Show NA NATIONAL AFFAIRS by lIy CARTER FIELD Senator Harrison decides to risk a battle with the President over revision of taxes tares President still hopes to prevent action Sooner or later congress will take profits pro out of war tear Opinion in Washington is that President lent could force IllS his nun but that he te could coul l not be bc re re- elected W WASHINGTON President Roosevelt Roose velt Is on the defensive with congress con con- gress carrying the ball bail for tax revision re reo vision that will encourage business Capitol Kill Hm is following Pat Harrison Harri liani- son chairman of the senate finance committee who has long favored adjusting taxes in the hope of regaining re reo gaining prosperity and has hal decided to risk a battle with the White While House If U necessary The lines are drawn The President dent is still hoping to prevent action A hasty glance over recent references ref to taxation by Dear Al Al- ben Barkley will show how the real views of the White House Darkley Barkley consults the White House Houle before salting his soup No congressman thinks Darkley was talking out of turn wh when n he predicted mere continuance continuance con con- of the nuisance taxes plus freezing the social socIa security taxes The clash between Harrison and Barkley excites the politically minded mind ed ed which means all of congress because Roosevelt's Roosevelt strength thrown to Darkley Barkley made him Democratic leader of the senate by a majority of one over Harrison John W. W Hanes undersecretary of 01 the treasury is I. applauding Harrison Horn Harri HornI son on whenever he thinks think Corcoran and Cohen are looking the other way Henry approves Harrisons Harrison's course also but his hi deep I loyalty to Roosevelt prevents open I enthusiasm The big question mark Is whether Roosevelt will risk vetoing a pro- pro business tax bill which will scrap some of his dearest brain children especially the remnant remaining of the tax on undistributed earn earn- earno ings Much Is I. involved including the possibility of a rift between the President and Harry Hopkins Rumors Ru Ru- mors mora are rite rife that Hopkins Hopkin ex cx expressed pressed considerable disappointment disappoint disappoint- ment over the early demise of the appeasement program in his recent talk with the President and Justice William O. O Douglas Surprise That Harrison Should Become So Militant Hopkins Hopkin is jut just as 81 sore ore as 81 the President over the defiant stand tand taken tak en by the United States Chamber of Commerce but he does not want the President to kick all of big business bust busi ness nen in the face just because neither likes the resolutions adopted by the chamber The chamber Hopkins Hopkin is Ii I said to have urged on the Prest Prel President dent is not really the voice of all I business not business not more than a modicum I of It as a matter of fact Gut flut Hop kins faced an angered and much much- goad goaded d President The wingers left had been working up Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt's Roose velt's velt ire Lie with considerable adroitness adroit ness Bess using the chambers chamber's unfortunate nate Bate language as 81 salt on his wounds and taking advantage of the absence ab sence of Dr Hopkins Hopkins' pacifying lin lin- ament Development of ot the situation came i as a surprise to most of Washing ton Everyone knew that the President President dent did not want any serious ta tax t revision and knew why he be did no not I want it The President was eager I to retain that penalty on undistributed corporation earnings lie He had bet I been advised that there was not i a chance of retaining it if It it ever reached a vote The surprise was that Senator r Harrison should become so militant Not because his ideas about tax revision revision re re- revision vision to encourage business were a secret but because it was thought though t he bad had little desire to make a hopeless hopeless hopeless hope hope- less fight light against the President Als Also p that he be believed the President eventually even I. I would be forced to yield i in I order to produce sufficiently better bette r F business conditions to make Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- p. p cratic cratie success possible In 1940 19 Sooner or Later Congress Will trill Tale Take Profit Out of 0 War ar arIt It Is very difficult to run counter counte r to the contention that the profit t should be taken out of war Fo For that reason it is very likely that thai S perhaps not at this session of con cor gress Eress but sooner or later congress congre I will pass pall some ome such legislation a as 5 that proposed by Sen Josh Lee o or orby orby rby r by Sen Homer T T. Bone S The country has hat been thoroughly sold old on the idea that a group C of j wicked International munitions makers mal make C. C S ers ens are always alway stirring up trouble C Cand and provoking war in order to make mak e profits There Is just enough proof proc If of the cont contention to make it politically poUt I. I call cally caily dangerous to go against I it I. I S The difficulty as II practical arm army 7 and nav navy men see it Is ta that I in n nS S r order to prevent someone from making mak mal C. C S ing a profit the country ma may I to 10 just that extent curtail its own po power pow er to make war To put It another r S.