Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-04
Better Men
Necessary to
Win the War
Dirksep's Remedy CeQe|
Worse Than DiseasV!
By GEO. ROCKWELL BROW

WASHINGTON. Nov 4.-in
w whole trouble with thu
conduct of the war in Washingj
ton today-and it is ghastly-i1
not to be solved by reorganiz
ing this or that, or setting n
some new bureaucratic agency
on top Of what we groan undeE
but 1t Is to be solved only by thu
employment OF BETTER MEN
IN HIGH PLACES.
Yet Is is a natural failing o|
mankind to seek TO perfect
system, rather than to put thu
finger on the incompetent and
say:
This man must 60"
I have observed the phenome|
non time and again in Washing
ton. Let me cite an example d
what I mean.
Thirty-odd years ago TIN
country became bitterly HOSTILE
to what was called "Cannonisn,
meaning the strong, centralize}
and dictatorial government Of
little oligarchy of powerful Re|
publican leaders in the House d
Representatives.
The dissatisfaction spread Il
the House itself. where grou1
OF insurgents" aided by CON
genital soreheads and disap|
pointed patron ag e-seekeri|
undertook to remedy the situs|
ton.
They soon discovered the1
could command a majority ~
that they could do il. So
did-and how. -
The sensible and direct thin
for the House to do would hav|
been to present a motion declaT1
ing the speakership vacant
throw Uncle Joe" Cannon Out
and elect another speaker, VIII
would reorganize the Houss
naming new chairmen OF com
mittees.
THAT solution was too easy
L and the personal equatio|
too difficult 10 overcome. Eve
those who hated Uncle Joe
politically loved him as a home|
spun human being.
So instead OF getting q ne,|
speaker. the House r.tssns,
Uncle Joe, and proceeded d
adopt new rules for the govern
ment OF the House which d
weakened IL that by 1888. III
popular branch of our nationS|
Legislature was a posh-over II
the strong, bold and resourceftl
New Deal President.
II was precisely because I'll
House had deliberately destroye|
power In its own leadership, thu
that power of leadership wa
transferred to the White Hous}
The House is now, and hi
been for 10 years, suffering froI
weak leadership. That is IN
entire problem. Yet Represei|
tative Dirksen, an Illinois Ra
publican, proposes to eliminaf
congressional bungling of 4
much of the war effort by crea|
ing a joint legislative cornmittd
OF Senate and House to expediA
the enactment Of war bills.
With all due respect to Nj
Dirksen, who is a most valuab]
member Of the House, and q
ornament 10 it, his re m e al
would be worse than the disco
IF A joint committee. suSyyDt
Il he proposes. had been fes
sible, il would have been adopte'
years ago, and you may lay 4
that. Indeed. the plan often Id
been suggested, and as fri
quently laid aside.
The idea is destructive of N,
constitutional conception OF Coz
gress. Each body has been d.
liberately created equal wit
and independent of the other.
Senate and House were d
signed to be a check. one upcl
the other, the Senate especial
TO be the saucer into which I'D
hot tea" of the popular bod
was to be poured for cooling-o)
purposes.
Since the amendment pri
viding for the popular clectic]
Of senator's. the House mot
frequently has ecome IN
saucer, and the Senate the tel
pot.
Under the Constitution. Sena
and House are TO work harmon]
ously. through compromise. b
not by concerted action. Uni
comparatively recently II was IN
well-observed rule that no mem
Der Of either body in deba
could refer by name TO III
other body. The whole idea w,'
TO preserve the cordiality OF ri
lations tween Senate ar
House.
The Dirksen idea, II adopte
would most certainly promo
discord and strife. A joint con.
mittee could not function
week, without a blow-up and
bust-up. II would be a frictio|
promoter.
The House needs no nev'
tangled schemes and innov;'
tions. 1T NEEDS NEv
BLOOD. -