The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1937-09-02
Presidential Advisers

traits is his steady prediction toward
the "Smart Alec" type of friend and
adviser. From the inception of the
first New Deal this tendency of the
Presidents has been marked, COM
mented upon and widely deplored. 1t
has enabled quite a number of the
cheaper grade of fashy young intellec-
tuals to cash in on their White House
intimacy and, emerging from obscur-
ity, acquire an influence wholly dis
proportionate to their calibre and
character.
In one way or another they have
been able to push outside the White
House circle the more sober-minded
of the Presidents friends until today
there are extremely few left and the
so-called advanced thinkers" have
things pretty much in their hands with
no real competition for the position
of Presidential counselors. Largely
through the policies which they have
indicted Mr.. Roosevelt to sponsor and
the direction they have insisted he
take a succession of his better-bal-
anced friends have been alienated.
Some of these have broken with him
personally, others only differ with him
on matters of policy; but all are fairly
we'll convinced that he has now def
nitely thrown in his lot with the ex-
IRENE Left Wing element and is COM
mitted to the effort to drive those who
differ with him out of politics.
#**
That is the program mapped out
for him by the present White House
strategists. 1t means that he intends
to make himself and the "Second New
Deal" an issue in the 1888 campaign
and again in the 1910 campaign. 1t
means a fight to the finish for control
of the Democratic party between the
conservatives who feel that the time
has come to take stock and tighten
up the ship of state before she sinks
and the radical elements eager for
a continuation of warfare against
wealth and further experimentation
along social lines. Frustrated at the
last session by the failure of the most
ambitious proposals that ever came
from the White House and nursing
considerable anger against the men
who blocked his path, there is no
doubt that the gentlemen, such as Mr..
Guffey, for example, accurately re-
fleet the present feeling and purpose
of the President. He is going to ego to
the people"
In this situation it is interesting to
note that there is around Mr.. Roose-
welt today hardly single one Of the
better class of men with whom he
started his Presidential term. One by
one they have been estranged because
of inability to follow the President in
the direction his more radical advis-
ers took him. There is, for example,
DR.. Raymond Moley, the first and
certainly one of the best Of his init
mate advisers. There are also Hugh
johnson, George Peek, Lewis w.
Douglas, Vice-President Garner and a
good many others. In the circle by
which he is now surrounded there
seems to be exactly one clear-headed,
experienced man of affairs with his
feet on the ground-to-wit, Joseph P.
Kennedy, of the Shipping Board. The
rest are of the accordion-playing, Cor
coran type in whose companionship
the President personally takes pleas
ure and whose brilliant schemes for
reshaping the country he finds irresis-
tibly attractive. When the statement
is made that Mr.. Harry Hopkins now
ranks as one of the leading Admins
tration economists it would seem that
comment is unnecessary,
SO
Exactly what Mr.. Kennedy is doing
in this group, why he stays and how
long he will stand it are questions
a little difficult to answer. Pleasing
though it may be to have the conf
dence of President, it must rasp a
man of his disposition to find himself
apparently committed to policies
which his common sense rejects and
outweighted as an adviser by men fol
whose judgment he cannot have re-
spect. 1t is this group of advisers
which insists upon the driving out
strategy. AS soon as man exercises
his right openly to dissent from
Roosevelt policy, regardless Of how
long or strong his record for loyalty
and devotion, he is put sin the dot
house." That is where they have con
signed Mr.. Garner, despite the fac
that he still processes personal affec
ton for the President and discour
ages the idea of party fight. To tn
Presidents intimates he is a traito
and a Glory" The Democratic Sena
tors, once high in White House favor
who opposed the Presidential pro
o,,o-. l..,o lono,,oo GGrao n&i nnnripS0 AM