Evening Star Newspaper, December 15, 1936, Page 13

Big Task Now Is Effective Democracy Administration Aides ‘Wait on President for Cue As to Future. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. HEN President Roosevelt comes back to the National Capital he will find ques- tion marks on every side. Most of them will come from the members of his own administration, who are asking for guidance and for & clue to the Pres- ident’s wishes on dozens of policies. Since the elec- tion Mr. Roose- velt has had little opportunity to get into the prob- lems of state, ex- cept on an inter- national basis. He felt that his trip to South Amer- jca was an im- perative errand. Only those who are familiar with David Lawrence. ¢, eftect of the Bpanish revolution on the Latin American countries can appreciate the gravity of the controversies and dis- cussions that are going on there with respect to the future social order of the American republics. The average person in the United Btates, for instance, would agree in- stantly that, if England adopted a Fascist form of government, it might have repercussions over here. At least it would cause a good deal of a stir. 8imilarly, what happens in Spain— the mother country of most of the Latin American republics—is of difect and concrete interest to the countries south of the Rio Grande. Democracy at Stake. In the Latin American nations fhe eulture of the people is largely Span- ish, and there is normally more news printed in the newspapers about what is happening in Spain than about any other European country. The discus- sion of fascism and communism and the death struggle between the fac- tions in Spain has inevitably raised questions about the future of democ- racy everywhere. In such an atmosphere Mr. Roose- wvelt took the leadership on behalf of the cause of democracy. Irrespective of the treaties of peace that have been | promulgated at the Buenos Aires con- ference, Mr. Roosevelt’s visit was a timely expression of the purpose of the leading American Nation to champion the cause of democracy. U. 8. Course Undisclosed. Opinions will differ at home as to whether the New Deal in actual prac- tice is itself headed for a more or less democratic course. The decision, as it affects many major policies, is not yet clear. But one thinz is obvious—the members of the admin- istration have scrupulously refrained from making statements as to the future because they have not had the word from Mr. Roosevelt himself. ‘There has been, incidentally, a moticeable absence of wise-cracking and off-hand comments about current | problems during Mr. Roosevelt's ab- sence. The mood has been one of quiet expectation, and a desire to get the cue from the President him- self, 8o far as the opposition to Mr. Roosevelt is concerned, it bears a| curious parallel in its attitude to that which prevailed at the time of the bank holiday. There is a dis-| position to await the unfolding of | administration policies and the ex-| press criticism on the merits of| legislation as the details are disclosed. | Calm Means Nothing. | The calm that has characterized the national scene for the last few| weeks during the President’s absence | ean easily be misunderstood. It does | not mean that the administration has abandoned its reform program. Nor does it mean that those who have opposed the administration sincerely on what they feel are sound economic | grounds have suddenly decided to accept unsound proposals. The public is impatient of partisan | eriticism, but happily, with no election | on the horizon for some time yet, this | has disappeared from the picture. The critics who will feel constrained to raise their voices on specific items as they arise are those who remémber | 1929 and the cries that went up after- ward from a bitter public opinion which wanted to know where were the champions of sound economic doc- trine, as borrowing and expanding ‘Were done on an unparalleled scale. Three Principal Problems. ‘The principal problems ahead of the United States Government may be summarized as follows: 1. How to live within its income. 2. How to keep governmental power itself from being misused by those who would entrench themselves in the realm of political exploitation. 