Evening star., 1937-04-18


as trustees for the Democratic party
as whole.
All three had been reelected last
year for six-year terms. All three
are safely in ONCE until January /,
l943. BY that time Mr.. Roosevelt, in
the ordinary course, ought to have
completed his second term and be
two years in private life. Either that,
or Mr.. Roosevelt will have won for
q third term-and, If that happens,
conditions will be so changed as to
make present calculation about them
futile. So Messrs. Robinson, Hari-
son and Byrnes-and some other
minor leaders who were likewise re-
elected last year for six-year term
seemed in position to chart course
more representative Of what they felt
the Democratic party should do than
OF what President Roosevelt might
like. They could, if they chose, be-
gin to differentiate between the DEM
ocratic party and the New Deal.
In the same situation was Vice
President Garner. He is serving his
second term. 1t is hardly likely that
he thinks of third term for him.
self, even if Mr.. Roosevelt should
think of a third term as President.
Nor is it likely that Mr.. Garner should
think of himself as getting the Demo-
cratic nomination for President in
1910. In short, Mr.. Garner, like the
principal Democratic Senate leaders,
was in a position, If he chose, to dis
sociate himself from complete iden-
tity with the course of President
Roosevelt.
If Mr.. Garner or the Presidents
three principal leaders in the Senate
were going to begin departure from
their past fidelity to the Presidents
leadership the occasion would seem to
have been presented when the Presi-
dent told them about his proposal for
adding six appointees of his own to the
Supreme Court. However, they all
seemed to accept that.
But when the sit-down strike be-
came an issue Senator Byrnes took
course of his own. His fortnight
attack upon the sit-doWn was not a
refusal to accept anything the Presi-
dent proposed, for the sit-down situa-
ton did not involve any request by
the President for legislation. 1t was
not, in any formal sense, dissent from
the President at all, for, officially, Mr..
Roosevelt had no direct and acknowl-
edged connection with the sit-down.
Nevertheless, the thing that Senator
Byrnes now did was interpreted as an
act of personal independence and as
one which differentiated him from Mr..
Roosevelt.
Byrnes Offers Amendment.
Senator Byrnes, wishing to bring
about disapproval of the sit-down,
took advantage of the presence in the
Senate of bill for regulation of the
coal industry. To this bill Senator
Byrnes proposed an amendment which
forthrightly condemned the sit-down
If the amendment were accepted by
the Senate it would cause the Presi-
dent to take position adverse to the
sit-down. For the President favored
the coal measure and presumably
would sign 1t, and in signing it he
would also be signing condemnation
of the Sit-down. This consequence to
Mr.. Roosevelt was made clear to Sen
ator Byrnes; it did not cause him to
abate his advocacy of his amendment.
The amendment was voted down in the
Senate, but Senator Byrnes fought for
it to the end
Senator Byrnes' action was public
and official. Washington gossip,
whether accurately or not, says that
Vice President Garner privately told
the President, very earnestly indeed,
that the administration ought to take
some public and decisive step con-
demning the sit-down.
All this did not constitute any
break between the President and his
official and otherwise close leaders in
the Senate. But it would be accurate
to say there is changing situation, a
measurable lessening of the willing
ness of the Democratic leaders to sup
port the President in as complete q
way as they have in the past.
Sees Break in Senate.
AS respects the Democratic men,
bership OF the Senate. in distinction
from its leadership, there has been
what may fairly be called a break. On
the Presidents request that Congress
pass legislation giving him the oppor-
tunity to add six appointees of his
own to the Supreme Court some
twenty-five Democratic Senators took
positions of open or tacit dissent Pre-
vailing estimates say it is twenty five
at least. Some competent estimates
say thirty or more. But accepting
even the lowest figure, if Is Senators
belonging to party, out of a total
of "A, dissent from a measure con-
spicuously and forcefully demanded by
the President that constitutes break.
President Roosevelt seems to show
some consciousness OF a changed sit
uation. He is less buoyant, does not
have the manner Of headlong SELF
confidence that has characterized him
In the past. He has a manner Of be-
ing under self-imposed restraint. No
doubt he still feels conscious OF his
personal power. If the dissent of
members Of his party from him goes
further we shall see, for the first time,
how President Roosevelt reacts to seri-
Gus political adversely.
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