Evening Star Newspaper, July 9, 1937, Page 9

Labor Rulings Here Called One-Sided Roosevelt Break With Lewis “Incredible,” Writer Holds. BY DAVID LAWRENCE. 14 O THE conservatives: Please take note it is rumored that I President Roosevelt has broken with Mr. Lewls, that Becretary Perkins says sit-down strikes are illegal and that Secretary Roper says the right to work is as sacred as the right to strike and should be protected. “To the C. I. O. leaders: Please note that President Roosevelt has not Indorsed either the statement by Sec- retary Perkins or Secretary Roper and that he told anassembled g8 group of Wash- & ington correspon- 3 dents on Tuesday of this week that 3 he had not even read either state- ment by the i members of his Cabinet.” If the fore- . going had really been issued from the White House this week, it would have occasioned no less surprise than what was actually transmitted to the press by the President of the United States In the midst of an acute contro- versy in the history of labor warfare, when the whole Nation is aroused by abuses against law and order, & con- structive statement is issued by the Beceretary of Commerce telling the country that citizens have the right to be protected by every source of author- Federal, State and local, in their desire to work. Such an important declaration together with Mr. Roper’s discussion of other aspects of the labor controversies in Ohio, Pennsyl- vania and Michigan might be expected to reflect the viewpoint of the Govern- ment of the United States. The newspaper correspondents certainly thought so and perhaps the business men of the Nation, who have again and again been asked to believe reas- suring statements by Secretary Roper, thought the same thing. Miss Perkins' Statement. There came coincidentally a state- ment by the Secretary of Labor, some- thing awaited for more than two months, an admission that sit-down strikes were illegal. For many weeks the Nation has looked for some word on this subject from the administra- tion in Washington. When it came, many press correspondents, and per- haps many millions of citizens who read it in the newspapers, thought, of course, it was significant as an ex- pression of the Roosevelt administra- tion itself. But when the press conference was held this week and the correspondents had their usual opportunity to in- quire about the meaning of public statements a curious answer was given | them | Asked if he indorsed the Secretary of Labor's statement on sit-down strikes, the President replied that he | had not read it—that he had read only the headlines. David Lawrence, THE EVEN What’s Back of It All C. I. O. Glad to Have Roosevelt Refuse to Confirm Rift—g$900,000 Item in Interior Bill Has Hard Road. BY H. R. BAUKHAGE, OU recall how the Delphic oracle answered the soldier who asked what his fate in battle would be? The oracle hardly paused before he remarked: “You will go, return, never die in arms.” When, later on, the soldier's widow asked, “Hov' come?” the oracle answered that her late spouse was weak on punctuation. This is the way he should have read the sentence: “You will go, return never, die in arms” So in C. 1. O. circles or thereabouts, where they are adept in inter- preting oracles, there is an interesting interpretation of the President's refusal to confirm the story of his “break” with John Lewis, It runs this wa; ‘The “break” story emanated from C. I. O. headquarters. It appeared in the papers which were read in Washington just as the President was returning from Hyde Park. That afternoon occurred the regular semi-weekly White House press conference. When the Presi- dent was asked if he had any com- ment on the story, he swept the question back as a friendly mas- tiff might toss a harmless but yap- pingly annoying fox terrier from his presence. The story, he said, needed no comment. To Mr. Lewis’ wishful ear, the President’s oracular silence was said to be as golden as a silvery speech could have been. In other words, if the President doesn’t say there is a split, there isn’'t any as far as Mr. Lewis is concerned (no matter what Mr. Lewis says). Some interpreters of the oracle go still further. Even if there is a split, they say, there could be no better strategy for Mr, Lewis than to have the President refuse to admit it. ‘The President has a hard time when he tries to save a dollar. He's having a harder time saving a certain $900,000 item which the Senate stick into the Department of the Interior appropriations bill. The Budget Bureau had disapproved the item, which covers what is popularly known as the Rocky Mountain Park Tunnel, officially desig- nated as the Grand Lake Trans-Mountain Waterway Diversion Project. The project, if completed, would divert some 44 million dollars, ‘The $900,000 