Evening star., 1937-12-05
By MARK SULLIVAN.


~ II has penetrating mind and
Vv has had close experience with
4 Il the destruction of democratic
governments in Europe and the sub
stitution for them of one-man author
itarian governments. From this back
ground Miss Thompson surveys the
American scene and utters a warning.
She was writing on November "a:
The next 80 days will be as i'm
portant as any in the history of this
Republic. They will determine whether
a business recession snoWballs into a
serious depression and a social crisis
IT the latter happens the very future
Of American democracy may be at
stake. For the capacity of this coun-
try to weather another depression, be-
fore the serious social, economic and
political effects of the last one have
worn of, is one great big question
mark"
Sees 6 Months Fairer.
This is an extreme Judgment, but a
tenable one. would, however, name
longer period. 1t is it seems to me,
the next six months rather than the
next 80 days that will throw light on
what is to happen to America,
Miss Thompson makes certain sug-
gestions which she thinks would save
America from collapse followed by a
new form of government:
For all those who want to keep the
system of private enterprise the
making of new bridge between busi-
ness and Government, the return to
deliberative Government and the re-
establishment of an atmosphere in
which cooperation is possible, is of
an Importance which cannot be ex-
aggerated."
Radical Moves Possible.
Miss Thompson suggests, among
other steps. that the business world
should arrive quickly at a status of
cooperation with Mr.. Roosevelt Un-
less this is done
The President is certain kind of
individual. He IS audacious-some-
times to the point of reckleSsneSs. His
Is the temperament that, under strain,
acts. Given a continued crisis there
is nothing in the past pattern of his
behavior to indicate that he will be
inclined to let things drift. If CO.
operation with private capital for re-
covery fails Mr. Roosevelt will be
pushed, by the actual situation, by
his own temperament and by certain
OF his advisers, to take far more rad
ical measures than heretofore. What
those measures may be one can guess.
He may go into increased Government
interference and control to the point
Of socialization. The process. carried
out under pressure of powerful and
greedy groups, would almost certainly
mean further unbalancing of the
budget, further increases In produc-
ton costs and imitation And it takes
courageous mind to face what would
be on the other side of that
Those words, coming from an ex-
ceptionally responsible writer, cam
not be ignored. The question that
will come to the mind of the reader
Is, what does this mean? How did
this condition come about? The an
sWer, as in many situations, can be
suggested by reviewing what led up
to the condition.
Brought Strange Advisers.
When MIR. Roosevelt came to Wash
tngton in March, 1888, there came
with him number of persons who
do not believe in the American form
of society. What they do believe in
spans long gamut of social theory.
Some believe in what is called ''modi-
fled Communism an adaptation of
Communism to American conditions.
Some believe in strong form of State
socialism, others in a mild form of
State socialism.
They differ also in the intensity
with which they hold their beliefs
Some are aggressive, they wish to
bring about the change at once, di-
rectly and completely The leading
one OF them, during the early weeks
OF Mr.. Roosevelt'S administration,
when the banks were closed, wanted
Mr.. Roosevelt to keep the banks closed
Indefinitely and to use this condition
OF paralysis to make a clean sweep Of
the old American system and to erect
instead of it new form of society.
Others of the group are not so ag-
gressive. The DO not go farther than
merely to believe that the American
system Of individualism, which they
call capitalism" is doomed, and that
1t is no harm to give it a kick on its
way.
Existence Vouched For.
The existence of this group within
the administration has been shown
again and again, and convincingly.
They have been described, at length
and repeatedly by Gen. Hugh john
son, who came in contact with them
when he was high in the administra-
ton as head of N. R. A. They have
been described by George Peek, who
also observed them closely from the
opportunity he had while he was head
OF Triple-A.
The power of these radicals lies
wholly in their presence within the
administration and in their access to
President Roosevelt. It is not that
Mr.. Roosevelt entirely believes in what
they want, nor that he fully under
stands their objective. 1t is not that
he always does what they propose, OF
at any time goes so far as they wish
When the leader of the group wanted
him to keep the banks closed, so as
to set up new form of society, he
did not act on the advice. He re-
opened the banks as soon and as
piJlv ho pol,1d
But some of the group have the
persistence of zealots. Rejection OF
their advice does not deter them
The other day, in connection with
the present crisis, Arthur Krock de-
scribed a conference in the White
House in which two Of this group ad-
vised that the capitalist system is
not worth saving and cannot be saved
Mr. Krock records that President
Roosevelt energetically rejected this
advice. But, knowing the character
tstics of this group, we can imagine