Evening star., 1943-05-17
BY HAROLD L. ICKES,
Secretary of the Interior.

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BY HAROLD L. ICKES,
Secretary OF the Interior.
In a democracy, leadership is
very difficult art that requires
combination of unusual qualities.
Fortunately for the future of civ
ilization, such rare attributes are
possessed today by the two heads
of the worlds greatest democracies,
Winston Churchill and Franklin D.
Roosevelt. In this article I shall
confine myself to discussion OF
President Roosevelt as demo-
cratic leader.
Some of us, while enjoying the
blessings of government of free
men, are inclined to forget that
democracy is the most difficult Of
all forms of administration. In
the confusion deliberately created
by enemy propaganda we some
times incline to doubt the demo-
cratic process. We say to ourselves
a little enviously, Look at Hitler.
When he wants something done, he
Just shouts an order and it's done!"
But at what cost! In dictator
ship, which is the easiest and most
primitive type of government, one
man cracks the whip and all other
men stretch their elastic necks; one
man has all of the power and all
other men-if such degraded indi-
vidualS can be so dignified-are his
obedient slaves.
DR.. Robert Ley, Hitler's minister
of labor, expressed it with his usual
alcoholic bluntness when he said
that in Germany, there are no
longer any private people. And
every one are Adolf Hitlers SOL
dierS."
Called Ideal Leader.
President Roosevelt is Demo-
cratic leader in the best sense Of
the term. He is one who leads"
and, at the same time, violates none
of the rights of the citizens or
strains the processes of lawful gov
ernment. Within the framework of
our democratic republic-which, as
every one knows is an amazing web
of checks and balances-he has car
ried through social and economic
reforms of the first magnitude.
In some ways the New Deal was
a profound revolution, genuine
democratic revolution. Great meas
ures were carried out without vio-
lence, without cruelty, and with
minimum Of sacrifice on the part of
our citizens. They were carried out
within the Constitution
The President supplied far-sight-
ed and unfaltering leadership. He
charted the course and pursued it
in the midst of severe political
struggles he was ever mindful of
George Washington's dictum that
in democracy the public good re-
quired that a leader should 'mingle
in the operations of government
every degree of moderation and
tenderness which the national JUS
tice, dignity and safety may per-
nit incidentally, 1 know of no
better description of democratic
leadship than this.
The New Deal has had, generally
speaking, a double objective. It's
general aim was to strengthen the
country internally via readjusting
the economic balance that had been
perilously deranged by the policies
of preceding administrations. It's
second aim has been to enhance the
common welfare by specific legisla-
ton designed to help less favored
groups
Cites New Deal Measures.
To enumerate the New Deal meas
ures in detail would entail a work
of several volumes. l shall merely
mention few
In agriculture. number of farm
acts provided co-ordinated credit
facilities for farmers and co-opera-
tives. The Rural Electrification Act
is supplying electricity to remote
rural homes. Various banking acts
protect small investors, depositors
and stockholders. Labor has been
granted and guaranteed rights-re-
lating to hours. wages, conditions.
liCdlUil, lIlSui dllSC, ClS.-UlldG
to virtual Magma Charta. Great
areas of land have been reclaimed
and irrigated. Mighty dams-the
greatest on earth-have been built,
for power and light and water to
supply citizens in homes, factories
and fields
And all this time there has been
no infringement whatever on the
liberties of the people. Every man
and every group Of men have en-
joyed the full and traditional Amer
ican freedoms
1 think that historians of the fu-
ture, viewing the New Deal in cool
retrospect. will describe it as an era
of triumphant and growing democ-
racy.
Curiously enough, Hitler and Mus
solini agree with those historians
of the future. With the instinct of
the savage animal that senses it's
true enemy, the Nazi-Fascist gang
Sters have singled out President