Evening star., 1939-06-01


Democrats, but summary OF what
has been achieved thus far will yield
very little of an affirmative nature.
Revision of existing laws has not
been carried out to any extent,
though the administration did have
to make some slight concessions on
taxation The Wagner Labor Rela-
tions Act is unchanged and probably
will remain so, this being victory
for the c. I. O., because the A. F.
of L. was represented as very anxious
to see amendments made.
On the whole, survey OF the
situation reveals that the New Deal
has held its own and warded of all
major attacks on its principal
powers. If the country is in an &C
quiescent mood, then Congress will
adjourn in midsummer with rela-
lively little done. If, however, the
American people are in the mood
they were supposed to be in when
they elected so many more Re-
publicans last autumn than was eX-
pected, the drive to prevent adjourn
ment and to insist on revision of
outstanding laws that have been the
subject of criticism will be begun,
belated though it appears to be.
Means Collapse Of Fight.
Time was when Congress would
stay here all summer if it really
had something to fight about. If
the opposition inside the Democratic
party and the Republicans go along
with the administration plan for
adjournment, it will mean that most
of the fight against the New Deal
has collapsed.
1t will be noted that at no time
during the present session did the
President offer any must program
or insist on any legislation in par
ticular except the relief appropria-
ton. Almost without asking, he got
approval promptly for his reorgani-
zation measures. Nothing else has
seemed to matter, and the President
has truly let Congress stew in its
own juice. Now the summer is here
and Mr.. Roosevelt is anxious to get
away for a transcontinental trip.
He isn't hurrying the members, for
he sent word he would be back in
time for the remainder of the ses-
sion If it is to be prolonged one,
though he really would like to start
by July Is and would stay here If
there was any chance Of closing
Congress on that date.
So the mild hints to move Con-
gress out of Washington-quite un-
usual in that the administration
wants adjournment when it is usu-
ally the other way around-are be-
ginning to be the subject of po-
litical discussion on Capitol Hill
The answer probably will be found
as soon as public opinion crystal
izes.
Upsets Always Lurk.
The chances of a filibuster, of
course, are always present, especially
when there is a tentative agreement
to adjourn on particular date.
For, unless Congress itself adopts
by resolution of both houses a def
mite date as the time for adjourn
ment, any other sort of understand
ing can be upset, in the Senate at
least, by one member or a group
working with him.
There is always the possibility that
the President could invoke his con-
stitutional power in the event there
Is disagreement between both houses
and send Congress home, but no
President has ever done this, and
when it was suggested couple of
years ago in the middle of such a
deadlock, the suggestion was
promptly disavowed by the White
House
1t has been contended that the
Republican strategy would be bet
ter if this Congress did nothing to
remove public criticism of major
laws and if the fight was carried into
the next session. From a political
standpoint this may help to accu-
mulate grievances and pile up the
protests, but from the standpoint
of citizens waiting for Congress to
revise statutes that are working
hardship, this is scant relief.
Within IL months the nominating
conventions of both major parties
will be taking place. Likewise, party
primaries for senatorial seats will
start in April of next year. The
next session is hardly the one in
which revision of existing law has
much of chance of calm and sea-
soned consideration. Politics will
dominate everything. Maybe the
New Deal will some day regret that
1t did not meet the demand for
changes at this session, but if there
is anything like that in the offng,
the New Dealers are unaware of it.
They still maintain that a lot of
local issues influenced the loss of
congressional seats in November,
1888, and that the Nation as whole
is still fundamentally in sympathy
with the administrations policies.
Their whole strategy is based on that
assumption.