| Show Texts of Publishers Publisher's P t tAnd And Presidents President's Letters By Associated Press The texts of the letters exchanged between President Fran Franklin lin D. D Roosevelt and Roy Boy W. W Howard publisher she of the Scripps-Howard Scripps newsPaPers on nn the presidents president's policies follows Mr Howards Howard's letter letter dated August Au Au- gust 26 My dear dea dear Mr Pre President As M an independent editor keenly interested in the objectives of the new deal I have been seeking reasons rea rea reasons sons for tor doubts the and uncertainties uncertain uncertain- ties of ot those business business' men who are aro skeptics c critics and outright opponents of at your program at a 1 uL time LU when wuen there is 11 no commensurate rate dissatisfaction b being ing evidenced by others of oC the electorate I do not accept it Jt as a fact that the tho interests of what we broadly term business necessarily are in conflict with mass mass interests I expect tc tp to continue in support of your stated interpretation of at American AmerIcan Amerlean Amer Amer- ican lean liberalism notwithstanding my dissent and disagreement as tuI to some Bome details and some th theories orles Therefore it Is is in a friendly and andI I hope constructive spirit that I attempt a few observations and opinions which I believe belleve U timely and pertinent These represent I r believe a composite com com- composite of the most moat frequently expressed expressed ex ex- pressed criticisms of your admin admin- That certain elements of at business have been growing more hostile to your you administration is a fact to too obvious to be classed as news So long as this hostility emanated from financial racketeers public exploiters exploit exploit- ers and the sinister forces spawned by special privilege It was of slight alight importance No crook loves a cop But any experienced reporter will Mill tell teU you that throughout the country many business men men who once gave ae you OU sincere support are arc now not merely hostile they are frightened Many of these thes men whose patriotism patrio patrio- patriotism and sense of public service will compare with that o of any me meIn men in political life have become convinced convinced convinced con con- con con- vinced and sincerely believe That you OU fathered a tax bill that alms aims at revenge rather than revenue revenge revenue revenge on business That the administration has stepped side broadening the tax base to the extent ne necessary ry to approximate the needs of the situation situation situ situ- atlon That there can be no real re recovery recovery re- re covery ery until the fears of business JI have VC be been n allayed through the gr granting of a breathing spell to Industry and a recess from further further fur fur further ther experimentation until the country can recover its losses I know you have repeatedly stated your position on sections of the thena natIons nations nation's nations nation's na na- tion's problems but a as an editor I know also the necessity for repetition repe- repe repe repetition and reiteration There is teed iced to undo the damage that h has s been done by of at the new deal I know that you feel as I I do- do that with all its faults faults and the abuses it has developed o our bur r s system stem has in the past enabled us to achieve greater gr ater mass progress than has been attained by any other system on earth arth Smoke out the sinister forces seeking tb fb del delude de the the public into believing that an orderly modernization modernization of a system we want to to preserve is revolution in disguise Cordially and sincerely yours I Signed ROY W. W HOWARD The presidents president's letter dated September September Sep Sep- 2 My dear dear- Mr Howard I appreciate the tone and purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of your J letter and fairness impels me to note wIth no little the sympathy and facts which you record b based sed on your observations as M a leporter teporter of opinion throughout the United States I can well realize moreover that the many legislative details and pr processes incident to the long and nd arduous session of ot the congress should have e had the unavoidable effect of promoting some confusion in many peoples people's minds I think we can safely disregard gird gard rd I the skeptics of whom you speak Skeptics were present when Noah said sahl It was ns going to torain torain torain rain and thc they refused to go into the ark We Va can also disregard those who arc are actuated by a spirit of or political partisanship or by a willingness to gain galnor or retain personal profit at the i expense of or and detriment to their neighbors Then Then there were those who told us to do nothing We Ve had heard of the nothing do-nothing policy before and from the same sources and in many cases from the same individuals It when Theodore R Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- ose velt and nd Vo Woodrow Wood drow row Wilson VIlson proposed reforms The country has learned how to tome me measure sure that kind of opposition But there are are critics who are honest and nonpartisan and who are re willing willing will will- ing to discuss and to learn I believe believe be be- lieve ve we owe owe therefore a positive duty to clarify our purposes to de describe describe describe de- de scribe our methods and to reiterate our ideals Such cla clarification on is greatly aided by th the efforts of those spirit public ed newspapers rs which serve the public pub pub- lic lie well hv by a true tru portrayal vt 1 of nf the tV th facts and ani anian an an e unbiased p printing of the news However experience Is In the best teacher and results are the best evidence As the essential outline of what has been oen done rises into view view- I am confident that doubts and misapprehension will wm vanish I am confident further that business business business busi busi- ness as a whole will agree with ith you and nd with me that the Interests interests interests inter inter- ests of what vh t we e broadly term business business busi bus iness i- i ness are not In conflict with but wholly In harmony with mass in In- In I note what you say of at the hostility hostility hos hos- emanating from tram financial racketeers public exploiters and sinister forces Such criticism it Isan is isan isan an honor to bear A car with many cylinders can keep running in spite of at plenty of carbon carbon but but it knocks When it Is overhauled an