The President cam
celed his press conference to to the ball game and
couldn't be asked. Then-you know how it is in
Washington-you run into friend and get to talk
ing and he says: I think something Ralph
Robey said in speech the other day and it sounded
like what the President said"
So, as the whole town is on its way to the first
ball game OF the year. you pod back to the office be-
gin digging through recent newspaper files and fin
ally find two sticks of type about the Robev speech
You compare his points with the Presidents text
and they check From then on it's easy
AS to the little closeup picture of how Roose-
welt stumbled on to the Robey thing-we it could
be palmed off deep inside stuff and you'd get the
impression that the President Just couldn't keen the
secret and had let this lucky reporter in on it.
But to tell the truth, Roosevelt gives it away in
his Baltimore speech