Evening star., 1941-05-13

speeches have been, according to
the Gallup Poll. supported by
majority of his party. incidentally,
Mr.. WILKES course has been en-
tirely his own. The addresses he
has made since he came back from
England have been on his initia-
tive. He has not heard anything
from the President, directly or in
directly, since returning from abroad.
But the public is accustomed to ap-
praise the progress of a party more
by observing what its membership
does inside rather than outside of
Congress. On this front the story
Is different. The Republicans, while
voting for the defense measures,
have done so reluctantly and many
of their number have shown q de-
cided preference for the isolationiSt
side Of the argument. The result
has been that the headline makers
have come from the isolationist
camp and the real issues that may
well give the Nation pause have
been neglected.
Laggard in Attack.
Thus there has been virtually no
systematic attack in Congress on
the gradual usurpation of power by
governmental commissions and
boards or the arbitrary and often
times revolutionary decisions of the
"packed" Supreme Court, which
seem to have come closer to the
National Socialist conception of the
states relationship to the individual
than true liberals ever thought was
possible in America.
The New Deal majority in Con-
gress has benefited immeasurably
by the way the Republicans have
neglected domestic issues. In fact,
the New Deal has shown gains every
time the Republicans have concen-
trated on foreign policy. When, for
example, the Republicans fought the
repeal Of the embargo in 1899, the
Presidents popularity rose sharply,
according to the Gallup curve. The
same thing happened when the
lease lend bill was up. BY this time
1t might be supposed that the Re-
publicsns would see that on foreign
policy the Nation is preponderantly
in favor of aiding the cause of de-
mocrscy abroad.
When the Republicans spend their
time arguing about foreign policy
questions, the bureaucrats at home
romp away with power and grasp
for more. There are plenty of issues
on the domestic battle front which
can pave the way for the election
of a Republican majority in Con-
gress in November, 1912, If the Re-
publicans will abandon their scat
tered fire on foreign questions and
concentrate on the things that are
interfering with national unity at
home.
Distrust of New Dealers.
One of the principal obstacles to
national unity is the widespread dis
trust of the New Dealers who are
conducting the defense program
The New Deal behavior from day
to day constitutes an impetus to the
membership efforts of the America
First Committee because there are
tens of thousands of Americans who
are more fearful of totalitarianism
at home than they are of Hitler
invasion. And the New Deal is doing
very little to remove these fears. In
fact, the decisions of Messrs. Frank
furter, Black, Douglas, Reed and
Murphy, who control the Supreme
Court, are increasing the suspicious
and apprehensions of liberals who
do not favor government by to-
talitarian- minded commissions and
boards.
What can Congress do about it?
For one thing, it can amend and
clarity any legislation which the New
Deal court attempts to define as it
pleaseS. Thus, instead of allowing
Justice Frankfurter to say what he
thinks Congress meant or permitting
him to supply words that are not
In a statute, the Congress can do its
own legislating-that is if Congress
is still an independent body. And
If the Democratic majority refuses,
the Republicans can carry the issue
to the polls, which is what minor
ity party is supposed to do.
There are dozens of issues which
illustrate the encroachment of the
New Deal on the fundamental rights
of the citizen. Millions of votes
which were inherently anti-New
Deal were cast in the last election
for Mr.. Roosevelt only because of
foreign policy. Now that Mr.. Willkie
can no longer be suspected of isola-
tionisn1, and since Senators Wheeler
and Clark, Democrats, who voted
for a third term for Mr.. Roosevelt
In spite of his ordering of the repeal