is just for a preliminary survey. The story behind the project is intriguing. The story, opponents say, of an “inside lobby” that is fighting for the erpenditure—inside the Department of the Interior. Senator Adams of Colorado naturally would like to see the item go through Congress and the hole go through one of his constituent mountains. But he couldn't have handled it without help. And he has it. Reclamation Commissioner Page, politically indebted to Mr. Adams, is sald to have battled nobly and he has had the assistance of Rufus Poole, chairman of the Legislative Com- mittee of the department. In this capacity, Mr. Poole, presumably knows what his superiors—or some of them—want. He has been a great help. The bill, which covers the de- partment’'s expenditures for the present fiscal year, of course over- due since July 1, is still writhing in conference committee. The ad- ministration still has hopes of sav- ing the $900,000 in spite of itself. Down Pennsylvania way, where the presidential bee has been so busy around the Governor's mansion, there has been some large talk which has & very empty ring when it reaches Washington. Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Margiotti announced that he was coming to Washington to “force” Attorney General Cummings to bring about an N. L. R. B. election to decide whether C. I. O. holds the majority at the Cambria Steel plants in Johnstown. All he really asked Mr. Cummings for was an appointment to talk over “enforce- ment” of the Wagner labor act No wonder. The Federal Attorney General could not force an elec- tion for two reasons. First, no election had then been asked for despite the implication that it was necessary to call in the Department of Justice to enforce one; and, second, the N. L. R. B. has to go through a certain routine on elections: 1. A petition must be received from the workers. 2. Hearings must be held by the board to decide whether or not there will be 3. An election. (Copyright, 1937, by the North American Newspaper Alliance, Inc) | strued as unfavorable to the C. I O.| Roosevelt, who is such an astute The exception was a casual remark | politician, would desert the C. I. O. the other day from the Prssldenlior woyd be guilty of what is known about “a plague on both your houses,” | as “political ingratitude.” NG In poli- | a quotation which was designed to |tics when a big campaign contributor | CI'H! opinions of the writers necessarily The Star’s. The Star’s e; STAR, WASHINGTON on this page are their own, not Such opinions are presented in ort to give all sides of,questions of interest to its readers, although such opinions ma; themselves and directly opposed to T% be contradictory among e Star’s. Test of Party Loyalty Enemies of Roosevelt Court Proposal to Be Put on Record for Later Reference. BY JAY FRANKLIN, E Robinson amendment to the President’s judiciary reform bill is the first fruits of the new technique of party leader- ship with which the New Dealers pro- pose to supplant the emergency exer- cise of personal leadership by the President. The original Supreme Court pro- posals were as badly manhandled as any major New Deal measure well could be. For at least three years it had been apparent that the judicial oligarchy snust be destroyed if the social pur-~ poses of the New Deal were to be attained. There was ample historical precedent for both the court-packing method and for amending the Consti- tution by judicial interpretation. The Republican party has successfully done so ever since 1861. Since Lin- coln there has never been a majority of Democratic appointees on the Su- preme bench, while the nine old men have played the fourteenth amend- ment like a bazooka for the benefits ot the bankers and manufacturers who won the Civil War. The truth of this was revealed by the passionate outburst when Roosevelt proposed to repeat the process and to enlarge the liberal personnel of the Federal courts. Provisions Too Slick. Unfortunately, Mr. Homer Cum- mings, Roosevelt's ancient Attorney General, drafted the judiciary reform plan with such slick Connecticut pro- visions that it read more like an oil stock prospectus than a social reform. Unfortunately, Chairman Ashurst of the Serate Judiciary Committee gently rocked the baby to sleep to the tune of a narcissus complex and a knack for wisecracks. Unfortunately, a cors poration lawyer from Omaha and an ex-liberal with misplaced presidential ambitions and a lucrative legal prac- tice among foreign bondholders real- ized that the measure was death to their careers. Unforturately, the Sen- ate is packed with corporation lawyers, | | each of whom fancies himself in long black robes and with a life-time meal | ticket from the Federal Treasury. So the original bill languished. Finally Senator Joe