The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-02-24
He Can Restore Faith


1t is not easy to be sure about the
stability of Mr.. Roosevelt's course,
because of his well-recognized dispo-
sition when moving in one direction
to find some means of reassuring
those who want him to move in the
other. However, there are a number
of reasons for thinking that at the
moment the so-called conservative
Influences" are in the ascendancy at
the White House and his left-wing
advisers not being listened to as low
ingly as before.
49,
If there were any guarantee that
this would last until business could re-
gain its breath, it would be a very en-
couraging sign. In any event, the reas-
ons for the distinctly conciIiatory tone
of recent Presidential conversations
are interesting and the complete dis
continuation of the effort, at first so
we'll received in the White House, to
impress the people with the silly idea
that business men had deliberately
brought about the business slump, is
significant.
Actually, the abandonment of that
utterly false and hollow argument
was due to the clarity with which a
series of events have forced upon the
President the conclusion that, how
ever he may have been cheered in the
past for his attacks, there is no present
support, either in Congress or in the
country, for a belligerent attitude to-
ward business. Nothing could be
clearer than that neither the "cru-
sading spirit" nor a reform pro-
gram" would be popular with the peo-
pie as whole, whose chief desire is to
end the depression, who are beginning
to feel apprehensive and are in no
mood to be responsive to TRADES
against industry or new experiments
sponsored by the anti-capitalistic in
Inmates.
These things have been made plain
in a number of ways. One, for in
stance, was the extreme fatness with
which the speeches of Messrs. Ickes
and Jackson fell. Another was the sur
prising unanimity with which the
"little business men" saw eye to eye
with the big business men, urged re-
peal of the same taxes and with far
more candor asked the Administra-
ton to "stop fitting around, light
somewhere and give US chance"
Even more significant, however, is the
present position of the labor leaders
in whose behalf Mr.. Roosevelt has
spent four years belaboring business.
On one side we have Lewis, of the c.
|. O., in agreement with Mr.. Thomas
Lamont, the Morgan partner, visiting
the White House and urging the same
conservative things. On the other
hand, Mr.. William Green, of the A. F.
of L., makes a vigorous speech urg-
ing repeal of "unsound taxes" insists
that capital be allowed to make a
reasonable profit" and being com
mended by business men generally
for his "patriotic attitude" In brief,
both Mr.. Lewis and Mr.. Green openly
recognize that the fortunes of labor
are linked with the fortunes of bust
ness; that the former cannot flourish
when the latter is fiat.
Considering these things, it is not
difficult to understand why from the
White House yesterday word went out
that Mr.. Roosevelt has a new eco
nomic program" especially designed
to reassure and help business. Vari
Gus rather thin details are given, in
Guiding tentative Endorsement of Sen
ator Bulkley's grandiose dream of a
dating super-highways-if they can
be made SELF iquidating. The way the
suggestions were put out really COM
mitted Mr.. Roosevelt to nothing. He
may drop them entirely, as he has
other national policies enunciated at
his press conferences, or he may fol-
low with various legislative proposals
preceded by mild message on mo-
nopoly." Far more helpful than any
ingenious proposal, no matter how
well intentioned, would be a general
conviction that the governmental
heckling and Administration attacks
were over, not temporarily but per-
manently; that the effort to regulate
and control business had ended; that
the Gripping taxes would be removed;
that the crusaders and reformers
were no longer in the saddle and that
the Administration finally had cit"
If the President can inculcate a con-