Evening star., 1940-02-19

nave pTOQuCcQ program WHICH,
with all its vague spots betokening
differences of opinion, contains an
impressive measure of agreement on
concrete issues. Considering the
number and the character Of this
differences that had to be threshed
out, the winning of a clear ma
jority approval" for the IS, 5,000-word
Frank report was a real achieve
ment.
But even more remarkable. in the
light Of political history, is the kind
of recommendations on which the
committee was able to reach SUBJ
stantial unanimity. There is, Of
course. general condemnation of the
New Deal. Attention is properly
called to the fact that after seven
years of New Deal effort there are
still some 10000, 900 persons unem-
ployed. The Roosevelt administra-
ton is charged with defeatism, with
having put the brakes on produce
ton. with having completely mis-
understood economic America"
These are familiar charges. The
only novelty here is the GREATER
than-average literacy with which
DR.. Frank sets them out. But with
all this eXcoriation of the New Deal
there goes full recognition of the
need for new measures to meet new
conditions.
Wide Area Of Agreement.
This is far from an illiberal renort
that DR.. Frank offers for the
guidance Of the Republican party.
Not so many years ago. parts of 1t
would have been called radical.
Despite its attack on the central
philosophy ascribed to the New Deal,
1t contains, in its discussion of spe.
ciflc acts, wide area of agreement,
tacit or expressed, with what the
New Dealers have done No better
evidence has been furnished of the
vast change that has taken place in
the political and economic thinking
of the country since 1882.
Except Mr.. Roosevelt himself (and
perhaps not even him, for he is
changeable), there is no Democratic
candidate now presumed to have a
chance to win the nomination for
President who could not take the
Frank report and, with only slight
changes. make it his platform with
out doing violence to his known
convictions.
Though the Frank report is with
out binding force on the party, it
can be taken for granted, I think,
that its general lines will be followed
by the Republican platform to be
framed at Philadelphia. We shall
have then, if Mr.. Roosevelt does not
run, a contest between two candi.
dates. Democratic and Republican,
committed to political PHILOSOPHERS
so close together that the decision
between them, when not controlled
by the party label, must turn on
personalities or on some fortuitous
event IN the campaign.
About Face on Tariff.
I don't want to give wrong i'm
preston. The Frank report goes all
out, when it generaliZes, against the
New Deal. But when 1t gets down
to cases, its wide departure from
the controlling thought of the party
few years ago becomes manifest.
One can see Fordney and McCumber,
Smoot and Hawley, turning over in
their graves (real or politicaD at
this about the tariff:
''1t is not the function of tariff
policy to erect walls so high that
behind them industries can MAIN
tain excessive prices, or be so COM
pletely freed from external compe-
tition that they become inefficient.
The people have right to expect
Government to protect them against
monopolistic advantage created by
tariff favors."
That represents far cry from
the old unqualified eulogy of the
tariff as the corner stone of Ameri-
can prosperity.
Or take this from the section
about business; 1t leaves the advo-
Gates of an unregulated free econ
omy with not much more ground
to stand on than the Democratic
philosophy Except that of the ex-
treme New Dealers leaves them:
"The relationship between Gov.
ernment and business has too often
been oversimplif1ed by both political
leadership and business leadership.
Political leadership has oversimpli-
fed this relationship when it has
assumed - that business is essen
TALLY an anti-social process =.
Business leadership has oversimpli-
fed the relationship when it has
assumed that business is q
private hunting preserve. that any
suggestion of social concern with
business policy or any degree of So
cial control Of business practices Is
an impertinent intrusion. Both
these points Of view are sterile.
Both leave untouched the positive
problem Of q productive interrela-
ton Of Government and business"
Social Reform Acts.
Changes In various Of the social
reform acts Of the administration
are urged, but there is none of
them that the Frank committee
would repeal. The report Is against
general Federal control Of wages
and hours, but note the reservation:
Except in situations where mini
mum wage and maximum hour reg
ulation is necessary to protect
groups Of workers not in position
to protect themselves through COL
lective bargaining" Social security?
"At the present level the system Of
old-age assistance should be re-
tanned" and the insurance system
should be extended to groups Of
workers not now covered.
It has been possible here merely
to glance at the report. II only
because 1t is . highly intelligent
discussion Of the countrys problems,
1t deserves to be read In full. Read
it-and marvel at the changes n
political thought,