Robinson of Arkan- sas made the President a proposal. He said that he could line up a ma- jority of Senate votes for an unspeci- fied compromise. The White House refused to commit itsel{ in advance, but was ready to listen. The Burke- Wheeler team quickly broke into the dance of death, and, with the resig- nation of Justice Van Devanter, prac- tically nominated Mr. Robinson for the vacancy on the Supreme Court. They hoped thus to temper his en- | thusiasm for judicial reform. This seems to have been a little too clever, for it has put Senator Rob- | ask themselves why the President of the United States saw fit to tell the press he had not even read the sate- ments on labor policy issued by two members of his cabinet. Gov. Earle’s Statement. Gov. Earle of Pennsylvania had the correct size-up of the present situation when he told a mass meet- inson in the position of having to deliver a Supreme Court bill in the Senate if he is to get Roosevelt's in- dorsement for the Van Devanter job. Unless Senator Robinson performs to the President's satisfaction, he won't get the job. The opponents of reform have thus been driven back on the last line of defense of a desperate Tory. They propose to filibuster, to consume so much time in talk that the judiciary reform bill will never come to a vote. Here, too, they are being a little too clever, since Robinson-can get a record vote whenever he wants to on a motion to restrict debate. This would give the President the roll cali he needs to force the Senators to label themselves as liberals or Tories with reference to this particular measure. I do not pretend to know the col- lective mind of the United States Senate, but it is my belief that the Burke-Wheeler junta intend to use all means—fair or foul—to prevent ju- dicial reform and that they will suc- ceed in postponing the decision until next year. It is also my belief that the Roose- velt forces will use all possiblie political measures to bring the issue to a vote and will rely on the electorate to aid in punishing those Senators who violate the principles of democracy by denying Congress the opportunity to vote on this proposed legislation. I anticipate a sustained filibuster on the Supreme Court plan, a filibuster which will last until the country is thoroughly sick of senatorial obstruc- tion, and then a motion to limit de- bate. This motion will produce a roll call and the roll call will give the American people another “little list” for future reference in 1938 and 1940. I repeat: What President Roosevelt wishes is to put his enemies on record and to rely upon the processes of democracy to drive Democratic re- actionaries out of public life as com- pletely as the Tory Republicans have already been driven from political power. (Copyright, 1937.) {PLANT WIZARIVJV’VS’HEIR i ENDS EXPLORING TRIP Burbank's From Europe After Seeking Out Exotic Growths. By the Assoctated Press. Successor Returns | of Louisiana, Mo, heir to Luther Bur- | bank as the wizard of the plant world, | returned last night from an exploring in search of hew and exotic plant varieties. | He arrived on the liner Manhattan, | saying he would disclose his discoveries | when contracts had been closed for the | American sales rights. He brought back no samples. When Burbank died. he left his Cali- ‘iMlsmun. who now hold the largest number of patents for fruits under NEW YORK, July 9 —Edwin Stark | trip through nine European countries | | fornia piant to the Stark brothers of | D. C, FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1937. This Changing World Italian Radio Station Reported Busy Inciting Arabs Against Palestine Partition. BY CONSTANTINE BROWN. HERE seems to be no doubt that as soon as the new concoction which Great Britain devised in the East—the free Jewish and the free Arab states—is perfunctorily checked and approved by the League of Nations the United States will recotnize the two inde- pendent countries. Applicants for the job of United States Minister to the Hebrew State are already pulling wires. Although Jerusalem is not contained in the Jewish republic and it is not quite clear yet what city will be designated as the capital, there are many American Jews who are anxious to be the first representatives of Uncle Sam in the new independent Hebrew State, Bome unfortunate career man will probably be appointed as America’s diplomatic representative to the Arab State. * Kk K X Whether the solution found by the royal commission will be suc- cessful depends, like all things these days, on the general interna- tional situation. The idea appears sound. But in the event of some international conflagration the ruler of Arabia, Ibn-ben Saud, may find it convenient to swallow up the new Arab state plus. * x k% ‘The decision of the British government