3. How to use governmental power in reality to improve the lot of the common man, and particularly the low income groups. Concretely, it means how to reconcile “controlled economy” or “planned economy” with the system of private initiative and how also to make prac- tical and workable the social legisla- tion alresdy on the statue books and social legislation yet to be passed. Federal Power Stronger. Certainly, the next six months in the - National Capital will witness & con- centration of effort on the making of governmental policies which we have never witnessed before because gov- _THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1936. News Behind the News "Slash in Appropriations Held Doubtful—Little Economy Seen in Consolidations. BY PAUL MALLON, economy drive is on, but not seriously. Statements are coming from congressional appropriations authorities announcing that this much or that much is going to be saved to the taxpayers. This happens to be the time of year for optimism. Later on, the boys will very reluctantly appropriate all the money that is needed and say not & word about it, until they get back home among their constituents. For example, Chairman Buchanan of the House Appropriations Com- mittee is being currently quoted as saying he “hopes” for a saving of $2,500,000,000 to $3,000,000,000. This is unusually conservative for Mr. Buchanan. He could “hope” for a saving of $10,078,000,000, which happens to be the amount of money appropriated last year. People with long memories will recall that Mr. Buchanan had @ similar hope last year. He then went to Warm Springs and an- nounced the formation of an economy bloc of House members who were to pare erpenditures down if it killed them The result was $10,078,000,000. . 1HARDLY KNOW WHERE. £22 TO BEGIN ON Tt BIRD. Mr. Buchanan will probably tell you, off the record, that it will be about the same this year. There are three big items of Government expenses: (1) Army and Navy, (2) relief and (3) inter- est, on the debt. None of these three items is going to be reduced substantially. And until they are reduced the Federal bud- get is going to be about $6,500,= % 000,000 to $7,000,000,000 annually. The economy moves instituted by the President, such as the Brook- ings report recommending consolidations, cannot touch the big items. In fact, Mr. Buchanan agrees now that not very much of a cut is pos= sible in the regular establishment. He sees also increased appropriations for old-age pensions, &s a result of more States qualifying for the Fed- eral grant. Other phases of the security law for which no tax is levied will boost the regular budget. W. P. A. must have more money. The present fund will be ex- hausted January 20. Since Congress appropriated $1,425,000,000 for W. P. A. last session, and this sum will not last the year out, it is evident ::I: "fl:: with & reduced W. P. A, it will have to appropriate at least at much, Also, Congress made available $300,000,000 for P. W. A. The way congressional leaders are talking indicates at least that much will be provided again. No one would dare suggest & cut in Army and Navy appropriations, and the debt is getting larger all the time, which means simply that no one knows where any substantial parings ¢can be made. There are some apparently reliable reports that President Roosevelt will call in & lot more business leaders as soon as he returns. The move for co-operation between Government and power interests may not amount to much. The conferences launched by the President with utility leaders before election are bogging down. good guess that no agreement will be forthcoming, Leaders within the T. V. A. are divided among them- selves on the proposed grid system. David Lilienthal, T. V. A’s chief power man, who studied the sys- tem in England, does not like it. Siding with him is no less an in- fluential person than Senator George Norris. T. V. A’ers will admit, off the record, that, in a year or so, they will have more dams and power than they know what to do with. They have been building faster than their market. Mr. Sumners, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, plans to introduce a bill (which has been defeated before) giving Supreme Court Justices the right to retire at 70 instead of resigning. The difference is that Congress can cut the pay of a resigned judge, but not of a retired one. A retired judge also is subject to the call of duty from the Court. Circuit judges now have retirement privileges; no one knows why Supreme Court Jjudges,were left out. Incidentally, Mr. Sumners does mot believe anything will be done in the matter of constitutional amendments, which makes it nearly unanimous. Congressmen seem to be greatly perturbed over the decision resting with Senator Glass as to wether he ations or the Banking Committee. ' He will remain as chairman of appro- priations. That is the most important job from a senatorial standpoint, It means every one seeking money must This will make Wagner chairman of banking, which will probably cause an epidemic of heart failure among bankers, (Copyright, 1936.) It is more than a will be chairman of the Appropri- ccme to him. REICH WHEAT CROP MILLION TONS LOW Newspaper Says