Evening star., 1937-12-06

AS usual on such occasions, the week
end was thick with rumors that there's
more than meets the eye in official eX
plantations of President Roosevelts hur-
ried return to Washington. The New
York Stock Exchange is the ceSSpool OF
gossip from which tales of grave preSi-
dental illness habitually well up. These
always find eager Washington souls
ready to circulate such tittle-tattle. On
the present occasion the dirt-mongers
will whisper in any ear they can bor-
row that F. D. RS abScessed jaw condi-
ton is probably something much less
benignant, and that the President is far
from well. Reports were current even be-
fore he left Florida that the White House
physicians had ordered their exalted
patient to cancel his attendance at the
Gridiron Clubs midWinter dinner next
Saturday night. The Presidents general
condition, though admittedly affected
by the coincidence of toothache and q
CASTRO intestinal disorder, is said to be
extraordinarily good. Certainly on the
eve of his departure for Miami on
November 81, he looked as well as at
any time during the last three years.
His whole bearing was that of man
Congress has been in special session
three weeks and the score is exactly
zero Although officially and vehemently
denied that the legislative log jam had
anything to do with breaking up the
Presidents fishing holiday, it may we'll
be that political expediency did hasten
his return. Certainly some hand less
feeble than Barkley leadership in the
Senate or Rayburn- -Bankhead eaptaincy
in the House is called for if progress
on the administrations four point pro-
gram is to be achieved during the few
remaining days of Congress extra tour
of duty. Crop control, wages and hours,
regional planning, public roads curtaS-
ment, tax revision, housing, Govern
ment reorganization and the anti
lynching bill are all begged down and
hog-tied. Perhaps the situation is
wholly to Mr.. Roosevelts liking He may
relish the demonstration of congressional
impotence. Some of the Starryeyed re-
formers who rate as his evil geniuSes
doubtless feel that the unwillingness or
inability of the legislative machine to
function is just what's needed to justify
their hero in welding the big stick
again, as vigorously as he once did.
X X
Nathan Straus, Federal housing ad-
ministrator, will have opportunity on
Thursday-his first public appearance
hereto defend his program and clear
himself of the asperSionS on his eligi-
bility, just made by captious members
of Congress. Mr.. Straus is billed to ad-
dress the National Press Club at one
of its off -the-record luncheon forums.
X \
Representative Samuel B. Pettengill
Democrat, of Indiana wants to know
why the $25 900 experience gained
under N. R. A. was ignored in drafting
the wages and hours bill. When that
ill-starred measure comes up for de-
bate on December 13, Mr.. Pettengill,
who was one of Chairman Summers
earliest supporters in the fight against
the Supreme Court bill, will point out
that the labor legislation was drawn
up regardless of the mass of facts and
figures assembled during the life of
N. r. A. The able Hoosier Congress-
man will cite Doctor Charles F. Roos,
General JohnSon's research director, who
prepared an exhaustive but unpublished
report of the Blue Eagles effect on
American industry. Although he VOL
unteered to appear before the joint
Labor Committee last spring, when it
was headed by Senator Hugo L. Black.
the oner was spurne4, Dr.. Roos holds