The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-01-20
THE GREAT
GAME OF
POLITICS
BY FRANK r. KENT.
Copyright by The Baltimore Sun anG
reprinted in The Republican by per
mission.
BY FRANK r. KENT.
NON SUPPORT
W ashington, Jan. IS

Washington, Jan. IS.
In the four days since the President
sent his message to Congress several
things concerning it have become
plain. One is that, left to itself. Con-
grcss will pass neither the national
service act nor "realstc -polit-
ical' tax bill. Another is that Mr..
Roosevelt does not greatly care.
Certainly, he does not care to the
point OF eNerting himself in the way
he has done in the past for many New
Deal measures Of vastly less merit and
Importance. Clearly, it is not his pur-
pose this time to make the personal
appeals to members which he so fire.
Quently and effectively has done in
former days. Nor will he take any
steps further to arouse public senti-
mcnt for his recommendations Nor
will he do any Of the other things to
get action, such as all Presidents can
do and he often has done.
In fact, he appears to have quit
cold' on his own recommendations, APP
parently content with the high edi-
torial and columnar praise heaped
upon him for having made them, along
with the chance to put Congress on
the defensive for not passing them.
This, Of course, is equivalent to a di-
rect charge of insincerity. Yet there
is considerable evidence to support it
and there are many members Of House
and Senate who take that view-Dem-
ocrats as well as Republicans. Some
Of them are pretty indignant about it,
too.
Their particular allegation is that
he not only is not going to do any
thing to push through national ser
vice act, but that the manner Of his
recommendation, the background Of
the message and subsequent Develop
ments all show that he made it, intend
ing to do nothing to pass it and with
full knowledge that it would not
pass. This charge comes from advo-
Gates of national-service legislation,
men eager to vote for it and distressed
because so vital proposal is being
treated in such fashion.
( In the first place, they point out
that the President made no real rec
cmmendation Of national service. What
he did was to link it with four other
i proposals. some Of which clearly could
not pass, and say that unless they
passed, too, he would not favor a ma
/ tional service act. This was enough in
itself to kill it. National service has
little or nothing to do with these other
minor measures. 1t is a major pro-
posal for winning the war and should
stand by itself There was no excuse
for attaching strings to it. They fur
ther point out that the President did
not consult with Mr.. James F. Byrnes
about the message or tell him what
was in it. Yet, Mr.. Byrnes is work
ing as Assistant President, and is sup
posed to have his complete conf
/ dence. Certainly, he has great influence
/ in the Senate, and heretofore has been
I the chief reliance Of the President for
getting what he wanted through Con-
gress.
None of the members Of his Cabi-
net nor Mr.. Baruch, nor any other
man with whom he is accustomed to
advise, except, Of course, eX-Judge
| Sam ROsenman, who wrote it, was in
/ formed as to the contents of the mes
/ sage. Also, the official House and Sen
ate leaders were sent for only the af-
ternoon before it was delivered. They
were not consulted-they were just
told. And there is final significant
/ incident-followin the delivery OF the
message, the two labor bosses, Green
and Murray, both violently opposed
! to national service, went to the White
House in a heated state, spent an hour
with the President, left in an AMIGA
Bile frame of mind. They are now CON
WINGED, it is reported, that the ma
tional service act will not be passed.
Sharing this conviction, Represen-
tative Smith, of Virginia, has reintro-
duced his anti-strike bill, twice killed
by undercover White House opposi
ton If that opposition persists, as is
] fully expected, it will not get far Con-
sidering these things, it is not surpris-
ing that there is anger in Congress
over this message and that it is being
denounced as "phony." 1t is hard to
understand how men, usually discern
ing and detached in their judgments,
could have hailed it with such enthu
siasm. His proposals are all right
the thing that is wrong is that, appar
entity, there is behind them, upon the
part of their sponsor, neither convic-
ton or determination. If Mr. Roosc-
welt genuinely wants national seGV
ice act he has taken an odd way Of
showing it. 1t may do him an mjus-
tice, but it looks as though he had in