Consumption of | Grains Has Been Increased Due to Lack of Meat. BS the Associated Press. BERLIN, December 14,—-Germlny‘ faces a wheat shortage of 1,000,000 tons, the Prankfurter Zeitung esti- mated on the basis of available sup- ! plies, fixed at 4,000,000 tons. Germany normally requires 5,008,- 000 tons of wheat, the paper said. It advanced as one reason for the shortage that lack of meat has re- sulted in higher consumption of ce- reals and that some wheat has been | used for poultry feeding because of a lack of barley and maize. The newspaper expressed hope the recently concluded German-Canads trade agreement would permit re-| sumption of Manitoba wheat tmports, but predicted the Reich eventually will have to increase wheat-growing acreage 10 to 20 per cent. (Chancellor Hitler last Fall voiced Germany's need of wheat fields and looked longingly to the rich Russian Ukraine, possession of which he pre- dicted would bring an era of prosperity to the Nazi state.) A majority ¢ & “Whathath ernmental powers are today greater than ever before. Likewise, the po- litical power of the head of the Gov- ernment is greater than it has ever been in American history. How then to make democracy effec- tive? That's the task in a sentence, and Mr. Roosevelt will be able to count on a sympathetic spirit from a united Nation if he should tackle the job with the same non-partisan feeling that the people as & whole of all parties are today exhibiting toward his adminis- tration. (Copyright, 1936,) ADVERTISEMENT. Night Coughs : Relieved You can have' rest tonight. Coughs caused from colds need not disturb you and members of family. Hall’s Expectorant, 8 pleasant, soothing syrup, quickly relieves irritated mem- branes and tickling, helps expel mucus, and warms throat and che! Makes you feel better . It bothers to- e Hall's Expectora: t. e thing like it. Sold!I,w all druggists: 1. 7 \ PLANS FOR BIRTHDAY | BALL TO BE PUSHED Commissioner Allen Will Make Preparations First Order of Business. Plans for the annual President's birthday ball will be made within the next few days, it was announced to- day by Commissioner George E. Allen. Allen who returned from several weeks' vacation in Florida yesterday, said he would make it “the first order of business” as soon as he can attend to pressing matters that have ac- cumulated on his desk during his absence. He indicated, however, the general plans for the ball will follow those of | last year, when a new record in profits was set up. Then a number of local hotels were organized to hold a single city-wide affair, with tickets for one celebration good for all celebrations. Allen did not indicate the person- nel of his committee further than to say “T had a good one last year.” River Traffic Increases. River traffic is réported as “on the i ] ¥ i il E. "5 !i [ id sif Bgif i i i Ei i 1 | i i £ i i £ ; fifes s i S % f 'HE opinions of the writers on this page are their own, not necessarily The Star’s. Such opinions are presented in The Star's effort to give all sides of questions of interest to its readers, although such opinions may be contradictory among themselves and directly opposed to The Star’s. G.O.P. Policy in Air Committee Expected to Do Nothing—Republican Voice in Congress Weak. BY MARK SULLIVAN. HE meeting of the Republican National Committee, called by Chairman John Hamilton for next Thursday in Chicago, is, of course, mere routine. The exist- ing status began last June. Gov. Landon was nominated for the presi- dency. He had - the prerogative § % of naming the ‘g chairman to con= duct his cam- paign. He named Hamilton. The campaign was lost. The rea- sons that gave rise to Hamilton's tenure of of- fice no longer exist. Conse- quently Hamil- ton wishes now to know whether the committee desires him to continue as chairman. He says he is equally willing to re- main or retire. Probably the committee will want him to remain. Hamilton, in his call | summoning the committee, mentions “obligations and responsibilities” of the committee which he incurred as chairman. He refers particularly to the “campaign deficit.” This respon- sibility, Hamilton says, he has no in- clination 10 “shirk.” Without doubt, the committee will wish Hamilton to continue as chair- man. The treasury deficit from the campaign amounts to a little more than $1,000,000. It is, as Hamilton himself says, proper to expect him to lead in raising the funds to pay that deficit off. No one will be eager to take that deficit-raising job away from nim. Deficit raising is pulling a dead horse,-and that is a back- breaking business. Moreover, there is no reason to seek a new chairman at this time. By custom, it would be normal for Hamilton to remain chair- man until the approach of the 1940 campaign. Policy Outside Scope. Thus this meeting, like most meet- ings of national committees of both parties, will deal only with matters of organization, in this case a more or less perfunctory matter of organi- zation. National committee meetings rarely deal with matters of policy. John J. Raskob discovered that some six years ago. