Evening star., 1939-05-04
The Political Mill
The Next President Moy Face Very Difficult
And Unpopular Task

just as the Republicans thOught IN
1890 and 1882 that there might be
one more victory in the dry" side
Of national prohibition. But pro-
hibition was on the way out in
those days-and the popularity of
Government spending today is on
the wane with great mass OF the
voters.
Representative Bruce Barton Of
New York-who Is one Of the presi-
Dental possibilities on the Republic
can side-Tuesday night gave Amer
ican business, as represented in the
United States Chamber of Com
merce, sound advice. Pointing out
that American public sentiment is
on the swing from left to right, and
that unless q war develops, the
chances are the New Dealers will
be licked next year at the polls, he
warned business men that they must
wisely combine solid social progress
with sound administration" If they
are to succeed in bringing better
conditions. They must think, he
said, in terms of better living for
their employees and of better prod
ucts at lower prices for the masses
of the people. The American people
are not interested in merely larger
profits for business; they are inter-
ested in what is done with the profits
and who benefits thereby.
Mr.. Barton takes the preponderant
view of the next administration, for
he said: THE next administration,
If it is any good, will not be popular
administration at least in the first
year or 18 months. 1t will spend
most of its time saying mo- And the
leaders of our cities and towns must
help to create for the support of that
administration patriotic sentiment
which will be willing to forego i'm
mediate selfish demands in the in
terests of the larger and longer ma
tional good"
Conservative May Win.
Mr.. Barton may be wrong about
the popularity of the next admins
tration, however, particularly II the
next President has the ability to
sell wise program to the American
people. He will have to do far
more than say no"
A sine qua non in the opinion Of
Mr.. Barton is the recreation of op-
portunity for youth in this country.
80 far as young men are con-
cerned," he said, "the whole pro-
gram of the New Deal Is now re-
vealed and it is program of de-
featism. 1t starts with $50 a month
and c. c. c. job in the woods: 1t
moves forward to $50 month in the
w. P. A., and it ends with $50 or
$40 month as an old-age pension"
1t is American business job, Mr..
Barton said, to give young men Jobs
and the opportunities which Ameri-
can business men have had in their
own youth, to marry, to have homes
and to plan and hope for the future.
For six years the young people
have been told on the highest au-
thority that they were born too late,
that there are no more opportunities,
no more frontiers, no more great
deeds to be accomplished, no more
high honors to be won"
If the political pendulum has
swung and continues to swing as
far as Mr.. Barton and other Re-
publicans assert, it is possible the
G. o. P. may decide that it can win
with any candidate-and that con-
servative forces may side with a
candidate who, when put IN the
White House, may be able to say
no." but go no further. Should
this happen, the next President y
likely to be unhappy, and the
country, too.