The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-07-01
!. BEHIND T RHE CCENESI WASHINGTON mw RODNEY DUTcHER-A Demoerat Washington
 Correspondent
'F.D.R. Often On Verge of Leading
 Age Rebellion
 Tn Congress


 Washington, July 1.-The war be- tween the young New Dealers and the old is not confined to the on- . .slaught against the conservative septuagenarianS on the supreme court.
 Week by week the tension has grown between the Boss Young
 New Dealer in the White House
 -meaning MT. Roosevelt, who is only 55 and feels much younger and the elderly gentlemen who
 nnke up the so-called democratic Leadership in c0ngresS-most of whom also feel younger than they are.
 Roosevelt said, in effect. that the Helderly conservative justices were ! too old for their jobs, that they had been on the job too long and that they were out of touch with the needs and desires of the people.
 More or less secretly, that's the way he is known to feel about most of the party leadership in congress. He is cautious about bringing the point up publicly, partly because there is plenty of iikht in the old boys-and caution doubtless is the course of wisdom and partly because the Capitol Hill leadership hasn't given him as much trouble as the supreme GNcoErt did.
 z But it has come to be an un- {, snOken belief among the Roose- welt faction in and out of congress inst most of the titular leaders and powerful committee chairmen aro nowhere near as closely in touch with the current thought of the populace as the younger, more recently elected members of house and senate. Leaderships and com mittee chairmanships come to
 members through seniority based on length of service.
 Just . little less cooperation" from the leaders, according to some of his advisers, and Roose- welt would be willing to try to Abust the seniority system.
 They'd Rather Go Home I The leadership-usually called the southern leadership-is both worried anA sore. The leaders early in the kession counseled Roosevelt to take it easy, to cut the spending program irastically and to rest on his oars. Roosevelt hasn't paid enough heed . to this conservative advice. He pop ApeN the court plan on them with hus warning or consultation. Most
 them have been apathetic or an-
 Ronistic ever since. They com.
 ain that he sees more of young enator Bob LaFollette and other oung liberals than of them. Most . bf them would like to forget about the Roosevelt program and go home
 What worries them is the in- surgence of young rump leader ship in the house and senate -swhich might well upset the old leadership and take control Of congress if Roosevelt gave 1t formal recognition. Maury Nav erick of Texas, Jerry Voorhis Of California, and other first and ] second termers form a nucleus of R6e insurgent New Dealers in the hnuse. and Senators Barkley, Y Black, Pepper. Minton, LaFollette. schwellenbach and others are in revolt against the senate's demo- cratic old guard. The 49 sena. tors who beat the relief bill amendment of Majority Leader Joe Robinson the other day in. Aeluded 90 first term members.
 arhe leadership Is predominant
 southern and conservative be-
 hse the one.party south is given
 re-electing its entrenched ia
 tes. But many southern mem
 worry lest liberal opponents
 6 6 100 per cent Roosevelt
 inner may rise up to rob them
 what otherwise might be life-
 e jobs.
 I.Ong Years of Service
 Following is a list of the principal ccngressional leaders, with their ages and the years in which they began to serve in congress. Many of them are too bashful to give their ages in the Congressional Directory. First, consider the senate:
 Vice President John N. Garner, q. Texas, 1903; Majority Leader Ice T. Robinson, 64, Arkansas, 1918; Chairman Pat Harrison If the finance committee, 56, NFiasissippi, 1913; Chairman Elli- son D. Smith of the agriculture committee, 73, South Carolina, 190o; Chairman Carter Glass of the appropriations committee, 79. VirRinia, 1902; Chairman Royal Copeland of the commerce conn snittee, 69, New York, 1923; rhairman Key Pittman of the foreign relations committee, 64, Nevada, 1913; Chairman Henry r. Aahurst of the judiciary commit tee, @, Arizona. 1912; Chairman affairs committee, GA, Texas Morris Sheppard of the military 1915; Chairman Burton K. Wheel CT Of the interstate commerce committee, 55, Montana, 1923.
 Tn the House Speaker William nanlrhead of Alabama Is 63 ana cal1ae here in 1917. Majority Lead. ar sam Rayburn of Texas is 65 ana reached tn, House in 1913. The chief committee chairmen are: Az ricuiture, Marvin Jones, age un' available, Texas. 1917; Appropria- 4lons. Edward T. Taylor, 70, Colo rado' 1909: Banking and Currency, al |. steagall, GA, Alabama, lglo; Noreign Affairs, Sam McEeyno,as' A Tennessee, 1923; Interstate Com inerce, Clarence Lea, 6s, Caliiornsa' so 1of7: Judiciary, Hatton Summers. el' !. Texas. 1913; ways and Means. @ Mon' srt Doughton. "A. North Caroi'na'
 Not all these men are sour on tns 47ooseyelt program. But most oi **~- A..A ,.anak of the yOung~