Show Marquis Childs chi New Session To Bear Close Watch WASHINGTON No congress congress congress con con- gress in many years will be watched as closely as the one that now has convened Having put the Republicans on the spot for their record in the congress congress con con- gress ess President Truman and his party must demonstrate that they can do a whole lot better The score in September of 1950 when the congressional campaign campaign begins will determine a lot more than the outcome of that campaign It can determine the shape of things to come politically speaking for or a long t time me The leaders of the new congress congress con con- gress are conscious of the concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- attention on them It happens however they are arc the same leaders and the president in the White House is the same man who failed so 0 conspicuously to collaborate inthe Inthe in inthe the year and d a half preceding preceding- the Republican victory of 1946 1916 Wide Ide Party Split So much has happened in the meantime especially within the Democratic party that the unhappy unhappy unhappy un un- happy era of last spring spring- seems unbelievably far off Relations between the chief executive ve and his own party in congress had steadily deteriorated There was scarcely a speaking acquaintance acquaintance acquaintance ac ac- between the two Even such even tempered kindly man as Alben Barkley of Kentucky then minority leader of the senate was grumbling more or less openly about the state of drift Barkley and the theother theother theother other leaders were complaining that no one at the White House ever consulted them or even so 50 much as told them what was going to come up Often Octen they learned about coming events from t the their h e I r Republican col col- leagues At both ends of or Pennsylvania avenue there is a determination that this must not be allowed to happen again The feeling has grown that the ordinary formalities observed between the capitol capit l and White House are not enough and that a new and friendlier approach is necessary sary Regular Sessions IThe i r iThe The White House h has a s announced announced announced an an- that there will be regular regu regu- lar Monday morning meetings with the congressional leaders But there arc are many on Capitol hill lull who fear these meetings will b be become e c com o m e formalized and empty They hey plan to suggest to the White House an evening meeting not less than every two weeks and preferably once a week This would be the occasion occasion occasion oc oc- oc- oc casion for frank and free discussion discussion discussion dis dis- of the program and of the problems facing the party in and out of congress ss Every president tends by the very nature of the office to be walled off in protective isola isola- tion During During- the early Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt elt years ears there was intense jealousy and resentment on Capitol hill of the new deal brain and advisers surrounding surrounding surround surround- ing the president They were accused of deliberately blocking access to the White House When Truman inherited theoffice the theoffice theoffice office it was said that one of his advantages would lie in the close friendships established through his 10 years ears in the senate He would be able to work as a friend and colleague with his old associates Surface Show Sho There were outward manifestations manifestations manifestations of a continuing friendship friendship friend friend- ship such as when the president drove up to t the h e capitol to lunch with his pals of the past But this was on the theT surface In actuality the gulf guJ between the two branches of government widened until it was an almost unbridgeable abyss In his lofty stratospheric campaign campaign cam cam- last fall Governor Thomas E E. Dewey talked a about b 0 u t the unity he meant to achieve in Washington as president He could point to his achievement in Albany in persuading persuading his his enemies would say coercing the coercing the majorities of his own part party y in t the he legislature to go along slept with the Dewey program While the unit unity theme was ridiculed after the November 2 defeat many will h have a ve the Dewey promises in mind as they follow fallow the record of the new congress Against that background feuding between Truman and Truman anti-Truman blocs between north and south between be be- tween White House find and congress congress con con- gress press will be even more conspicuous con con- No Ea Easy Task Tak Taske It will not be easy for the Democrats to achieve a minimum mini mini- mum of or harmony The dent in his campaign made a great many pledges for change and reform and certain of those pledges go directly counter to the prejudices and convictions of prominent Democrats Behind the scenes the Republicans will be looking for every opportunity to stir dissension If It the congress writes a feeble record full of evasion and failure the Democrats will have no alibi In 45 and 16 the president could say that he had lead inherited his office with its manifold worries and woes During the next two years he had the Republican majorities in the congress as a perfect alibi In the new year the Truman Truman Tru Tru- man Democrats are on their own |