Evening star., 1937-08-29
BY MILO THOMPSON,
Chief of Washington Bureau,
Associated Press

Associated Press.
n NATIONAL officials, party lead
M ers and political commentators,
Y intrigued immensely by specu-
lation concerning what is hap
pening to the Democratic party, are
demonstrating these days their need
of a master philogist.
They do not find words to express
with sufficient clearness the nature
Of the phenomenon being called a
cleavage in majority party ranks.
They are finding such trite desig-
nations as liberal" and conservative"
have become distorted, misapplied and
weighted down with wrong connota-
tions.
Few seem to be taking seriously the
fnsistence Of the Barkleys and Far
leys that there is nothing forboding
or based on fact in current talk of a
lasting disagreement between factions
in Democratic ranks Taking cue
from President Roosevelt, who drew
from the classics his plague on both
their houses" line In connection with
management-employe strife, off-the-
record commentators now frequently
draw another and say the harmony
gentlemen protest too much"
Situation Confused.
1t is in the nature of things as
they stand in Washington today, with
congressman scattering to face con-
stltuencies, that most comments are
of the record and that those which
get on the record are too purposeful
to present true picture. 1t is also
natural that many of the professional
commentators reflect in their writing
their own wishfuh thinking and their
own political PHILOSOPHERS. These con-
fuse the situation.
But the truth Is that Democratic
dlssension is widely recognized. What
Is not conceded is its nature, its per-
manence and the validity OF Toms,
Dicks and Harry's varying opinions
as to which are the sheep and which
the goats in the party.
Congressional decisions indicated the
split. Subsequent protesting about its
'unreality'' emphasized it. The
launching of tentative presidential
booms and comments thereon have
added emphasis. Any observer can
see as much.
But when one inquiries here and
there into what it means, one en-
counters pure speculation. There are
plenty who will talk speculatively.
And some of them say that the split
which they assert has come was in
evitable and may not reflect a chang
ing popular sentiment, dissolution of
either the Democratic party or a
breaking up Of the old Republican,
Democratic partisan alignment.
A Common Purpose.
They advance, as il it were simple
fact, the statement that parties are
made Of necessarily loosely cohesive
factions bound together for a common
purpose. They say that when one
party becomes too great, either in
polling strength or in congressional
majorities, the differences between
It's factions are certain to become
OF more political moment than the
whole party's differences with a weak
minority party. Wherefore new alli-
ances. new organizations result. The
upshot might be new parties: it might
also be purge which reduces the
majority party strength but, paridoxi-
cally. increases its effectiveness.
Since there is some apprehension
here that the Democratic party has
reached crossroad and that many
things might happen, it would help
those who grope for certainty in the
matter II they could find effective