Evening star., 1940-06-14

al defense when
Congress is not David Lawrence
present than when it is.
Unhappily, nearly everything the
President proposes encounter.
skepticism and doubt from some
quarters because the last several
years have been such an era of mu
tual distrust as between the New
Dealers and their opponents, that
now, when the situation is grave in
ternationally. the foundations of
trustfulness have not been rebuilt.
To put it another way. if the con-
servatives and radicals alike had
q man in the White House in whose
Judgment there was implicit faith,
a man who at the moment was be-
lieVed to be free from political am
hition or motive. there would not
today be much discussion one way
or the other about adjourning or
feceSsing Congress. The President
would be suggesting either course
or pointing out the advantages of
one or the other and leaving it TO
Congress to decide
But it is because the Republicans
feel the President will misuse his
executive power while Congress is
away and because, under the Con-
stltution, Congress cannot call itself
into extra session, that there is a
determined opposition to ad
tournment which is shared by the /.
conservative ard independent /
Democrats.
Unfortunate Error.
What really has developed the !
distrust lately has been the Presi-
dents unfortunate error in an
nouncing that so-called social gains |.
would not be relaxed. Everybody
knew what that statement meant |
1t was an assurance to the left
Wlngers that the New Deal was
going to continue to do business in
the same old way. and that if the
needs Of national defense required
change, the President would try to
fix it up by a. word here and there
to executive agencies to issue the
right sort of regulation to cover the
case, This puts it all on one mans
judgment.
The real difficulty about present
day warfare is that it is very much
one-man job, but it has to be a
man in democracy who can COM
fnand confidence or a man in a |
dictatorship who can enforce it.
Under the American system, the
power may be delegated by the legis-
latlVe to the executive for ordinary
things, but where the fate of the
whole people is involved the ma
honal legislative body composed of
the elected representatives. of the
people cannot delegate power for
any length of time unless absolute
confidence in the Executive prevails. !
Arsenal Hours Cited.
Take as an illustration something ,
that happened a few days ago when
the men working in United States
arSenalS were put on 48-hour
basis, that is, eight hours day for /
six days, being paid, of course, time |
and half for overtime. The next
Gay the men were put back on a 40 |
hour week and this action was taken
by the President, it is reported, |
without consulting the Advisory
Council Of Defense. A shortage of /
skilled labor is widely believed TO be
threatening us. This kind of thing
ought to have been submitted to the I.
advisory commission responsible for |
production, but since it involves So
called social gains, it presumably |
was not thought advisable by the .
President to refer it to them.
Yet things of this kind can break
down the defense machine and i'm
pair the morale of the key executives
who are supposed to be responsible |
for building it up If Congress is in |
session, such things can be investi-
gated and salutary effect would be
felt by the mere existence of the |
powers of checking and inqlHring
Maybe such an inquiry is regarded /,
by some as interfering with the
exercise by the Executive of his
broad powers. Maybe this instance
was a special case which can be
remedicd. But in any event, the
American people who have been told
that social gains will not be relaxed |
are wondering just why anything of
this sort must be put above the ma
tlonal defense and the national well
fare in fateful emergency period.
Campaign Question.
On top Of it all, too, is the presi |
Dental political campaign. The |
President is to run for third term. |
This tends to break down public !
confidence in the objectivity of the
Executives decisions as satellites |
proclaim him the only man among
130000000 people who can manage |
the Government. The opposition
party, anxious of course, to get back |
into power and to put its satellites
In office, takes advantage of such a
situation.
Under the circumstances, since |
democracy functions as 1t does, the
safeguard of a continuing session |
CT Congress which, by the way,
faced President Wilson and at times
embarrassed him, too, would seem |
To bP tho 1nccor Of f,ro ovi1c IF this !