Evening star., 1937-01-20

full four-year
term when inaugurated formally a
second time were Washington, Jeffer-
son, Madison, Monroe, jackson, Lin
coin, Grant, Cleveland, Mckinley and
Wilson. 1t is interesting to note that
with respect to the IL men who took
the oath on a second occasion. only
two-Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses
s. Grant-were younger than Frank
lin Roosevelt.
Gen. Grant was so when inaug-
urated the second time, and Theodore
Roosevelt was As. Four years ago
Franklin Roosevelt was 81, and be-
cause his birthday does not occur
until January 80. but Inauguration
date is this year moved up from the
usual March date, he will go down
in history as having been inaugurated
q second time at the age of 81, lack
ing only 10 days of being SIS.
New Crisis Supplants Old.
Mr. Roosevelt's Inauguration is in an
atmosphere hardly dissimilar from
that of several Presidents who faced
important crises. -Four years ago a
bank crisis was already under way
and Mr. Roosevelt by his dramatic ac-
ton won the plaudits of people of all
classes.
Today another crisis is in the max
ing-a big social and economic crisis
In which capital and labor probably
will reach the climax of their long
struggle. 1t was in Michigan that the
last crisis on the eve Of Inauguration
brought on national emergency, and
1t is in Michigan again that sit
down strikes, called by some insurrec-
ton and revolution because property
is seized in defiance of court injunc-
tions, has emphasized an issue of far
reaching proportions.
When President Wilson was inau-
gurated a second time, the European
war was at its height and American
entry, while not exactly assured, was
regarded as inevitable by many OBJ
servers.
World Crisis Exists.
Mr.. Roosevelt today faces a world
situation hardly less threatening in
some respects than that which con-
fronted Mr.. Wilson. Europe has been
on the verge of war many times In the
last two years and today with dicta-
torships enthroned in three countries
and a civil war in a fourth there IS
no telling when the smouldering fires
may be whipped into flames Of another
world war.
Inside the United States, the eco
nomic situation has been gradually
on the upgrade during Mr.. Roosevelt S
first term and whether it has been
due to artificial measures, such as
Government printing of the pump or
natural causes accelerated and stimu-
lated by Government Intervention, the
fact remains that in the four years
ahead many formidable problems will
have to be solved if recovery is 10 be
made relatively stable and If another
depression of greater magnitude than
that from which America has been
emerging is to be avoided.
Democracy Is Stake.
The biggest question before Mr..
Roosevelt is how to put into operation
controlled economy and yet pre-
serve democracy. He pleads for the
STRENGTHENING of world democracies
by making their governments more
modern and more responsive to the
social needs of the people. But the
answer may or may not lie in further
extension of the powers OF government
II in the exercise Of those powers there
is a conscious partisanship Of class or
q surrender to the political forces
that so often dominate government
action.
Basically, the issue of greater and
greater control by the State and less
and less liberty or freedom Of initi-
ative for the citizen comes up in
dozens of different ways in the larger
problems today, and Congress, feeling
the pressure of groups and classes, Is
ready to embark on more and more
legislation restricting the freedom OF
the individual and entrusting to the
Government more and more regula-
tory power if not more and more
actual operation of enterprises COM
peting with or supplementing the
efforts of the citizens.
Called for Leadership.
In such a turmoil the call for leader
ship is an instructive expression by
the people of a call for some one to
keep the extremists of all kinds from
rocking the boat and, indeed, wrecking
it on the rocks Of impossible ideals
and impractical experiments. BY an
overwhelming vote-the biggest major
tty in history-Mr Roosevelt was en-
trusted last November with tremendous
powers of leadership. It was a vote
of confidence in a man, in his readi-
ness to confer benefits on the citizenry
and in his capacity to steer the ship OF
state safely without making over the
form of Government, yet making the
existing form more responsive to ma
tional needs.
But whatever abstract principle one
uses to interpret the election returns.
the mandate is clearly an exhortation
to Mr.. Roosevelt to profit by the mis-
takes of the past and move the coun-
try forward during the second term to
higher levels Of economic gain than
in the first term. Beyond all that 1t
was q mandate to give the country a
chance to earn the huge taxes that
are needed nowadays to support a
Government which, whether or not we
agree with that concept of its true
function, has become huge welfare
agency superseding the several States
and cities in the biggest humanitarian
experiment ever undertaken in q de-
mocracy anywhere on earth.
(Copyright, 1877