Evening star., 1939-12-29

~: ~ Ing AROUND 10
make 1t an ex-
Charles G. Ross plosive session;
on the other hand, there are con-
siderations calculated to keep the
fighting down to a routine exchange
OF shots between parties, like the
west front fighting in Europe's war.
If further analogy may be per-
mitted between the European blood
letting and the bloodless strife Of q
democracy in action, the unseen
diplomatic forces that are at work
over there, holding down the casu.
alties in the west, may be said to
have a counterpart in the political
strategy dictated by the nearness Of
the 1910 campaign.
Democratic Harmony Question.
This strategy, on both sides. re-
quires occasional pot shots at the
nominal enemy, if only to keep the
record straight, but it also and
more emphatically requires at least
a show Of harmony within the ranks
OF the respective parties. The Re-
publicans. being the minority party,
have achieved a workable measure
of unity; they are held together
with the most effective glue known
to politics-the desire to get back
into Office. A semblance of unity
among the embattled Democrats
New Dealers and anti-New Dealers
was reached in the neutrality
fight of the special session. Can
this outward display of harmony,
where no inner harmony exists, be
maintained through the coming ses-
sion and into the campaign? This
is the question that gives the session
its unpredictable character.
With the Democrats in control Of
both chambers, able when they get
together to put through any measure
o. KID by their leaders. the chance
of real hell-raising in the next ses-
sion is reduced to the chance that
the Democrats, as the session warns
up, will again fall to serious fighting
among themselves. A certain
amount of dissension, in view of the
fundamental differences among the
Democrats. is inevitable: q certain
amount of intraparty fighting can
be indulged in without damage to
the party's prospects in the cam
paign. The question is how far the
shooting will be carried There is
always the possibility that it will
60 to the point of creating new
virulent animosities and reviving
old ones. If this happens, the party
will 60 into the campaign under a
severe handicap. Manifestly, it will
be part of the Republican strategy
in the session to bring the latent
feuds among the Democrats to the
surface.
Conciliatory Mood at Start.
Because, however, the danger to
their campaign prospects is so OBJ
vious. there is a fair chance that
the Democrats will keep their diff
ferences smoothed over and will
come through the session without
material hurt. From both sides Of
the New Deal fence, among the
Democrats. there will be strong pres
sure for harmony. Both factions
will start the session in a concilia-
tory mood and it appears certain
that this will be the mood of the
President in his opening address.
The issue that seems most likely
to breed trouble in the Democratic
ranks is that centering about the
administrations request for renewal
of its power to negotiate reciprocal
trade agreements Under the pres
ent law this power will expire next
June. Some of the Western Demo-
cratic Senators, including the re-
doubtable Senator Wheeler, are pre-
pared to join the Republicans in an
effort to kill of the Trade Agree
ments Act or scuttle it with amend
ments.
Lively Fight Promised.
The fight promises to be lively.
Backed by the President, Secretary
of State Hula hard and shrewd
fighter when aroused-is prepared
to go the limit for an act that ex-
presses the core of his political
philosophy: The belief that world
trade barriers must be lowered, in
the interest both of economic re-
covery in the United States and Of
world peace. Hull sharply denies
the contention Of the opposing West
ern Democrats that the American
farmer has been injured by the trade
agreements policy.
Secretary Wallace supports him.
In an address last night which went
to the heart of the policy, he said
obviously with reference to the
Smoot-Hawley and other high tariff
acts-that we must avoid again
setting up trade barriers in such a
way as to encourage a fresh batch
of dictators."
The Presidents interest in keep
ing the reciprocal policy alive is seen
in his appointment of Ambassador
Joe Davies, just returned from Bel
GUM, as special assistant to Hull.
Part Of Davies duties will be to act
as sort Of laison officer between
the State Department and Congress
during the trade agreements debate.
The fight will be keen, but wheth-
er 1t will be the acrimonious fight
for which the Republicans are hop
ing remains to be seen. There are
signs of soft-pedaling, on behalf Of
ultimate harmony, among the DEM
ocrats lining up against the Hull
agreements. But when the Demo-
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