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee. As such, he called a meeting and pro- posed to have the committee adopt a resolution opposing prohibition. The committee declined, taking the ground that matters of policy are not for the national committee. Yes the Republicans have a most | important matter of policy before them. It can hardly wait until the 1940 national convention prepares to adopt a platform. Sometimes party | policy develops through events in Con- gress. Whatever position Republicans in Congress take becomes party policy, if enough Republican Congressmen unite in it. It is usually in the Senate that party policy emerges. i Only 17 in Senate. But oonsider the Republican party in the coming Senate. It consists of just 17 Senators. That is one more than a sixth of the body. It is less than 18 per cent of the whole Senate. This proportion is misleading. For the Republican vote in the recent elec- tion was about 37 per cent of the total. ‘That is, 37 per cent of the voters are represented in the Senate by only 18 per cent of that body. But that con- dition exists. And it cannot be changed until the 1938 congressional elections, and then it cannot be changed much; ‘The Republican situation in the Senate is actually worse than the | scant ‘number suggests. There are 17 Republican Senators. That is, there are 17 who in the official directory will appear with the letter “R” after their names. Perfunctory possession of that | letter is about all there is to the Re- publicanism of nearly half the 17. Mark Sullivan, ©® Terms as low es $4.50 monthly. ® PROMPT, SERVICE. ©, IMMEDIATE DELIV- ERY. EFFICIENT licans are: White and Hale, Maine; Austin and Gibson, Vermont; Bridges, New Hampshire; Lodge, Massachu- setts; Davis, Pennsylvania; Townsend, Delaware; Vandenberg, Michigan; Capper, Kansas; Frazier and Nye, North Dakota; Norbeck, South Da- kota; Borah, Idaho; McNary and Steiwer, Oregon; Johrson, California. Of those 17, four did not support Gov. Landon in the recent campaign. They are Johnson of California, Bo- rah of Idaho, Norbeck of South Da- kota and Frazier of North Dakota. Johnson and Norbeck supported Pres- ident Roosevelt. Frazier supported Lemke. Borah supported nobody. To these can almost be added three others. While Nye of North Dakota did not oppose Gov. Landon, his Re- publicanism is known to all to be tenuous. McNary of Oregon support- ed Gov. Landon in only a perfunctory way—McNary was acceptable to many of the New Dealers in his State. Cap- per of Kansas undoubtedly supported Landon heartily, for Landon was from his State; but Capper in the Senate is on the fringe between the regular Republicans and the group named who are very frequently in dissent. Here then are actually only 10 Sen- ators, or 11 at the outside, who can be called Republicans in a thorough- going sense; and 6 or 7 who in varying degrees are over toward the New Deal. If Republican policy is to be made in the Senate, which of these groups is to make it? Of the two groups, only the regular Republicans can be considered spokesmen of the nearly 17,000,000 persons who voted the Re- publican ticket last month. It would be odd to think of Republican policy being made by Senators who were not Republican in the recent campaign, or are frequently not Republican in the Senate. What will come out of it seems to be, like a od many other things these days, is in the lap of the gods. (Copyrizght, 1936,) NOLO CONTENDERE IS PLEA OF BURTIS Former N. R. A. Employe Was Charged With Attempt to Defraud Government. Guy Burtis, former N. R. A. employe now living in Chicago, entered a plea of nolo contendere in District Court yesterday in answer to an indictment charging conspiracy to defraud the Government by attempting to obtain a reduction in a proposed tax assess- ment. His alleged co-conspirator, Warren L. Heap of Chevy Chase, Md., former assistant reviewer in the Internal Rev- | enue Bureau, entered the same plea two weeks ago and last week was placed on probation by Justice Peyton Gordon. The plea of nolo contendere has vir- tually the same legal effect as a plea of guilty. Both defendants were indicted a year ago. The alleged conspiracy in- volved attempts to advise W. A. Ellis, president of the Amer Mining Co., Denver, Colo., in connection with & proposed tax assessment of $208,000 against the company for the year 1932, the