Evening star., 1938-04-14
Roosevelt Urged to Lead
Bi-Partisan Drive on Slump
Representative WOlcOtt
Makes Suggestion
in Letter.

a VI kRaI IlSdI move 10 IeSJOTe OuSl-
ness confidence by ending all doubt
as to the policies Of government for
the next IL months was proposed to-
day by Representative Wolcott, Re-
publican, OF Michigan, who asked
President Roosevelt to take the lead
in the movement.
The Michigan Representative, rank
ing minority member of the House
/ Banking and Currency Committee,
declared that clear expression"
from the White House. backed by both
Democratic and Republican leaders on
Capitol Hill, would give the country
the green light" for which it has
waited since the slump in December.
This is no time for trying to fasten
blame on any one" he said 1T Is no
time for business to hate the admin
istration, nor for the administration
to hate business 1t is time for
every one to pull together in the COM
mon good"
Text Of Wolcott's Letter.
Mr.. Wolcott's letter to the Presi-
dent:
"As a Republican who has opposed
many Of your policies, but who believes
in your patriotism, am writing to
make a suggestion which feel you
may we'll consider as q means of allie
Waiting the difficulties which beset us.
THE serious recession in business,
which struck the country so suddenly
in December and has since thrown
millions out Of employment and seri-
ously multiplied the problems OF gov
ernment, can never be settled in an
atmosphere Of unrest. The time has
come for the country to pull together.
1T would be blinking at the facts to
ignore that serious differences have
existed between your administration
and business, and, of course, between
Republican and Democratic parties in
Congress-They even have divided the
members Of your own party.
Set Differences Aside.
II propose that We now temporarily
set those differences aside. if we can.
Il propose that We seek, If we can,
to arrive at unified program for the
Government to follow In the next IL
months, to decide what we can and
should do, and what We cannot and
should not do, and then tell the coun-
try about 1t and stick to it.
This may seem like a big order
But am convinced that it Is an order
worth trying for. Rightly or wrongly,
business people are saying everywhere
that major factor in the present
situation is uncertainty They want
to know what their Government is
going to do.
The President, alone, cannot tell
them. Congress, alone, cannot tell
them. Only the President and Con-
gress together. acting in unison, can
give the country the assurance it
needs, and 1 feel strongly that the
time to give the country that word is
now and at one time, instead of let
ting 1t find out in driblets of news,
none OF which alone can have the
stimulating effect we all are looking
for.
Time TO Act Is Now.
Mr.. President, your official acts
have often shown your keen sense of
the Importance Of timing. I feel that
this Is the time to act-before con-
ditions get any worse. I therefore
ask you to call in the most influential
and open-minded leaders of both par
ties in both houses of Congress, men
who on an occasion of such high i'm
port to the country would put the
people above partisanship, to discuss
the present situation, decide what
the Government is and is not gong
to do and proceed to do tin a BIZ
partisan way.
Lets clear the air. If the charges
that governmental uncertainty is
contributing to the depression are
wrong the way to prove it Is to end
the uncertainty.
Il want you to feel, Mr.. President,
that this letter is written sincerely
and with every good wish to you in
your efforts to conquer the difficulties
troubling the country. It is not an
effort to put you on the spot. I would
Be first to condemn any member Of
my own party who sought 10 use these