Evening star., 1937-08-19
ROOSEVELT TALK
HINTS WIDER SPLIT
Recent Acts Show How
Fully Party Lineup
Has Changed.
BY the Associated Press.

President Roosevelt's aggressiveneSs
since the collapse Of his legislative
program-evidenced anew in his Ro-
anoke Island speech-emphaSized to-
day the potentialities OF the split
which has developed within his party
during this session of Congress.
The Chief Executive followed up his
selection Of Liberal Senator Black,
Democrat, of Alabama for the su-
preme Court with fighting speech
yesterday at Roanoke Island, in which
he characterized his critics as Amer
ican Lord Macaulays" who do not be-
lieve in democracy.
These two developments within the
past week eliminated a series Of events
which have completely changed the
political picture since the President
began his second term seven months
ago today.
The Black appointment in itself was
evidence of the changing political
scenes. 1t topped of a sudden shift in
Senate leadership, in which the death
of Senator Robinson Of Arkansas was
only = part.
Former Leaders on Hill.
At the outset of the session, Robin
son and Senators Harrison OF Missis-
sippi and Byrnes OF South Carolina
were the acknowledged Senate leaders
and Roosevelt spokesmen on Capitol
Hill.
Sh1danlv pnI lihora I
Senators took their places. Barkley
of Kentucky became the majority
leader by one vote over Harrison, and
Senators Schwellenbach of Washing
ton and Minton of Indiana. together
with Black. formed the new inner
circle.
The session began with Is almost
united Democrats, forming the biggest
party majority the Senate ever had
seen. 1t IS ending with IS Democrats
divided into nearly equal factions on
some Of the Roosevelt legislative pro-
poSals.
Thus the Democrats on some issues
have turned the balance of power
over to the numerically weak Repub-
lican minority, not only in the Senate
but in the House.
Even Vice President Garner's status
has changed. At the outset he was
| regarded as a stalwart behind-the-
scenes negotiator for all presidential
! policies. Although still friendly and
! loyal to the President. he has been
the spearhead Of opposition to some
/ administration plans.
President Roosevelt's court reor-
ganization proposal is credited gen.
orally with creating the party friction,
but close observers have noted many
contributing causes, some nearly as
fundamental.
Harrison and Byrnes supported the
court bill, but they along with Garner
and others in the party were critical
Of the Presidents handling OF the sit
down strike problem and the labor sit
uation during the Winter.
They clashed also with the Presi-
dent on his spending policies, first in
private, and when that failed to gain
results, in public.
| Inc laSJ StraW IOr many OF Ine
| critical Democrats, particularly those
from the Southern wing Of the party,
! was the vage-hour bill. 1t drew from
Harrison the first caustic criticism of
Roosevelt policies he ever had uttered
in public
The court row did not develop the
| factionaliSm in the House that it did
in the Senate, where 1t conferred But
the wage-hour bill did 1t was blocked
in the House Rules Committe, usually
an administration adjunct. by a COM
bination Of Southern Democrats and
Republicans
| Democrats "ROlted,"
Despite the support of some wht
later broke with him on other issues
the President was able to muster the
support Of only half the Democrats or
the Senate Judiciary Committee fol
his court bill On the noor the division
was almost even at the time the meas
ure was sidetracked
Picnics and dinners held to smooth
over party differences have been ir
vain. The day after a harmony
dinner in honor Of Barklev. the Dem.