Government charged. ‘The defendants never were able to get in touch with Ellis directly, how- ever, according to Assistant United States Attorney George E. McNeill, who handled the case for the Gov- ernment. JEWELRY REPAIRED Bring it to a firm yeu ean trus Moderate . Skilled weork- manship, Easy eredit terma. CASTELBERG’S 1004 F St N.W. SPhiles Nigh-Bificiency Aerisl Kit (value $5.00) is Included in the price PHONE COL. 0067 RADIO CO. Get Our Allowance Before You Buy Y 4835 GEORGIA AVE. Col. 0067 OPEN EVENINGS We, the People Resettlement’s Bogged Machinery to Chug Again Along Revamped Roadway. BY JAY FRANKLIN. ENERALLY speaking, the workings of bureaucracy are not roman- tic. Too many cooks spoil the best illusion. In the case of Tug- well's Resettlement Administration, however, more than routine interest attaches to the future of the only Federal organization created by & member of the brain trust. Shortly after the election, in the course of which Tugwell had been a considerable issue, it appeared that Rex could write his own ticket s0 far as Roosevelt was concerned. This “mandate” for re- settlement was overlooked in the fuss surrounding Tugwell's dive into the molasses business, but it still holgs good. Politically as well as administratively, Tugwell has called the turn on our national agricultural policy. = The politics of resettlement are most important. The ‘G. O. P. agricultural policy concentrated on the scriptural theory of giving to him that hath—helping the more successful farmers through a system of county agents. A more reactionary group—by and large—than the Exten- sion Service is hard to imagine. The Triple A extended the benefits of our national farm program to the middle agricultural groups. The system of county committees, allotments and crop referenda organized by Henry Wallace greatly en- larged the New Deal's agricultural electorate. Yet when the campaign came along both the old gang and the new A. A. A.-ers showed signs of flopping to Landon’s “golden ap- ple” promises. The bulk of Roosevelt's farm vote came from the farmers on poor or submarginal land, the farmers on relief, the tenant farmers, the croppers (where they were allowed to vote), the farm laborers—the despised and rejected of both the G. O. P. and the A. A, A. These were Tugwell's contribution to the New Deal victory. By rehabilita- tion, by the drought relief program and other phases of resettlement, Rex made this numerous body of farmers realize that Roosevelt was helping them. * % ¥ % The political importance of this senitment can be measured only by counting the votes in the farm States. It represents an overdue democ- ratization of our farm policies and a socially responsive dilution of the Department of Agriculture’s traditional yen for only the more successful cash farmers. So resettlement will be moved into the Department of Agri- culture—subject to congressional legislation—and will mot be swallowed or even water-logged by the old-line bureaucrats. In- stead, resettlement bids fair to become the eTecutive arm of a de- partment which has ceased to be advisory and is now charged with the responsibilities of direct economic and social administration. Under the New Deal agriculture is being treated as & many-sided problem. It includes crop insurance, soil conservation, land use, tenancy, rehabilitation, credit and resettlement, in addition to the old scientific set-up at Washington and the new A. A. A. This means that our agri- cultural program must be one of combining many different social, economic and physical factors to create the dynamic paradox under which the whole is considerably greater than the sum of the parts. * % % x After a year and a half of trial-and-error experience, Tugwell's Resettlement Administration comes close to being a trained corps of scien- tific administrators—very far from perfect, but far better than anything we have ever possessed in the flelu of political economics. Resettle- ment is already handling the drought control, the land use and the tenancy programs; it has the trained men, the traditions, the organization, and it can mobilize them on the spot where the acci- dent occurs. The course of bureaucratic evolu- tion seems clear. Resettlement, with its regional and State offices and its accumulated experience, will gradually take over, combine and administer all of the field a tivities of the Department of Agri- culture. It will absorb the county agents of the Extension Service. link up with the Triple A's county committees. It will co-ordinate the work of the Forest Service, the Soil Conservation Service and the Biological Survey, as well as the Btate conservation agencies. Through its regional headquarters it will also decentralize