The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1939-01-20
Bruckmfs Washington Digest
President Outlines His Policies
In Annual Message to Congress
Gives No Assurance of Prospect of Balanced Budget;
Necessity for Armed Preparedness Stressed; Contin-
ued Spending Makes Some Democrats See Red.
BY WILLIAM BRUCKART
WNU Service, National Press Bldg. Washington D. C.

WASFIINGTON.--It is always ex-
pected that the annual message to
congress from the President of the
United States will outline his poll
cies. The message is presumed to
reflect, in a broad general formula,
what the Chief Executive regards as
the major problems and what should
be done about them. Moreover, the
annual message on the state Of the
Union is a document that usually
embraces some political considera-
tons and, frequently, therefore, con-
stitutes the basis for test of its
authors leadership either from
what is proposed or because Of
things which were omitted.
President Roosevelt's recent mes
sage meets each of the phases just
described. He outlined the general
policies: /. the necessity for armed
preparedness in protection of our
religion, our liberty and our form
of governmental democracy; 2. he
disclosed that he has no intention
Of retreating from his New Deal
social policies and that to buttress
them and accomplish national pro-
lection against dictatorship, he pro-
poses to keep on with his policies Of
spending. He likewise omitted to
give one bit of assurance that there
is any prospect of a balanced budget
or any means by which the BUSH
ness of the country, small as well
as large, can look forward to less
governmental messing.
Thus, there seems little reason to
doubt that what Mr.. Roosevelt pro-
posed, as well as what he omitted
saying, places his current annual
message in a position to provide a
test of his leadership. There are
those among the legislators who do
not want larger armed forces; there
are those who think an armed
America will invite trouble; there
are those wanting business recov-
cry here much more than wholesale
reform of our national business
practices and social relations, and
there are those who think there will
be no reduction of unemployment
until the government itself quits its
wild orgy of spending and borrow
ing-they want a balanced budget.
Message Most Temperate
Roosevelt Has DeliUered
Any Presidents message is greet
ed with hurrahs by his party sup
porters and Kisses from the minori-
ty. This one was no exception.
These shouts Of praise and denunci-
alton, respectively, do not always
60 to the merits. Frequently, they
are more than half political. And
If I were asked to evaluate those
that / have heard in the last 10
days, should say that each side
was about so per cent right.
In the first place, Mr.. Roosevelt's
message this time was the most
temperate he has ever delivered,
or so it impressed me. There was
an evidence of greater sincerity in
it than has characterized most of his
messages to congress. He spoke
out boldly against relationships and
supported our form Of government
with an emphasis that belongs with
the office Of President Of the United
States.
In the matter of armament, he
told why he believes it is needed.
He may have gone too far; he may
be inviting another battle on a SUBJ
ject akin to the longtime League Of
Nations controversy by proposing
protection ''of democracies." Yet,
fundamentally, I think it must be
agreed that we, in the Western
world, must be able to snarl as well
as to smile.
In the matter of social reforms,
there can and will be violent differ
ences of opinion. It appears that
Mr.. Roosevelt had not listened very
closely to the election returns Of
November 8 because, instead of a
mandate" which he believed he re-
ceived in 1885, the last election was
a distinct brake on the machinery Of
social reform.
In the matter Of continued spend
ing, Mr.. Roosevelt's message must
be regarded as having its greatest
weakness. There was less justifica-
ton in his words for the conclusions
he reached than in any other phase
Of the document. Even a substan-
tial number Of his own partisans
could not swallow his assertions
that the spending Of some 20 bill
lions Of borrowed money was an
investment"
People Wondering When
DiUidends Can Be Expected
"a 4. .Aa-- -J.on~..Ya