Evening star., 1937-05-14

is the utmost $#*:#
goodwill toward "
Mr.. Roos e welt.
Bitter as much of the opposition is
herea bouts, the Presidents personality
has by no means worn out its welcome,
% to speak. What petulance and ir-
ritation there is in Congress comes out
OF steadfast refusal to follow lead
ership that blinks at the facts Of
American life-its enormous problems
Of relief, and its unprecedented debt
that keeps rising and rising.
Mr.. Roosevelt has always come back
10 Washington from his fishing trips
refreshed in body and spirit. He
usually eXudes confidence and stimu-
lates his supporters to pack up their
troubles and smile.
Situation Changed.
Nowadays, however, as the President
may make survey Of what he has
to do, the situation is vastly different
than 1t was in the first administration.
Today there are no longer scapegoats
to attack with the same effectiveness
as before. The election gave a huge
majority, at the same time huge
responsibility. The President con-
strued the election as broad mandate
OF incidental applause He interpreted
1t as command to brush aside OBJ
stacles, big and little, even if the proc
ess required packing the Supreme
Court Of the United States.
But gradually the opposition to Mr..
RnnSoVo1t'c of 1yiou
gaining ground, not because OF the
merit Of its own strategy so much as
because Of the faulty strategy of the
President himself. The Supreme
Court, 1t develops, cannot create jobs
Or take the idle of the relief rolls.
The Supreme Court can't balance the
budget or bring in new taxes where
old taxes fail to yield the needed
revenues. The Supreme Court can't
increase production and thereby in
crease employment. All these things
the opponents Of the court plan have
perceived and emphasized.
What Is really urgent on Mr.. Roose-
velt's agenda? He could we'll afford
TO walt till next session OF Congress
to thresh out the proposed Supreme
Court reorganization, agreeing at this
tanning to the lower courts. For
there Is no economic crisis waiting
for solution through the passage of
the Supreme Court bill. There will
be Just as many persons unemployed
and Just as big public debt on the
day or the month or the year after the
Supreme Court has IS justices as
when 1t had II the other problems
before the President for action are
not soon solved.
Urgency Of Relief.
The biggest and most urgent prob
lem confronting the Government of
the United States today is the han
ding Of relief. The administration
has been houndering about, trying
to work out a scheme whereby the
States would take over more re-
Eponsibility. It IS not simple task,
by any means, and the country, ire
spective OF party, would welcome a
direct and decisive approach to the
matter Of relief administration and
expense.
Next to relief the most urgent ques-
ton Is the balancing OF the Federal
budget. This includes, OF course, the
formulation Of comprehensive plan
TO raise taxes out of rates that will
be more equitable and more produc-
tive and less of an impeachment to
the exchange of goods. What the
Government needs, of course, is a
larger gross volume of transactions
and already the tax structure is Sc
clumsy and topheavy that it does
not permit Of the required increase
In national income.
Reduction of expense is barely prob
able, but prevention of increased ex-
pense Is even more necessary. In
the absence of a definite leadership
by Mr.. Roosevelt on this point little
will be accomplished. To stop spend
ing is unpleasant, especially wher
It may mean dimunition Of popu-
1arity. Persons who have been bene.
fitted by Government dollars will, te
large extent, not listen to any ex-
plantations about the Importance o1
. balanced budget-they will be irri.
tated and take out their displeasure
on Mr.. Roosevelt's prestige. Men Of
Mr.. Roosevelt's temperament dislike
to do the unpleasant chores thai
produce unfriendliness here and there
among the large vote-getting units.
But economizing is no longer 6
matter Of academic preachment. 1
has become a fetish Of many official.
Of importance inside the Roosevelt
administration. Again, the court is
sue obscures the cleavages that ar,
arising as a result of bad manage
ment of fiscal matters.
Lastly, there is the question Of re.
organizing the executive branch o
the Government with its numerou
agencies. The Presidents plan is
in the main, an excellent approach
The effort to tamper with the quasi
judicial agencies will not succeed, ant
there also will be enacted some kline
OF check upon expenditures such a
the controller general hitherto ha
exercised. The other parts Of tn
plan represent a constructive effor
to put the Government on a NOR
husinesslike basis.
The President has been losin
ground largely due to his own mis-
takes in strategy, but he probabl.
has not forgotten that there ar
other measures, such as minimum
wage laws for men and women, whicl
contain the subject matter of NOR
controversies on which the issue be
aAn >r>uAD