much of the activity and political pressure which now rage at Washington. Parts of resettlement will be scrapped, transferred or trans- formed. Its housing activities may well be shifted elsewhere. The special skills division seems doomed. Some of the personnel will be dropped as superfluous or ineffective and other operating economies will be created. But the main line of Tugwellism will remain and the more efficient resettlement officials will also remain to carry on the tradition of a Federal agency designed. to help the poorest farmers to become self- sufficient on a sound social and economic basis. And in the process the permanent Department of Agriculture will become a far more responsive and responsible agency of democratic government than in the past. (Copyright, 1936.) Toys for Children. To a “toy service” held at the church Wren Builds in Wasp Nest. toys to be given to tots in hospitals. Kerrville, Tex. A wren built her home in the center at Buriton, England, children took 750 | of & wasp's nest in an oak tree at Headline Folk and What They Do Ex-King’s Hostess at Vienna Former Phila- delphia Girl. BY LEMUEL F. PARTON. HE Duke of Windsor's hostess at Enzesfeld Castle is a Philadel- phia girl, twice divorced and living happily with her third husband for the last 12 years. She has proved that a third marriage venture may be successful. No doubt she could reassure Windsor against murmurs and forebodings about his future hap- piness. ‘The Baroness Eugenie de Rothschild was one of “the four beautiful Wolf girls” of Philadelphia, as they used to call them. Her father was Baron von ‘Wulf of an aristocratic Austrian fam- ily. The baroness also could- tell Windsor something about exile. . Her father scorned court opinion, was vir- tually banished, fought in the.Civil War, became an American citizen and & wealthy industrialist. Her mother was a beautiful and clever Scottish woman, and the bonnie blond baroness is said greatly to resemble her. Her parents died when she was in her teens, and she lived with her aunt in Munich. Her family antecedents advanced her socially and her fragile beauty captivated the continent. There she met & handsome Virginian named Spottswood, with an impressive Old and New World family crest. They were married and she queened it over the New York younger set, but Mr. Spottswood, so0 it turned out, was just a plodding dentist and their social career strained his resources. Her marriage with Count Edwin | Bchoenborn at Paris came off famous« 1y, but did not last long. The divorcs proceedings dragged six years and it was not until 1924 that she married Baron Rothschild, third son of Baron Albert Rothschild of the great Vienna banking house. She was the first none Jewish bride of the Rothschild line who did not adopt the Jewish religion, Her uncle, Dr. Carl Wolff, lived “for many years at 580 Park avenue, New York. The name appears to have been spelled Wulf, Wolf and Wolff. In Paris, Biaritz, Monte Carlo and on the French and Italian Riviera the baroness is known as a woman of extraordinary beauty and grace. Gen. Feng Yu-Hsiang knocks off fighting every once in a while to linger by solitary roadsides and paint plum blossoms—wearing an old padded coat, with a thermos bottle full of paint brushes slung from his waist. Just now, with the seizure of Chiang Kaie Shek crowding David Windsor to the back page, the old general is back in the thick of things, with great power in Nanking and much conjecture as to what he will do with the army he is recruiting. He has savagely opposed Chiang in the past, and he has been clamoring for drastic action against Japan. Mary Morrill, a girl missionary from Maine, converted him to Christiani A big. hulking soldier, on watch a compound, he asked her to interpret ! his dream about a snake under his bed. She didn't know about that, but so | inspired him with Christian zeal that he began preaching to his army. paying the officers $10 and the men $5 each for listening to the sermons. In between wars he has been in his secluded mountain retreat, where, in his “Hall of the Five Sages,” he is the sole pupil of seven philosophers. By the light of a kerosene lamp, with a brown wrapping paper shade, he reads the classics. Lao-Tse impressed him: “Beauty is the solace of weariness and pain.” (Copyright, 1938,) —And Say It With (e TR S e H fo L Do D FLORSHEIMS Choose Florsheims this Christmas and your gift will be long months of style, fit and comfort . . . one that will recall your thoughtfulness with every step he takes . . . Simply give him a gift certificate and he selects the style he wants in his correct $8.75 and 10 Hohn Tr-Wears - —..__550 Hahn Specials __ HAHN MEN'S SHOPS — 14th &G © 7th& K o 3212 14th