Milford chronicle., 1938-05-06


II was with great reluctance tn;
l accepted the kind invitation of th
Columbia Broadcasting System I
address you tonight. And I speak I
you out of a heart and nina great
disturbed by the events which hav
taken place In our country since
last addressed "a nationwide radi
audience in November. I had hopeC
along with you, that the econOmi
depression which settled down owe
the country late last summer as
result Of fallacious policies Of tn
national government might soon b
dissolved. At least, think, we ha'
a right to hope that by sound, con
! structive action on the part Of oil
national government this depression
would be Offset and our people wOul'
escape what they have suffered. In
that hope we have all been gravel!
disappointed. But | refrained from
speaking out because believed tha
the national administration here In
Washington deserved an opportunity
to correct its errors and to lay be-
fore the country an affirmative pro.
gram for fighting the economic par
alysis which has gripped us. During
the last seven months, | need not
tell you, we have seen our much
vaunted prosperity-that prosperity
planned by the master minds in
ashingtOn-crumble with amazing
speed. Never before in history has
industrial production revealed such
sharp declines in so short period.
Never before had security prices. re-
fiecting the disease gnawing at in
dustry, dropped so suddenly to such
incredibly low levels. Most vital of
all. we have watched hundreds of
thousands of our citizens thrown in
to the ranks of the unemployed.
Such is the ending of the New
Deals first fiye-year plan-a plan
advertised as one to end depressiOns
for all time, a plan to iron out the
peaks and valleys of prosperity and
depression and give us economic
stability. Ironically, instead of sta
biIity and sound prosperity, we have
during the last Two years expert
enced in our market places. in our
shops and stores, and in our factor
les the sharpest fluctuations in
prices and production OF our history.
We have experienced greater ecOno-
mic instability than this country has
ever known, and at a time when re-
covery was progressing at a steady
upward pace in other lands. Yet 1t
was inevitable that this should he
the result, for the New Deal had
placed our economic structure on
shifting sands.
Despite all this, we had right TO
expect that the Roosevelt Admins
tration would learn by its mistakes.
would recant its economic heresies
and would, in the interests OF the
masses of men and women of this
country who are the first always to
suffer from economic depression,
pilot the Ship of State away from
perilOus shoals into safe and sound
channel. Until last week we waited
in vain, The anchor Of the Ship of
State was dropped, while its officers
sulked in their cabins. For seven
months that vessel was permitted to
swing in circles while its passeng-
srs became frantic. And then. in
sheer desperation, the officers burst
forth from their cabins. shattering
The solemnity of Holy Week to an
nounce their intention--not to steer
away from the shoals and whirllns
full speed ahead, to
steer straight for the rocks Of great
sr spending and psychological in
iation." Again they hold out to us.
heir passengers, the illusory hope
hat we might in some mystical or
magic manner escape the disaster
hat has come to every other nation
Ollowing such a course.
Now | have no intention tonight
o engage in recriminations. nor is
ny purpose to SOW any seeds of dis
Ontent. True | cannot disassOciate
myself from my official position as
hartman Of the opposition party in
his country. but can state without
ny sense of partisanship that the !
rogram sent to Congress by the !
is not only inadequate to !
meet the present situation. but that /
Is based on the very unsOund pol
,ies that actually created the de-
ressiOn II seeks to cure. As much |
S / dislike to adopt a dissenting
49, .t-n,,td ,.0f bo faFkIfttI IN .uv
uties and to my own personal re-
IL I did not speak with
he utmost candor and frankness. I
hall try to speak kindly for heart
y agree with the Presidents plea
)r self-restraint. In this connection,
desire to compliment him for his
.atement that 1t is patriotic duty
,r every citizen to guard against
moderate statements and appeals
, prejudice. am certain that his
,llow countrymen will gladly fol-
w the course he has so graciously
in this regard, His stand
sainst hate and bitterness will find
general welcome. But the time has
Ime when certain things must be
lid and they must be said without
sort to emotion. /, too. believe in
Ie necessity, during this critical
sriod Of a united national will"
1t cannot see any reason why the
'eat majority of our people should
, regarded as out OF step because
ey do not concur in the viewpoints
a few men here at Washington
he Gallup Poll--published this
orning-showed that the people of
is country are not sympathetic I
Ith the spending program proposed l
the Congress by President Roose- .
IL last Thursday. That Poll over