The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-20
1. BEHIND | THE SCENESI WASHINGTON W ROONEY DUTcHER-A
 Democrat Washington
 Correspondent
Wavering Between Advice From The Budget Balancers'
 And the 'Spenders'
 F'DR Sits Tight

Washington, Dec. 20 To Q greater degree than many of the Presidents advisers find comfort able, present administration policy in the face of business recession and rising unemployment, consists of sit- ting tight and waiting for something to turn Up.
 The "somethlng" for which Mir.
 Roosevelt hopes most, naturally, is
 change in the business trend
 which will indicate that the coun.
 try has come out of It's spiral or
 tailspin. Some of his advisers keep
 telling him that everything will come out all right # he sticks to
 budget balancing and encouraging
 business, Others assure him
 there'll be no recovery until gov.
 ernment primes the pump" again.
 NEXT the president would be most gratified at evidence of Q reac- ton against a fumbling congress and a business world apparently unable to save itself.
 He would also like an accompany ing demand for assertion of White House leadership to pull the country out of hole.
 He Refuses to Yield
 Roosevelt hasn't made any clear choice between the business-i11inded group and the "Spenders," who be- iieve the only salvation is through stimulation of purchasing power by revival of federal spending.
 On the one hand, he has refused to yield to the first group at any point where he feels it demands 0 retreat from advanced ground taken by the New Deal.
 On the other hand, to date he has disappointed the purchasing power- spending school which holds that prompt action should have been taken some time ago.
 The liberal group believes that the pressure of events will overcome the conservative arguments and cause the president to declare boldly for Q program of increased expenditure for relief, public works and govern. inent-built housing.
 But t also fears that some small business plck-up, which may ap- pear early in the year, might seem to bc proving the conservative theory that clearing of inventor. les and natural" forces will lead into another recovery period. This theory the purchasing power. spending school contends is falla. ciouS and dangerous.
 Roosevelt may have reached 0 more positive policy by the time he prepares his message to the regular session of congress, beginning in January. Meanwhile he must also prepare his budget message and the tenor of that document D likely to indicate the direction his mind Is veering with the dawn of 1888. Prefers to Star.Gaze
 Postmaster General James A. Far- ley saw Mayor ?. II. La0uard!a site ting in crowded Harvey's restaurant ct the dinner hour. He walked over, placed his hand on the mayors head and declared, as if he meant to be heard at surrounding tables:
 "1'll bet you're down In Washing ton to see Nathan StrauSl"
 La0uardia, against whom Farley recently campaigned, donned 0 cher. ubic grin and said nothing. But Farley was right. LaQuardia, who had refused to send representatives to conferences called by Administra. tor straus of the U. s. Housing Au. thority, and had characterized the conferences aS "star-gaSing" affairs, had come to see straus.
 It had suddenly occurred to him that any city which wanted some of the $500, ,000O00 federal housing money would have to send someone here to discuss the matter. New York newspapers were raSzing the mayor.
 "Nathan, I want to see you," tho ordinarily peppery little mayor had said In . conclllat0ry long distance call. "Can come and see you tomorrow"
 "We're having that conference tomorrow" replied Straus, "and we'll be star gazing oil day long. You wouldn't be interested"
 But Laduardia had S2e,000,000 Mgbneb ~'rq Hkp NebMsbA