The Washington times., 1938-04-06
What You Could Say,
President Roosevelt
OEAR Mr.. PRESIDENT:

Iney tell me that on several recent occasions,
when some visitor has been nagging you about
what you should say to put business back on its
feet in this country, you have retorted:
"All right. You go ahead. Write out exactly
what you think could say that would Danish fear.
I'll dare you"
Mr. President-if you had dared me- this would
be my answer:
You said once with eternal TRUTH that the only
thing to fear is fear itself Fear is depressing in
dustry With due respect, you should concede the
obvious: This fear is fear of you.
It is fear of shifting policies Of hostile attitude
toward legitimate business; of insistence on dis
credited tax methods and other laws which prevent
the earning and retaining of fair and honest profits
It is fear that, if you work out a constructive
plan, you won't stay put. 1t is fear that if plan
of yours is proved bad, you will stick to it stub
bornly because you are unwilling to admit that,
like all the rest of u.s. you make mistakes.
Mr.. President, you can eliminate this basic cause
of the depression very simply. You command an
instant audience Of the whole Nation. Through
message to Congress or some other vehicle, you
should address yourself at once and convincingly
to remove the fear that keeps applicants for loans
away from banks full Of money, and prevents US
from turning into profits the greatest store OF natu-
raj resources and industrial ingenuity in the world
You should inform the American people that
proud-as you should be proud-of the great moral
and social advances which have been made under
your leadership you are willing now to consolidate
these and attempt no more until your Cabinet, your
congressional leaders and you agree that the Nation
can foot the bill Il
You should announce thatyOur only effort Will be
to raise the national income, without devauatlon
or other articles, to that 80 or 100 billions annu-
ally which you set as the goal You should ex-
plain that in order to do this you and your admin
istrative circle will refrain from favoritism to-
ward any economic groups, disturbing speeches,
sudden and new proposals to Congress, and at
tacks on groups and individuals who happen to
disagree with or criticize you. You should set
high example by clearing your mind of private
hates. s
You should make it clear that we shan't fight
any more over who is to share the annual income
of 80 or 100 billions, and to what degree until you
have given all of us chance to raise it to that
figure. This we can do.
You should let administrative silence 'like
poutice come to heal the blows of sound" and
permit industry to go to work in an atmosphere
of peace and security.
If you will do this Mr.. President explicitly,
generously, candidly; make no effort to keep
Congress in session longer than is absolutely
necessary, and reduce your blacklist to real, in
territorial enemies of the common welfare, you
will be astounded to witness the curative effect
Of this single thing.
Other details are important, of course. The
details of your new plan to underwrite loans to
all kinds of business The details of your aid to
the railroads. The details of the enduring armis-
tice you should sign with the utilities so that
they can refinance and stimulate the heavy
industries.
But the chief thing is to eliminate fear and thus
restore confidence. You alone can do that But
you must do it thoroughly, forsaking hate and
vanity, and resuming that patience with which
you so nobly and courageously conquered an ill
ness that would have broken the spirit of most
of us. s
You have been great leader and a great man.
You can be again.
ELEANOR PATTERSON.