The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-03-02
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS.
By FRANK r. KENT
Copyright by The Baltimore Sun and
reprinted in The Republican by per-
mission.
"NOt Convincing

It must be relief to Mr.. Harry
Hopkins to get that much-rehearsed
Des Moines speech off his mind, even
if the reaction is disappointing and
there was no rush to the roofs to
cheer. 1t had been caking in his highly
emotional system for solid eight
weeks. Assaying the result after de-
livery, it does seem that the time, the
labor and the energy packed into this
effort were disproportionate to the
finished product. To have measured up
to the advance notices it would need
to have been really great utterance.
In the graphic language of the pre-
cinct politicians, it Checked short"
whole lot of being that.
&%*
Actually the background of this
speech is more interesting than the
contents. Every idea it contained had
been forecast so often in the course
of the "build-up" that as finally unan-
ciated they seemed distinctly repeti-
lions. Certainly there was nothing
new in it and it is futile to speculate
upon how much of either the words
or the music were Mr.. Hopkins own.
In these days Of ghost writing, the
public man who constructs his own
speeches is rarer than in any previous
period. As is we'll known, the most elo-
ouent and moving of Mr.. Roosevelt's
Justly famous Fireside Chats have
been written for him by the versatile
Mr.. Tommy Corcoran, now unhap-
PLY in the hospital with bad case Of
shingles.
His last real service in this line was
the Roosevelt Jackson Day speech.
| Others only little less prominent in
the Administration have their staff OF
literary aides. So, if this great effort
to treasure business" and establish
confidence in himseH.was ghosted, Mr..
Hopkins but followed illustrious eX-
amples. However, this.is minor point
the important thing is what is IN
the speech, not who wrote it. From
this angle it is astonishing that with
all the help he had, all the time given
to it and the extent of the advertising,
it was not more impressive.
49,
Certainly it was not the rousing
signal for recovery some had antici-
pated. Nor did it announce any dra-
matte change in the Administrations
attitude. That it could be considered
so important in New Deal circles is
evidence Of the tendency of New Deal
ers to overrate themselves rather thar
a tribute to their judgment. Conceived
fully two months ago, this speech was
the subject of a perfect orgy of con-
ferences in which Mr.. Hopkins con.
suited large numbers of so-callet
business leaders" 1t was outlined
and discussed at Cabinet meeting
1t was submitted for suggestions tt
some very serious industrialists IN
deed.
Yet, when finally delivered, it a:
found merely to reiterate Mr.. Roose
welt and Mr.. Morgenthau on the mat
ter of taxes; to repeat that there will
be no further legislative reform pro
gram; to commend TVA-utility truce
to defend the pump printing policy; t.
shower encouraging words upon bus
mess and urge that there is now n;
obstacle in the way of recovery. O1
course, the fact that the Administra
ton has no reform program is no
new. That was made clear by Mr.
Roosevelt in his message to Congress:
, two months ago. Also it is clear tina
even if he had one it could not be pu
| through this Congress.
The truth is that the reform" &C
Invites of the New Deal were reall!
ended by its reversals at the Novem
Der elections. Further, we are mucl
, too close to the 1910 elections for mort
! experimentation Further, still, Their
/. is no doubt the public generally i
anxious to end governmental batting
of business. Under the circumstances
is it difficult to see how new Secre