Evening star., 1938-01-17
SECOND NEWDEAL
HIT IN TOWN HALL
BY GEN. JOHNSON
Drift Toward One Man Gov.
ernment Laid to Con-
gress' Surrender.
APPEALS FOR ACTION
TO SAVE DEMOCRACY
Predicts Prosperity's Return if
President Were Restored
to Presidency"


since the beginning Of President Roose-
velts second term in the White House
was lambasted last night by Gen. Hugh
s. johnson, former national recovery
administrator, as an attempt to per
petuate not only the power of q par
ticular political party, but particular
President"
The farm bill and the relief ad-
ministrative set-up were pointed out
for Town Hall audience by Gen.
johnson as an example of the regimen
tation Of classes "for one party and
one President"
Our drift toward one-man euv.
eminent" the speaker declared, "has
tuition. 1t has come about by q lacka.
daisical surrender Of powers by Con.
gress."
He predicted that prosperity could
be enjoyed by the American people
within six months 1f the President
were restored to the presidency, Con-
gress to its congressional dignity and
the American system OF government
to its rightful heritage"
Appeal for Democracy.
This democracy has worked better
Gen johnson said. than any other
system under Heaven. and until
some body shows us a better one, we
should not junk 1t simply because of
its errors.
I'VE should wash our baby in the
bathtub when he needs 1t, but We
should not throw the baby down the
drain with the dirty water"
He said he had nothing but praise"
for Mr.. Roosevelt during the first
months of his administration, and
commented that the war powers asked
by the President TO invoke emergency
legislation were ''praiseworthy." He
did condemn, however, the failure to
surrender these powers and do away
With legislation, passed during an
emergency and strictly ION . tenn
porary basis" after the emergency
had passed.
I'VE are not talking about con-
centration of power in the Federal
Government" he stated, but the con-
centration Of power In . Federal gov
ernor."
Comparison With Dictator.
In comparison with some aspects
Of the American Government today.
he declared, Hitler Is a piker, and
both Stain and Mussolini are ANA
teurs."
The Government accuses capital
ism Of laying down on the job," he
said. Capitalism is down because
it has been beaten down by the Gov
eminent"
He cited the restoration OF normal
investment as "the key to our un-
employment problem" and remarked
that normal investment will not be
restored when the power to regulate
the value OF money Is vested tn the
President.
This Town Hall address marked the
beginning of an experiment by ON
! cials looking toward abandonment of
the regular panel discussions a. a
| means OF questioning the speaker.
The audience. with no customary
stimulus from a panel, proceeded at
the conclusion of Gen. Johnson's talk
to lombard him with queries Of social
and political natures.
Recommendation on Regulation.
In answer to question regarding
economic recovery while power Of big
| corporations continues to exist, the
speaker recommended Government
regulation Of big business in 20 far as
telling industry the limits within
which it can move"
Some questions from the audience
were written and passed to tho stage
for reading by the chairman, Robert
Lincoln O'Brien, former chairman of
the United States Tariff Commission.
Concerning one of the questions,
Mr.. O'Brien remarked, Here IS one
Secretary Ickes might have written
were he here tonight. How much
difference does 1t make II We are
under a government controlled by
so families or one family?"
That's purely academic" Cen.
johnson replied. I'VE have never
been governed by so families. nor will
be governed by one family" After
some applause and few scattered
"boos" subsided, he added as an after
thought, except possibly the Roose-
velts."
Mr. O'Brien then stated he had OBJ
served Senator Tydings, Democrat, Of
Maryland in the audience and asked
If he had q question.
Tydinxs Praises johnson,
II think the generals doing 20 we'll"
the Senator replied, I'm sure I could
add nothing. So this will be one time
a Senator will not exercise his right
to talk"
In answer to another question Gen.
johnson expressed approval Of 90
operatives and said he did not think
they were indicative Of q middle way
between capitalism and communism.
One query brought forth q comment
that in my opinion the depression Is
. psychological thing. We must re-
store the confidence that has been
taken away from the American peo-
pie by the constant buffeting and bat
tering Of business by this administra-
tion"
A single loud "boo" followed this re-
mark, to which the speaker quickly
commented: Lets hear what the guy
who's doing all the booing has to
ask?" He received no reply.
Asked what he thought of the work
Of Secretary of State Hull. Gen. john
son stated he believed Mr.. Hulls action
toward trade agreements to be "the
hope Of the world" and the most
promising endeavor In the world to-
day."
Medical Mission BENEFIT