Evening star., 1940-10-24

ments and dangers to business life
created by actions Of this kind.
know that there are many eco
nomic argume is covering the
causes Of the long continuance OF
that depression. But behind all the
causes will be found new kind oi
American Government exercising
unprecedented powers. Behind al
the causes will be found the fact
that whether Intentionally or not
the exercise of those concentrated
powers changed the course of re-
covery and brought about a violent
depression.
That depression spread out in
widening circles to Offset all the
rest of the democratic world. AS /
have shown on other occasions, in
agreement with an eminent author
ity on these matters, that American
collapse weakened the European
democracies and gave the dictators
their chance.
The concentration of power in
America has hurt every democracy
and helped every rising dictator.
Democracy cannot survive under
conditions of prolonged depression.
Depressions are the very soil in
which relationships take root and
grow to power.
In that same year the President
attacked the Supreme Court-the
chief remaining obstacle between
him and virtually unlimited powers.
You know what happened. Not
even the bludgeons of patronage
could move the Congress.
The people turned back this
frontal attack upon the court; but
time and human mortality have
given Mr.. Roosevelt his way. He
has been able to appoint five new
members to the highest bench in
the land. And every one of those
men has been selected from the inner
circle Of the New Deal.
Fails, Despite Power. to
Solve Economic Problems.
Step by step, year by year, Mr..
Roosevelt has gathered into his
hands increasing power-"new in
struments OF power power as
could in his own words, provide
"shackles for the liberties of the
people"
And yet with all this power, tf>
New Deal has utterly failed to solve
our economic problems.
That failure was inevitable It
was the excessive concentration of
power in the Government which
produced the failure.
But what does this administra-
ton now tell us?
AS is only natural, it fails to
recognize the causes of its failure.
1t asks for still more power. In
this critical hour of our history, it
demands that We set aside our deep
rooted principle of rotation in office.
On its calamitous record of seven
and a half years, the New Deal tells
us that its leader is an indispensable
man. After seven and a half years
of utter failure, he alone can save
us. We are told that he must be
given more poWer-more power than
any President of the United States
ever had-the power that comes
from indefinite entrenchment in Of
flee.
Concentration Of power has not
helped to solve our economic prob
lens. 1t has inevitably made them
worse. Under the bludgeons of a
privileged bureaucracy, American
enterprise has been weakened and
suppressed. The aggressive spirit
of initiative which has made this
country the envy of the world:
which brought about a Towering of
invention and industrial achieve
ment such as had never been seen
in any other land; which established
the highest standard of living any
nation had ever known: that spirit
which was the distinguishing char
acteristic of America is slowly dy-
ing. 1t is being crushed under the
sheer oppressive weight of power in
the hands of a hostile administra-
ton.
AS will always happen in such
cases, the New Dealers seek to allay
our fears by telling us that they can
concentrate political and economic
power In Washington while leaving
our civil liberties untouched. The
very concept contradicts itself. The
very meaning of civil liberties is pro-
lection Of the citizen against gov
eminent.
All history proves their thesis is
false. Once We have submitted to
the domination of our economic
Ia EIIIIER TOOTH RRIIsHEs