The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-02-17
THE GREAT
GAME OF y
POLITICS.
Copyright by the Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by
special permission.
"Feebly FOrceful"
By FRANK r. KENT

'Feebly Forceful"
Theodore Roosevelt had an express
sion which in these days might well
be employed to describe the present
White House incumbent. He used to
say of men whose deeds failed to full
fill the expectations aroused by their
words that they were "feebly force
full"
Certainly an increasing number of
people seem to be acquiring this idea
of the President-and from sources
which are significant. OF course, it
would mean much if this view were
expressed by consistent critics or po-
litical opponents, but when it comes
from individuals and groups which in
the past not only have been favorable
but have applauded his boldness and
courage, it seems indicative of a
change in attitude.
**#
For example, it is not the biased
writers who now lay the most stress
upon the struggle for molding the
Presidents policy going on between
Mr.. Richberg on the one side and
what is called the Corcoran-Ja Jackson
group on the other. On the contrary,
the most vivid reports on this conflict
among his advisers have come from
vacillation between DR.. Morgan and
his moderate IVA policies and the
vehement Mr.. Lilienthal, whose radi-
cal ideas would extensively expand
Government competition in ways not
limited at in the original conception
the Presidential indecision in that
controversy is impatiently commented
upon by men, in Congress and out,
who have been his admiring supper
ters.
In brief, since the present depres-
sion began, Mr.. Roosevelt has wabbled
between two courses of action, to the
intense evaporation of the advocates
of both among his intimates. The re-
suit is that there is today in Congress
more general criticism of the Presi-
dent than at any time since he en-
tered the White House. Unable. yet to
bring himself to the point of follow
ing his left-wing friends into another
infationary spending spree, he is
equally incapable of acting upon the
advice of both big and little business
men to repeal designated and jdevas-
tating tax laws and abandon the eff
fort to further regulate and restrict
industry.
To do the first is to repudiate the
things he has said over and over to
his more conservative advisers, and,
in fact, to retreat from the assurances
he has given more than once. But to
do the second means that the radicals,
who, from the start, have been respon-
sible for his attacks upon business
and his general disposition to incite
resentment against success, Inlay turn
upon him with the cry that he, has
'1et the people down." From that he
shrinks. The popular picture Of him
self as the friend of the lhasses in
their battle against intrenched wealth
is so dear to him that he cannpt bear
to have it charged that he has weak
ened--even by irresponsible people
who have their own political purposes
to serve-even when he knows. that
the revival of business by the COM
nonsense methods urged upon him is
the one true way of promoting'the in
terests of the masses. go.
All this adds up to the fact, agreed
upon by his franker friends, that all
the President has in the way Of pres
ent policy can be summed up as fol-
lows: First, he refuses to believe that
business is as badly off as he is told
or as the evidence shows; second, he