Evening star., 1938-07-10

pdSt SCVCu years.
Mr.. Smells ambi-
Cs..,.. ~;...,... ton has been to
become Speaker
Of the House-that position which has
been frequently described as the Sec
ond great ONCE in the Government.
His determination to retire from
Congress after rs years OF service is
perhaps the only commentary neces-
sary in regard to Republican prospects.
As = good seasoned member Of the
Old Guard, Mr.. Smell indicated his
disgust at the present political man.
agement Of his party, which doesn't
know whether to be liberal or con-
servative and keeps on dancing be-
tween these two political poles with
the hope that somehow, sometime,
the dilemma will decide itself. How
ever, the fading away OF all chances
Of = Republican resurrection, which
would in the nature Of things realize
his Speakership ambitions, beyond
doubt was the predominant motive of
his notice that he would not be .
candidate for reelection. In other
words. though Bert Smell might have
hoped TO preside over q Congress with
4 reactionary Republican majority, he
would have been content, If not salts
Ned. to preside over q Republican
Congress Of any type.
Mr.. Smells Swan Song.
His swan song was an arraignment
OF the prospective anti-monopoly in
vestisation, in which he expressed the
fear that 1t would be witch hunt"
against business.
Acting on the broad theory tha:
anything proposed by President
Roosevelt must have q nefarious pur-
pose. all of the Republican propa-
sanda columnists and editors took
that same view Of the Presidents
message to Congress on the subject.
note this calm, unbiased recital CT
the situation in the column of Mr..
Frank Kent Of June II, for example:
THE President himself is in a con-
tinuously suspicious and vindictive
frame OF mind toward business. The
belief is strong that at least some of
his advisers do not really want busi-
ness to recover. There is not better
evidence Of this than the glee with
which they are preparing for the
devil hunt which 1t is proposed TO
conduct this summer under the guise
OF an snti-monopoly investigation.
Then the appointments Of the
members Of the investigating COM
mittee were announced. There was
but single New Dealer. . memper
OF the House. in the congressional Sin,
who were naturally selected by Vice
President Garner and Speaker Bank
head. The non-congressional six are
practically all economists and fiscal
experts from the Government depart
ments. There followed certain state
ments by Chairman O'Mahoney and
others outlining the serious purpose
OF the commission to gather facts and
not to make a crusade against any,
body. "Bosh," exclaimed Mr.. Kent
on June 80. all that is As false as II
IS belated. The strategists nave
backed away from their original IDEA
on the surface because the reaction
was unfavorable, but they haven't
given it up."
The "strategists" referred to above
are some more Of the creations Of the
INSTRUMENTATION tOm-tom beaters
and have no more substance as guiders
OF legislation or presidential action
than Mr.. Kent's famous presidential
contdant," who was always whisper
Ing into the columnist's ear not only
the intimate details Of White House
conversations but even the unspoken
utterances Of the President himself.
The theme that the President Is
against speedy economic recovery was
elaborated in the Magazine Of Wall
Street. under the name Of another
columnist. Reciting that writer's
Ideas OF the Roosevelt psychology, he
says: Under such circumstances 1t
Is quite understandable why the Presi-
dent should be willing to prolong the
depression for while-or to refrain
from action that might cause it to
disappear"
Now, isn't that . brilliant thought? :?
Almost up to the standard of 4 sem
tence further along in the article
which states that 'in order to effectu-
ate further reforms the President Is
willing to destroy the Democratic
party"
Statements Contradict Themselves.
At times, his critics have insisted
that, while Franklin d. Roosevelt was
wrong In his economic ideas, he was
an astute and subtle politician. They
saw in every move in the direction of
curbing individual and corporate privi-
lege only the wiles Of political ma
nipulator appealing to the mob. The
practical purpose of politics is to win
elections. How far would that purpose
be served by keeping the country
broke and destroying his own party?
1 suppose it is too much to expect the
boosters of the Liberty League stripe
to feel any compulsion to consistency
but who is there in all our population
| who could reconcile such an absurdity
as the foregoing with the statement,
alternating with 1t, that the admins
tration is using the relief funds in
order to effect Democratic victory in
the coming congressional election or
in the election of 1910?
Both of these contentious obviously
cannot be true. but they can be, and
are, both untrue. The President has
stated publicly that his ambition II
to turn his desk over to his successor
with the country content and prosper
ous. Can even the authors Of such
statements as ara nllotAd in fhis axficl.