to form two independent states because Arabs and Jews cannot live peacefully together was made public only three days ago. And the famous Bari radio station is already broadcasting inflammatory “news” in the hope that the Arabs might start another rebellion. * ok ok K The Italian radio station points out to the Arabs that they have been made the scapegoat. While it is true that the new Jewish state is much smaller than the Arab, it is broadcast that the fertile lands have been placed in the hands of the Hebrews while the Arabs got rocky hills. * K ok % After Chamberlain and Eden have sounded a note of warning con- cerning the grave danger of another international conflagration and urged their people to keep cool, Undersecretary Sumner Welles made it clear to the American people that the international situation is not as rosy as most officials want the Nation to believe. Sumner Welles made a realistic speech on Wednesday before the In- stitute of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. Instead of giving his listeners the usual hokum and talking about solving the world problems by abolishing airplanes or gas, he said that there was a real danger of war—which is evident to the ordinary man in the street—and what is more impor- X tant, that we will have a hard time to keep out of it, which is less plain to John Citizen, * ok K ok The State Department is changing; it is rapidly abandoning the policy of the ostrich and begin- ning to deal in realities. Of course, there are many who still have hopes that a bloody show- down can and will be avoided, but the world statesmen will, have to show more courage and a stronger feel- ing of responsibilities than heretofore, if they want to grapple with this dangerous situation. * K ok % The chief mistake the statesmen of democratic countries are making is to fear and misunderstand pubiic opmnion. All of them, without exception, have a pretty poor idea of the understanding of the ordinary indwidual of affairs of state. They are afraid to take a chance lest their popularity will suffer. And because of that, they get their country into trouble. Premier van Zeeland, the “collective ambassador” of France and Great Britain is back in Europe presenting his report on his long talks with President Roosevelt and Secretary Cordell Hull regarding America’s position in the present international mad house. It may be that after he has told the British all that America’s chief spokesmen told him, the reciprocal trade negotiations between London and Washington will start afresh. Mr. Hull hopes that they will be successful as a vindication of his v. The British begin to realize the political importance of the 'HAWAIIANS READY | FOR LONG JOURNEY Must Travel Farther Than Any | Other American Delegation at Jamboiee, ern skies. of this group fellows from a far-off land will v New York, Chicago Western cities. an American vessel for the islands. with music familiar under soft south- D. W. Malone of Honolulu is leader On the journey home these young | and some mid- After a week's camp- ing trip near Seattle they will board Mrs. Richard Croker . Headline Folk and What They Do Mrs. Croker’s Fortunes Wane—Palm Beach Estate Menaced. BY LEMUEL F. PARTON. RS. RICHARD CROKER'S Florida land investment of $250,000 rose to a value of around $11,000,000 in 1925, but now it's down again and a Federal Jjudge orders foreclosure of her Palm Beach estate. For many years the widow of the famous Tammany boss . ~~ has been in litiga- tion, fighting the claims of her husband's disin~ herited children. Croker left her $3,000,000, includ- ing the historio " castle Glencairn in Ireland. Ex- “ pensive legal strife and the collapse of the Florida land boom have sapped her for- tune. The. reporters used to call her the Indian princess. She says she is not a princess, but is proud of her Indian blood—like the late Will Rogers, Senator R. L. Owen and Con- gressman W. W. Hastings. Her mother was a descendant of Chief Bequoyah of the Cherokee Tribe. For years she has been working on a | history of the Cherokees. When, in 1930, she gave $1,500 to charity, she said she did so because | her Indian religion, which she ac- | cepted and obeved, required one to “share the fruits of the chase.” Tha Cherokees, she said, had nine com= mandments, matching those of the Christian religion closely, but none nst stealing. This omission, she said, was due to the Indian's accept- ance of all the universe as the gift of the Great Spirit to men. She believes her husband lives and guides her. She consults hig on all | important business affairs, establish- ing commu ion, she says, by cer= tain self-induced “vibrations.” She was born and reared on a farm near Tahlequah, in Eastern Oklahoma, 1 daughter of a Scot, Michael Smith Edmonston. She was educated at the tional Seminary, and ic in Boston, where she met Richard Croker. During his exile in Ireland her husband invested in Florida real estate. | In 1930 she became active in Palm | Beach politics. 