Evening star., 1944-10-23
Roosevelt Arguments
Declared MisIeudino
"Error of Omission" in Speech
Pointed Out by Observer
By Dapid Laurence

By David Laurence
President Roosevelt told his radio
audience last Saturday night he was
quoting history" and that he was
"going by the record" and giving them
"the whole story and not phrase here
and half phrase there"
Yet Mr.. Roosevelt gave expression to
two glaring Misrepresentation on two
OF the most important points in his
speech. Unfortunately he did not tell
the whole story about the Naval Dis
armament Treaty of 1921 or about the
Republican record In Congress relating
to the war effort. He said:
"And it's fact, plain fact; all you
have to do is go back through the files
of the newspapers. During the years
that followed 1920, the foreign policy
of the Republican administration was
dominated by the heavy hand of isola-
tionism.
Much OF the strength of our Navy,
and ought to know it, was Scuttled and
some Of the Navys resources were
handed over to friends in private indus
try-as in the unforgettable case Of
Teapot Dome"
Facts In the Case.
Now the fact Is that the Coolidge
administration successfully prosecuted
the Teapot Dome case The oil stayed
in the ground and all of it has been
available to the Navy ever since.
The fact is also that If the United
States Navy was "scuttled" in 1921. it
was done by the virtually unanimous
action of both the Democrats and the
Republicans in Congress. All but one
vote in the Senate and virtually all the
votes of the House of Representatives
in both Democratic and Republican
parties were cast in favor of that pro-
posal to limit naval armament in agree
ment with other nations. Also, oscar
Underwood, Democratic leader of the
Senate, was a member of the commits
sion which wrote the so-called "scuttling"
agreement.
What Mr.. Roosevelt omitted to tell
his audience, too, was that the heavy
hand of isolationism dominated both
parties in the '20's. Nevertheless the
Republican administrations did strive
through the efforts of Secretary of
State Charles Evans Hughes, through
the Kellogg BRAND treaties outlaving
war, through the Dawes Young plan
and the debt moratorium of 1891 to
attain a political and economic eouili-
brium in Europe.
Nv
tell his audience was that in Nav.
1882, when he was trying to get the
Democratic nomination for the presi-
oency, he became victim of the iso-
latlonlst trend himself and surrendered
to the demand of the Hearst press that
he "scuttle" the League of Nations
which he had previously supported. He
capitulated and never once when Presi-
dent did he recommend our entry into
the league.
What the President also omitted to
tell was that in 1888 he, as an isola-
zionist, scuttled the London Economic
Conference. Then in 1885 he himself
wrote letter to the other nations
which was read at the London Naval
Disarmament Conference actually pro-
posing that the American Navy be cut
down still further below the ratios and
levels of the 1921 "scuttling" agreement
he now denounces.
But the Presidents errors of omis-
sion with respect to the record of the
Republicans in Congress constitute
even more of half truth. He referred
only to the Republican votes before
Pearl Harbor when partisanship pre-
vailed on both sides. He is as unfair
now in that respect as the Republican
orators have been in this campaign
when quoting the Presidents own words
OF lS4O-before Pearl Harbor-about
Keeping us out Of foreign wars" Since
Pearl Harbor, both parties have backed
the war effort with their votes in Con-
gresS.
Seniority System.
Misleading, too, is Mr.. Roosevelt's
argument that leading isolationists like
Senator Hiram johnson of California.
Senator Nye of North Dakota and
Representative Fish of New York NAV.
IN the event of Republican victory in
congress, hold important committee
chalrmanships enabling them to become
"custodians of the future of America"
and to exercise commanding influence.
The truth is that the seniority svs-
tenn of Craftsmanship in Congress ia
something that no President can change.
Only Congress itself can change it..
That seniority system has enabled two
Leading isolationists - both of them
Democrats-to hold the important posi-
tlons OF Chairman of the Senate Mill
tary Affairs Committee and Chairman
OF the Senate Naval Affairs Comm. tee
curing the most perilous war in our
history and this has not impaired the
prosecution of the war.
MI. Roosevelt didn't tell his audience
that committee chairman in Congress
is poWerless to block anything of i'm
portance if majority of his COMMITTEES
Is against him. Chairman Sabbath.
Democrat, of the House Rules Commit
tee, for instance, has been unable to
carry out Mr.. Roosevelts orders on GER
tain New Deal measures because he was
outVoted in committee. A committee
can always be discharged from con-
slderation of bill in either the Sen
ate or the House and the matter taken
up for amendment or final vote when
ever the Senate or House desire to do
so.
Senator Nye probably will be defeated
In three-cornered race in North Da-
kota, and no matter who occupies the
chairmanships. II the nation isn't