Evening star., 1938-03-26
When in Doubt, Wait
Reorganization at This Time Presents Too Great a
Danger, Writer Declares.

make too complete record of opposi-
ton to Mr.. Roosevelt. They feel the
President is still popular in the coun-
try and they do not wish to be labeled
as outright anti-administratio Sena-
tors. Three or four of them voted
against the Presidents court measure,
and for that very reason prefer now to
vote on the side of the President.
Several Of them participated in the
prolonged opposition that killed the
so-called anti-lynching bill. While
that was not an administration meas
ure in the sense that Mr.. Roosevelt
ever Endorsed it personally, neverthe-
less 1t reflected the wishes, indeed the
obligation, Of the Democratic national
organization. Yet others OF this mar
ginal group expect to oppose future
measures of the administration, espe-
cially some of the administrations
tax proposals. Because they expect to
do that, they wish now to avoid max
ing record which would label them
definitely as "anti-administration
Some justify themselves by the fact
which Is fact-that the reorganiza-
ton proposal has been drastically re-
duced from what it was when the
President originally sent it to Congress.
I have been told and believe, though
do not positively know and may be
wrong, that appeal to some Senators
to support the measure has been put
on personal basis. Stories say that
persons acting on behalf of the Presi-
dent have appealed to Democratic
Senators to save the Presidents pride
Possibly the appeal is merely inherent
in the atmosphere. The appeal says
that opposition to the measure has
been led by Senator Byrd of Virginia,
that Mr.. Byrd is consistently in oppo-
sition to the President. and that the
President should be saved from the ex-
perience Of defeat at the hands Of an
outstanding opponent. The same
situation applies to Senator Wheeler of
Montana, who opposes the present
measure and who incurced the Presi-
dents strong displeasure by his lead
ing part in the fight against the Presi-
ASAAs SouAt llSuoulCs
Measure Held Dangerous.
Is the reorganization measure as
dangerous as the more ardent oppo-
nents of it say? The answer is: Un-
der the conditions, yes. At another
time, under another President, the de-
STABILITY of limited amount of re-
organization of Government depart
ments would outweigh the objections
to the present measure, under the
present President, in the present con-
ditions.
The present measure Is dangerous.
in part, for precisely the reason that
lies in the condition just recited. Mr..
Roosevelt apparently is increasingly
less disposed to judge matters objec-
lively, with detachment. Increasingly
ne appears to judge matters subiec-
lively, by their relation to himself, to
think of matters as personal. A Presi-
dent in that mood is the more in dan
ger Of making too personal and too
aggrandizing use of an additional
and large grant Of power from Con-
gress.
Besides, whatever temptation Mr..
Roosevelt in the past has been under
TO get more power for himself, as il
lustrated by his attempt to change the
courts, is now increased. Faced by
business recession, by breakdown Of
his planned economy" he seems to
say, in effect, that the remedy for the
defects OF planned economy is still
more planned economy, still more
power for the President. If he is in
disposed to let the economic system
junction as free and voluntary one,
he must 60 farther and farther in the
direction Of compulsion and COL
lectivism.
(copyrieht, 1889