1In this she was less | successful than her husband had been, | engaging in repeated bitter rows. Her | expert advice from the other world i\\nt)ld appear to have been fruitless here. Her two miles of Palm Beach water front has been “bowered in beauty,” but, unhappily, with morte es, too. In spite of all the law- she has been serene throughout 1 troubled years, wearing a silver haplet and a fresh rose in her hi and finding comfort in her Cherok: religion. (Copyrizht, 1037.) Cost of Veterans. | ! The Federal Government's disburse- ments to veterans since the Revolu- \ tionary War total $21.827,570,600. be an evenly balanced pronouncement | “comes across” he is rarely treated | from & President of the United States | with discourtesy. What he demands | :\ 8 %_rnve crisis on the subject of {may not always be granted, but the | in’the White House and a Governor | O lomestic peace. spirit of friendship and cordiality pre- | like himself at Harrisburg, they didn’t Naturally Mr. Lewis wouldn't like | vails just the Srea really Siouid | need to resort to violonce. 1t is as | BYRD TO EXPLORE AGAIN Havaii such a comment. But he is much t00 | be surprising if Mr. Lewis could not | if Gov. Earle had said: “Depend upon | | A lone Scout from the Philippines shrewd to be misled by it, irritated | walk in the back door of the White | us to use the militia or any other Plans Last Antarctic Trip Prior to | came a greater distance, but he is though he may be for the moment. | House almost any time—he might be | power we have to take sides with | | not listed officially as an American Mr. Roosevelt might “break” with | seen by the reporters at the front|you as against the employers—we | Peace Advocate Career. { Scout. Mr. Lewis in the sense that he might | door—and have a chat with the man | don't have to be impartial, we are| GRAND RAPIDS, Mich, July 9| Colorful leis draped around their manifest a little less enthusiasm for | he worked so hard to elect. Mr. | on your side, and well get vou, by | i 1 i (. —Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd | necks, 44 boys made the journey from his “friend John's policies.” but in | Roosevelt's fortunes are tied up politi- one way or another, what you are said here vesterday he plans another | the mid-Pacific islands. Twelve are the last analysis the President can't|cally with the C. I. O, and while trying to get through violence and | Antarctic expeditiom “in 1938 or 1939." | members of a Sea Scout ship at break with the C. I. O. because the |some conservatives may be gullible | subversive methods.” E He said the expedition would be | Honolulu, 21 are from various patrols C. 1. O. did more than any other ‘ enough to believe the public state-| The Earle conception of govern- | his last, and that thereafter he would | in and about the islands of Oahu and single organization to elect him. Like- | ments by Secretaries Perkins and ment previals here and is to be noted | devote his efforts to the cause of | Hawaii, and 12 are from Maui. wise the C. I. O. put up the biggest | Roper really mean & change in ad- |in the one-sided legislation and rul- | world peace. Fully one-half of the Hawaiian boys single contribution to Mr. Roosevelt's | ministration policy, the number of [ings on labor policy. It is not the Mechanized equipment rather than | brought along ukuleles and guitars. re-election. skeptics who think otherwise is going | road to peace. man power, he said, would feature | And they can play. They strummed 1t is incredible, therefore, that Mr. | to be increased materially when they (Copyrisht, 1937.) the polar trip. | their neighbors to sleep last night HEAT WAVE HITS WASHINGTON! HE: How do you stay so cool when : 2 : < everybody else is sweltering? ‘ Denies Reading Roper Pronouncement. Asked also if he had read the statement by the Secretary of Com- merce, Mr. Roosevelt answered that he had not read that pronouncement, either. How can two members of the cabi- net make important declarations on 80 vital a subject of labor policy without the President knowing in ad- vance what they were going o say? If Mr. Roosevelt was merely fencing with the correspondents and trving to avoid or evade their question, then his answer may have meant that he had not read it in the newspapers, and it might have meant that he actually read it or was acquainted with the substance before the state- ment was issued. Mr. Roosevelt, who prides himself on his frankness with the press, did not undertake to explain the dis- crepancy, and since the correspond- ents are respectful to the President in