- S. wa way taking the profit out of Wl war If mB may succeed but the effectiveness Is IsS S of the countr country in war may be in im rI I f I I p paired aired sufficiently by the ti Ions ons rind nd taxation involved so 0 that th he the e war may drag on for twice as II long lo los ong ng as 81 it otherwise would This Is ii on the old patriotic assumption as as- s of course coure that eventually th the e United States would win any w war ar in which it was engaged It wd d does oes not contemplate the other possibility pos poe that s that the United Unitt States by t his this impairment of ot its fighting lighting ef ef- f might lose the wart war It i t t Would Remove a Very Jery I Cause for lor War Actually when war comes come no mater mat t ter er en whether it is brought about by p eople people anxious to make a profit or orby ory ory b by y some causes cause which even the mu mu- n niLion makers could not control nth th there ere will be an overwhelming desire doire de do- s Ire sire to take advantage of every o ounce of effectiveness pos possible It w will ill be desired desired and and almost compulsory com corn p wp that that every man woman a and ind child shall child shall do his or her utmost t to o help win the war There would tb b be ta e scant consideration given for example ex ex- ample mple a to any proposal to hold down downe th the e number of ot hours men or women m might ight work In works If It o our ur army or navy were in a life- life a death and struggle which might defend de de- de p fend end on an adequate supply of am am- m As were the French for e example during the Verdun fight i ing ng The danger of the proposal is not w what hat would be the temper of the p wp people eople after war came but that the p prospect of taxing all the profits w which might be made might discourage a age ge adequate preparation for war s supplies by private Investors before be be- f tore fore ore the war came come Believed President Cannot Win if i lIds Ilea A majority of Democrats in Washington Wash Wash- i ington according to a canvass made mode modey b by jy y the astute political expert of the Washington Star G G. Gould Lincoln b believe that President Roosevelt can lorce torce f orce his own if It he c chooses but a considerable number b bell believe eve that he can not be elected if It n nominated Those who believe that he can f force lorce his own accordIng accord accord- I Ing ng to Mr Lincoln include both New D Dealers Dealer and conservatives But asto as aso asto t to o whether he can be elected if n nominated the line of cleavage is c clear lear Those who are New Dealers b believe Mr Roosevelt can break the a third anti term tradition Those whore who aa a are re conservative believe almost universally uni v that he could not be elected In fact many of ot them still according ac sc c cording to Mr Lincoln are talking a about bout eUIn setting up a third party withold with withold o old ld line Democrats Democrat as candidates a rid and an old line Democratic platform platform plat plat- f form orm in the event that Mr Roosevelt Roose v velt eil does force his own t ion tion This writer believes that Mr Lincoln's Lincoln's Lin Lin- c coln's oin's reporting is excellent that excellent that it g gives ives a perfect picture of ot the situation situa tion Uon as it Is at present But Dut this writer differs as to the projection of ot the present situation Actually it s most unlikely unless there i is s some ome change chance sot not now visible on t the he horizon that horizon that Mr Roosevelt will willbe willbe wille b be e able to force torce his own l ion tion Take the one element of the picture pic plc- l ture ure that practically all of the conservatives con con- s believe that Roosevelt would tall fall of election if U he did win the nomination And then ponder a moment on the recent activities of t the he Democrats Democrat on Capitol Hill Even more Important ponder on the way many of the Democratic senators a and nd representatives are talking Find Many Democrats Democrat Would Prefer Another Candidate Th The point Is I. that a great many Democratic senators and representatives represent ethics would prefer some other Democrat than Roosevelt for the f four our years beginning in January 1 1041 1941 In fact tact they would prefer a Democrat who agreed more nearly with Vice President John Nance Garner or with Sen Harry Flood Byrd But Dut they would much rather have Roosevelt continued in the White House th than n for a Republican to take his hi place This is positively not true of all aU of the Democrats on Capitol lUll Hill but it is ii true of quite a sprinkling Now suppose the conviction spreads among this group that Roosevelt might win the Ule nomina tion but would not be elected if Il he did The Inevitable result would be betha that tha t every everyone one of this particular ca category category cat cat- t. t egory of Democratic leaders headers would be very anxious to have Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose- Roose velt defeated for the nomination Roosevelt's chief strength at the moment so 0 far as 81 getting the nomination nom nom- is concerned is the belief bellet of so many Democrats that if U he were defeated for the nomination and a conservative Democrat named that the New Dealers would bolt thus I throwing the election almost surely to the Republicans But this fear tear would be completely offset it if the conviction should grow that the nomination of ot Roosevelt himself would not result In the continuance continuance con con- of the spoils of ot office in the hands of the Democrats The picture would then be that every conservative Democratic leader leader lead lead- er would be fighting to defeat Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt for with the thought that if It the Democrats are going to lose anyway it would be better to leave heave control of ot the organization in the hands of ot the conserva conserva- tives But much But much more important n that is the serious doubt that there would be a third party movement movement move move- ment of New Dealers If It a conservative conservative conserva conserve tive should be named In fact there is as II much bluffing aU all round the board as though the game were poker pok I Ier er Cr and not politics tHen I a |