Important part of the job is th the removal of that carbon I the large the d digression was the c culmination of unhealthy however however however how how- ever innocent arrangements arrangement in agriculture agriculture agriculture ag ag- ag- ag in business and In hi finance Our legislation was remedial and andas andas as such it would serve no purpose to make a doctrinaire effort effort to distinguish between that which was addressed sed to recovery and that which was addressed to reform The two in an effort toward sound and fundamental recovery are ble Our actions were in conformity with the basic economic purposes which were set forth three years ago As spokesman f for r those purposes I pointed ed out that It was nt necessary essary to seek a wise balance in American economic life Ute to restore our bankIng banking banking bank bank- ing system em t to public c confidence to protect investors in the security market to give labor freedom to organize and arid pr protection from exploitation ex ex- to safeguard an and develop our national resources to set up protection against the vicissitudes s incident to ol old ale age and Unemployment unemployment ment to relIeve de destitution and suffering suffering suffering suf suf- fering and to to relieve investors and consumers from th the burden of at unnecessary unnecessary unnecessary un un- necessary corporate mae machinery I do not believe that any re responsible responsible re- re p political party in the country will dare lare to go before the public ImbUe In opposition to any of these major objectives The tax reform of which you speak is based upon pon a broad and just social and economic purpose Such a purpose it goes without sayIng saying say say- ing is not to destroy wealth b but bilt butto t tto to create broader range rang of ot opportunity opportunity opportunity to restrain the growth of at unwholesome and sterile accumulations accumulations tIon and to lay the burdens of or government gov government gov- gov where they can best be carried No reasonable person thinks that this is s going to destroy competent competent competent com com- corporations or impair business as a whole Taxes on 95 per cent of our corporations' corporations are arc actually reduced by tho the new tax law A small excess profits tax Is also provided as well as an rate dividend tax which will have havethe havethe havethe the wholesome effect of encouraging ing leg the simplification of overly complicated complicated complicated com com- and wasteful relationships Congress declined to broaden the tax base because it was recognized that the tax base had already been broadened to a very considerable extent during the past five years I am aware of the sound arguments arguments arguments ments advanced in favor of making every citizen pay an income tax however small his income England is cited as an example But it it should be r recalled called that tha despite complaints about higher taxes our meets on all aU public debts including local governments require only 3 per our national income as compared with wilh 7 per cent in Eng Eng- land The broadening of base in inthe inthe inthe the past few years has been very real What is known as consumers' consumers taxes namely the invisible taxes paid by people in every walk of ot life fall tall relatively much more he heavily upon the poor poorman man than on the rich richman man manIn In 1929 consumers' consumers taxes represented represented represented only 30 0 per cent of the national national na na- na- na lIonal revenue Today they arc are 60 per and even with tho the passage of the tho recent tax x bill the tho proportion I of these consumers consumers' taxes will ViII drop t only 5 per cent This administration came Into f power ver po pledged t to a very considerable considerable consider consider- able legislative program It found i the condition of or the country such i l as to require Acquire drastic and far reach ing reach action Duty and necessity re required required re re- r us to move on a broad front I for more than two years i It seemed to the congress and tome tome to tome me better to achieve these thes objectives objectives I tives as as expeditiously as possible InI in order that not only business but the I i public generally might know those I modifications in the conditions andrules andrules and andrules rules of ot economic enterprise which r were were Involved in our program This basic program however cr has now reached substantial comI completion com com- I and tho the breathing spell of at r I which you speak is here very cry very j i decidedly so 50 t It Js-a Js source of at great satisfaction that at this moment conditions are aret t such as to offer further substantial and widespread recovery Unemployment still aUlI with us but it Isi is i steadily diminishing and our eft efforts efforts ef ef- ef- ef t for forts t tb to meet its problems are UllI un un- I flagging r I do not claim the magicians magician's wand I do not claim that government government govern govern govern- I ment alone alon is responsible for or these I definitely better better beUer circumstances But we all know the very great effect i of at the saving of ot banks of ot farms of i homes the building of public works the tho providing of relief for lor the tho destitute destitute des des- and other direct many governmental govi gov gov- i acts for tor forthe the betterment l of ot conditions And we do o claim that we have helped to restore that public confidence which now offers otters so substantial a foundation for tor our recovery I take it that we are all not merely seeking but getting the recovery of confidence not merely the confidence confidence conCi- conCi dence of a small group but that basic on the part of oC the mass mas's mass of at our population tion in in the soundness of our economic life Ute and alid andin andin in the honesty and justice of at the purposes of its economic rules and methods I I like the last sentence of ot your letter and I repeat it it with all its i faul faults and with tho the abuses it Jt has bas developed our system has in the past enabled us us to achieve gr greater ater I mass progress than has been at at- at- at tamed tc by any other system on earth Smoke out the sinister forces seeking seeking seek seek- i ing to delude the public into believing bellev- bellev ing leg that an orderly modernization of at a system we want to preserve is I revolution in disguise c i Very sincerely yours Signed Sis i FRANKLIN D. D ROOSEVELT i t I |
