Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1937-05-27

years ago. From that association ]
learned to respect his mental capa-
city and his ability to foresee COM
ing events. When he says, therefore,
that labor and capital must be hon
est with each other, / cannot help
feeling that Mr.. Baldwin foresees
the possibility of bloody clashes and
unsound results in the offing, con-
ditions that will flow from the abuse
of power.
Mr.. Baldwin told the house of
commons that: "You will find in our
modern civilization, that just as
war has changed from being a
struggle between professional
armies with civilians comparatively
uninterested in it, so the weapons
of industrial warfare have changed
from arms that affected compare
lively small localized business into
weapons that affected directly those
who have no concern whatever with
the issue except perhaps natural
sympathy with their own class"
The British prime minister added
that, under such circumstances,
"the one thing we must pray for,
not only in our statesmen, but also
in trade union leaders and masters,
is wisdom" It seems to me that
Mr.. Baldwin's admonition can be ut
tered from high places in our Ameri-
can government with a value just as
important as he gave to his words.
The fact that Assistant Secretary
McGrady has been the only public
official to speak so frankly and so
honestly is comforting, but it is to
be deplored that he alone has
spoken.
Since there are ominous signs in
q class struggle that unfortunately
=, -. has been promoted
NotninG in this country, it
Doing seems to me the
attention of t h e
people ought to be directed some
what more to conditions in congress.
Some months ago / wrote in these
columns my fear that the current
session Of congress was going to
leave a rather dull record for hav-
ing done nothing. Thus far, my fears
have been justified to the fullest.
Congress went into session in the
first week of January. To date,
therefore, it has been in session five
months. Its record of accomplish
ments includes passage of four ap-
preparation bills, providing money
for federal government depart
ments; the Guffey-Vinso little MIRA
coal law and the cash and carry
neutrality law. I do not see how
anybody can be enthusiastic about
those accomplishments. Passage Of
appropriation bills is mere routine
usually because in most cases they
involve no controversial question at
all. Passage of the neutrality act
likewise was an action about which
there could be little dispute even
though there may have been plenty
Of grounds for disagreement over
the type of law enacted. That leaves,
therefore, only the Guffey-Vinson
coal bill over which there could
have been much delay in house
or senate debate. All of this makes
the picture look even worse for con-
gressional leadership.
There is talk already about adj
journment Of congress as soon as
hot weather strikes Washington
and the temperatures can get very
high and unpleasant. While this un-
dercurrent Of talk is not yet in an
important volume, it emphasizes the
fact that there is a growing body
Of legislators who see no possibility
of accomplishing anything worth
while in the current session.
But what are the reasons? Having
gone rather thoroughly into this stu
alton, think there are two factors
to be considered. One is the lack Of
capacity Of the leadership among
both Democrats and Republicans
and the other is traceable to the
White House. President Roosevelt
for four years has told congress
what to do and to that extent has
destroyed the initiative of the legisla-
tors as body and now that some
members want to reassert the
power Of congress, the Presidents
organized spokesman appear not to
know what to do.
It may be said that the immediate
cause of the failure of congressional
Leadership much Of the lee us
Fails lative program
out Of the way in
five months Is the controversy re-
sulting from Mr.. Roosevelt's pro-
posal to add six justices of his own
choosing to the United States Su-
preme court. That statement, in nv
opinion, is only partially true. There
are many senators and representa-
tives, otherwise loyal to the Presi-
dent, who now feel that the court
Reorganization plan cannot be put
through. But those spokesman thus
far have not advised the President
frankly Of their views and in con-
sequence the court bill is still in