The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1939-02-23
Amlie's Strange Backers

In a few days now Mr.. Harry Hop
kins will deliver the great speech upon
which, collaborating with some of his
Big-business friends on and off the ad-
visory council, he has been concentrat-
ing for weeks. 1t is expected to ere
assure" industry generally and to "es-
tablish confidence" in Mr.. Napkins
particularly.
Certainly a great deal of thought
has been given to it, and large things
are expected to flow. However, there
is doubt whether Mr.. Hopkins hon
eyed words will obliterate altogether
the Roosevelt deeds. For example, it
is a little difficult to convince the or
binary business man of the Admins
tration fTiendliness while there is still
pending in the Senate the appointment
by the President to the very impor-
tant Interstate Commerce Commission
Of a man, admittedly opposed to the
American system, whose views are
zoo radical for the La Follettes and
who has been publicly accused of being
q Communist.
In this connection it is interesting
to obtain some light upon the reasons
for the Amlie selection. Frankly baf-
fed as to why Mr.. Roosevelt, uninsti-
gated by his friends, the La Follettes,
should go to Wisconsin to put on so
vital a business board lame-duck
Congressman, of so pink color, the
whole Amlie business has been some
thing of mystery to friends as well
as opponents. A solution was offered
last week in a Washington dispatch to
the New York Times, which asserted
chat Democratic circles were convinced
that, in part at least, Mr.. Amlie owed
his appointment to Mrs. Roosevelt
whose influence had been enlisted for
aim by her friends, Mr.. and Mrs. An
5rey Williams.
To Mrs. Roosevelt also was credited
The White House action by which Miss
Doris Stevens was summarily removed
as United States member of the Inter
American Commission of Women and
Miss Mary Winslow put in her place,
70 the great indignation of a good
many people, including Mrs. Emma
Guffey Miller, sister of the Pennsyl-
yania Senator. The dispatch further
asserts that Mrs. Roosevelt backed
Mr. j. Haden Aldrich, another Presi-
Dental appointment to the Interstate
Commerce Commission, and it's author
commented upon the Steadily rising
tide of resentment over the influence
exerted in patronage matters by Mrs.
Roosevelt.
All this is very interesting if it is
recalled that a few weeks ago, when
The known facts concerning Mrs.
Roosevelt's extraordinary literary and
eratorical activities and the great in
come which they produce were men
1ioned, she made plea that 81 and
my children be allowed to lead our
normal lives" If the statement in the
Times dispatch of February 10 con-
corning Mrs. Roosevelt's part in the
naming of Amlie, Aldrich and Winslow
are not true, then an injustice has been
done her and should be corrected. On
the other hand, if they are true and it
was partly through her that the Amlie
appointment-to say nothing Of other
appointments-was made, it is a lit
tie hard to reconcile this with the
normal" life of a Presidents wife and
it is easy to understand the resent
nent reported in the Times.
w#*
1t should be particularly interesting
70 Senators, who soon will have to
vote on Mr.. Amlle's name, to know
chat one Of his hackers is Mr.. Aubrey
Williams, once WPA assistant to Mr..
Hopkins and now NYA administrator.
Mr.. Williams is the man whose inham-
matory remarks to WPA workers got
him denounced by a Senatorial COM
mittee and by newspapers generally.
Mrs. Williams is also the man who ex-
pressed himself as regarding class
warfare as not at all bad thing; who
described the moments he spends with
his friend, Mr.. David LASER, as the
"most memorable in my life; who
lrged all WPA workers to join the
Workers Alliance, Communist-domi-
mated organization, the purpose of
which is to put pressure on the Gov
eminent of which Mr.. Williams is an
agent.
Mr.. Williams is a strange person, IN
deed, to be backing aspirants for the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
That is, he would be strange person
to have influence of this sort in any