their conference, they did not in- sist upon an explanation of what looks on the surface to be an un- fortunate equivocation. But supposing the President did not know in advance what two mem- bers of his cabinet were preparing to say on labor policy, this would tend to give the impression that cabi- net members speak their individual views and in no way reflect the ad- ministration's viewpoint as a whole or the President’s policy in particular. General Motors Case. Not so long ago, on the other hand, President Roosevelt told the press shat when the executives of General Motors declined an invitation from the Secretary of Labor for a confer- ence it was tantamount to rejecting &n invitation from the President of the United States. For this reason it generally has been inferred that what Miss Perkins says on labor policy is a close reflection of the President’s own viewpoint. ‘What possible explanation is there for Mr. Roosevelt's desire to avoid telling the press that he knew about the Perkins and Roper statements in advance, and why would he give the impression that he personally was not aware of their contents before publication, or that he was neither approving or disapproving what they said? The only inference that seems logi- eal is that President Roosevelt want- ed the C. I. O. leaders to know that the two cabinet members were say- Ing what they did merely as a sop to the conservatives, and that it was done to check the wave of hostility which has been rising against the sdministration’s alliance with the C. I. O. Indeed, newspaper headlines in publications friendly to the ad- ministration disclosed about the same time rumors of & break between Mr. Lewis and the President, which news was calculated to cheer the hearts of an aroused middle class and make the citizens feel that the administra- tion was really preparing to check- mate the excesses of labor zealots. Says Reoosevelt Irritated. But there is no secret ‘about the fact Mr. Roosevelt from the begin- ning has been somewhat irritated over Mr. Lewis' rise in power and methods, and that more than once Mr. Lewis has learned of this dis- satisfaction. On one such occasion Mr. Lewis didn’t hesitate publicly to re- mind the President he was under ob- ligation to the C. I. O. From that day forward there has been little if any comment from the White House that ocould even remotely be con- /4 ing of workers at Johnstown that, the plant patent law which Burbank | with & President like Mr. Roosevelt | The longest trip home from the | advocated before his death, said Stark. ! jamboree by American Boy Scouts ——————————————————————————————————————————————— will be made by the delegates from et S et S BTl LEWIS & THOS. SALTZ, INC., 1409 G STREET N.W. OF FINE QUALITY SUMMER CLOTHING Haberdashery, Hats and Shoes HE: Igo foriced tea in a BIG way now. Lunch, dinner, and bedtime. We always keep a pitcher-of iced tea in the refrigerator. It’s a swell idea! Another thing, tea cools me off at night—I get to sleep in a jiffy. $12.50, $15 GABARDINE SLACKS_$10.75 $16.50, $18.50 SPORTS COATS____$13.75 $18.50 WHIPCORD SUITS $13.75 $30 ENGLISH ASCOT SUITS______$24.75 $29.50 BOMBAY SUITS _ $19.75 $29.50 TROPICAL SUITS ________$24.75 $35, $40 SPORTS COATS ---$29.75 REAL IRISH LINEN SUITS $13.75 $35 and $40 GABARDINE SUITS. BROKEN SIZES $55 GABARDINE SUITS. BROKEN SIZES FRENCH, SHRINER & URNER CUSTOM GRADE SHOES $9.95, $10.65, $11.85 $2.50, $3.50 FINE SHIRTS ________$1.95 $4.00 CHAMBRAY SHIRTS _..____$2.95 $2.50 OXFORD SHIRTS __________$1.95 $2.50, $3.00 PAJAMAS ___________$1.95 $1.50, $2.00 NECKWEAR___________95¢ $1.50 SPORTS SHIRTS SPECIAL GROUP FINE HOSIERY____79¢ STETSON STRAW HATS 25% off STETSON PANAMAS 33%3% off e AND MANY OTHER ITEMS NOT LISTED HERE o We Aro Members of All Post Exchanges and Ship Serviee Stores LEWIS & TH°S. SALTZ INCORPORATED 1409 G STREET, N. W. NOT CONNECTED WITH SALTZ BROTHERS INC. SHE: I've found the nicest way to get cool and keep cool, Joe. I've been drinking iced tea all day. . SHE: That's your third glass of iced tea, Joe. You must like it. HE: I'll say I do. This is the first time I've felt eool for a week. And the coolness lasts. VITALIZING TEA comes from INDIA, CEYLON, and JAVA- SUMATRA. Buy a good brand of Orange Pekee, and look for any of these names or this map Oon package or in advertising. “Exploring uncharted jungle wastes— pushihg through torrid heat and the ter- rible humidity of equatorial climate—saps a man’s vitality to the bone. I drink plenty of tea. It’s always cooling and refreshing. I'm keen about the way tea makes me cool and keeps me cool. Its effect is lasting.” EXPLORER BEATS THE HEAT WITH TEA—Mr. Robert Shippee, has mapped hundreds of miles of the Andes wilderness. LA TEA KEEPS " —_— CHMICHRALD CHRAI CORAI CARAI CHRAI CHRIICHIAD [