The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-01-07

time It LOOKS agreeable.
 The surprise is that most of the business men who have met Hop kins to date come away singing his praises. They find him CO., operative and reasonable. They like his freshness of viewpoint. And most of all, they appreciate the fact that when he speaks, he speaks as the man closest to the White House.
 It has been a long time -- not since Hoover was in Hopkins shoes - that business had a sec- retary of commerce who could get what he wanted from tn White House.
 Even when Hoover was Presi- dent he began to strip his once favorite department of its old time power. And under Roper, this deterioration continued at an accelerated pace. Roper lost the Bureau of Air Commerce, the |. Shipping Board, and was about to lose the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce to the State Department, until the Commerce Department today Is but shell.
 This terribly grieved Uncle Dan Roper. But not Hopkins. He says:
 Now we can begin building from the ground up. Harold (Ickes) can have the fisheries. They don't have anything to do with business. We'll keep the tanks to swim in. And the Labor Department can have the Genus, if it wants 1t.
 "I just want three things.
 First, the transportation problem, and by that I mean not merely the railroads, but the busseS, the waterways and the the airlines, all of which com prise about the biggest economic problem in this country.
 "Second, the employers view point regarding labor--and there is an employers viewpoint.
 And third, South American trade. That is where our great future lies"
 KEY POSITION
 To get the import of Harry Hopkins key position, you have to remember first that no one else is closer to the President ex- cept for his son, Jimmy.
 Hopkins dimes with Roosevelt two and three times a week, con- fers with him almost daily, is a frequent visitor at Hyde Park, Roosevelt likes his humor, trusts his Judgment, consults with him on almost everything.
 Hopkins can accomplish things at the White House which mo- body else can, and 1t is a safe bet that if business once sells an idea to the new secretary of commerce, he will have no trouble getting 1t to the White House. Harry will be the best envoy to the presidential court that business has enjoyed in years.
 Another important factor in Hopkins makeup is that he is not afraid of business. The knees of some Washington politicians shake so vigorously when con- fronted with big business repre- sentatives that either they prom ise more than they can delker, or else get frightened and re- fuse to talk at all.
 Hopkins, however, is both frank and unfrightened. Business will always know where it stands with him. He will always sit down to talk, and although he may not always agree, he will be straight from the shoulder.
 FINALLY, and perhaps mos important, Hopkins present ap pointment comes at a time when business generally has realized that 1t can't overtrrn the social and economic reforms of the New Deal. while the New Deal has decided that reforms will work only if there is recovery.
 In this situation, the Commerce Department may have 6 real op- portunity.
 Secretary Hopkins probably will Ego Big Business" lock, stock and barrel. His background is too firmly identified with the under dog. But already some of his old friends are accusing him of being high hat and spending all