Evening star., 1939-02-20

dent is back from the Caribbean in
March is problematical. All that's
certain now is that probably at no
time since he entered the White
House has Mr.. Roosevelt been so
genuinely happy to be- away from it
all. He has reached that embattled
period in mid-second term which
many a predecessor has experienced.
The President is beset by intra-
party political strife, by ruthless
f1outing of his will by a supposedly
overwhelming administration ma
jority in Congress and by q
strengthened Republican opposition
with blood in its eye and high hope
of 1910 victory in its heart. To add
to the sea of troubles amid which
Mr.. Roosevelt sailed away were the
sudden defections of loyal depart
mental aides like Joe keenan, of
Justice and Mr.. Chatfleld Taylor of
the Treasury. Nor were presidential
emotions. depressed by these vari-
Gus adverse developments at both
ends of Pennsylvania avenue. assu-
aged by the Chip" Robert affair in
Georgia.
About the time Mr.. Roosevelt is
back at the White House, fireworks
should be popping in the Senate on
foreign policy. The Army bill,
passed by the House last week. will
be up, and, more or less coincident
with it, the Thomas neutrality
amendment. Either or both will
give isolationists and the Presidents
supporters alike opportunity to air
their differences over the French
warplane deal and Mr.. Roosevelt's S
program of lending the democracies.
by methods short of war" sub
stantial American aid in their
struggle against the relationships
The virtually unanimous House vote
for the Army budget suggested to
the President on the eve of his trip
South that the country is over
Whelmlngly defensive minded.
Administrationists are convinced
that ONCE the White House view of
our inescapable role in the inter-
national situation is brought out
with that clarity and unambiguitv,
which SO far have been conspicuous
by their absence, the Senate. too.
Will be found preponderantly behind
the executive program. Meantime
Messrs. Clark, Bridges, Nye, John
son. Vandenberg and other sharp
shooters are sure to take many a
pot-shot at the fictional plot to EN-
tangle' us in foreign alliances"
and otherwise lead us down the
road to war" Complete frankness
will have to take the place of
pussyfooting If the Rooseveltians
expect to come out Of the fracas on
top.
Senator NJ M Logan. Democrat
OF Kentucky, has asked the Uni
versity of Chicago to supply him
with verbatim copy of the broad
cast delivered under its auspices in
New York on February IL bv DR.
Eduard Benes. former president of
Czecho-Slovakia. The Kentuckian
desires to read the address into the
Congressional Record. 1t is in that
utterance that DR.. Benes voiced the
view that war in Europe was post
poned by the peace of Munich, u
but has by no means been averted
The Czecho-Slovak statesma
doesn't think a conflict will break
out in the near future, but declares
there is little or no decrease in the
fear "of a heavy conhagration
eventually"
1t is not often that a prayer In
either House of Congress scales the
heights of poetic power. The words
that fell from the lips of the Rev
DR.. ze Barney T. Phillips, DID.
chaplain of the Senate, on February
13, apropos the passing of Pope Plus
XII, comes close to meriting such
distinction. He said:
A shadow, sorrow-laden, has