Evening star., 1943-07-11
Group'Consciousness
Becoming a Danger
By Owen L. Scott.


come is contained in the rift between
President Roosevelt and Congress. This
rift merely reflects the deep division
that is growing between groups within
the United States.
Mr.. Roosevelt, events suggest, is align
ing himself more closely than ever with
organized labor. The foundation of the
Presidents fourth-term strength Is being
built upon the labor vote. Congress, on
the other hand, is showing more and
more inclination to be guided by the
attitude and interests of the farmer and
business groups.
The cleavage between these groups is
becoming sharp. 1t is showing in price
control policy, in the Government at
titude toward strikes, In tax policy, in
rationing policy, In many other domestic
policies. In each case, when the issue
was drawn, President Roosevelt took his
stand on the side favored by organized
labor while majority in Congress took
its stand on the side favored by the
Mr.. Roosevelt had hoped to bridge this
gulf and to avoid the clash that finally
broke into the open.
The President sought to appease Con-
gress by appointing former members of
Congress to high Office. He made a
gesture to the farm bloc by selecting as
food administrator a man in whom it
had confidence. He made some conces-
sions on tax policy and he permitted
widespread purge of New Deal officials
from positions in war organizations.
President Supports Labor.
However, when the real tests came on
the issue Of labor policy and of price
policy and of salary limitation policy,
Mr.. Roosevelt in each instance took his
stand on the side Of the organized labor
viewpoint. Congress reacted by over
riding the Presidents wishes. 1t ended
the $25, 900 limit on salaries. 1t voted an
antistrike law over veto. 1t forced a
strict limit on the use of subsidies to
roll back food prices. 1t forced the
liquidation of the National Youth Ad-
ministration and the National Resources
Planning Board. 1t limited the power
Of the President to use emergency funds
without an accounting. 1t turned a cold
shoulder to recommendations for social
security expansion.
to these moves of Congress by sur
rounding the Congressman he named as
war administrators with a group of ad-
visers who reflect the labor viewpoint.
He sought to turn upon Congress any
resentment that may arise among fixed
income groups from the continuing rise
in the cost of living. He showed many
signs that his attempt to appease the
groups that had opposed him would be
ended, at least for the time being.
Those around the President are hope
full that members of Congress will find,
on going home. that the voters are be-
hind Mr.. Roosevelt on the issues that
have been raised in recent months. They
think that there is a chance that the
Congress that returns In the fall will
have a more cooperative attitude than
the one that Is leaving Washington at
this time. -ft s'
Other officials, however, are not so
hopeful. They see in the divisions now
occurring the first rumblings Of the 1914
political conflict.
In his other campaigns, President
Roosevelt has based his appeal to farm
ers and to workers. The New Deal
rested upon foundation of support
in these two big populations groups.
In 1910, however, the farmer vote began
to pull away and in 1912 that vote, or
a majority of it, apparently had been
lost to the President. 1t is apparent that
in 1914, If Mr.. Roosevelt again is a
candidate, he will be able to count very
little upon the support of the big farm
States.
The Presidents official supporters say
that this fact, more than any other,
is influencing President Roosevelt to
cement his relations with the leaders of
the AFL and CIO. 1t is in those labor
groups that he expects to obtain the
basic support upon which to build a
fourth term for himself or a first term
for another man.
Group Interests Prevailing.
The situation that now must be faced
by the country is not at all healthy.
1t is not healthy because issues are
being decided less and less on the basis
of national interest and more and more
on the basis of groups interests. Deep
antagonisms are being built up that
can have very great influence on the
course that the United States follows
both in shaping the peace and in making
the difficult adjustments that will follow
the war
1t is almost inevitable that those ad-
justments will involve severe pressure
for downward revision of some wage
rates and resulting struggle on the
part of organized labor to hold the gains
that it made during the war. Trouble
may be wrapped up in that situation as
it will be in the problem of demobilizing
100000 men from armed services and
shifting another 100000 or so out of
war industries.
If class and group issues are sharp
ened in this period Of war prosperity
they can become dangerous in periods
Of postwar def1ation.
This Is the background against which
the growing division between the Presi-
dent and Congress needs to be viewed.
That division, in part, reflects the divi-
sion that Is growing up in the Nation
along group lines that are sharper than
at any time in recent years. At issue
is the question of which group or groups
will dominate national policy in period
UFon CCUory, Fou lat