OCR Text |
Show NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS Written for The Telegram By Ray Tucker By RAY TICKER WASHINGTON World statesmen states-men are slowly hatching a scheme for ameliorating military and economic eco-nomic strife with tempting economic eco-nomic bait It was submitted to President Roosevelt by Belgian Premier van Zeeland aa the basis for a possible union (not a league) of nations. The six nations adhering to the currency stabilization agreement the United States, Great Britain, France, Belgium. Holland and Switzerland would pool proportional propor-tional amounts In a fund designed to stabilize world currencies. Then they would Invite Germany and Italy, whose monetary aystems have erected artificial barriers to trade, to ait within the charmed circle. Each country would contribute con-tribute to the central fund according ac-cording to Its capacities, with Uncle Sam and John Bull putting up the largest amount of the $5,-000.000,000 $5,-000.000,000 bank. Underlying idea la to attract the have-not nationa into a (for them) profitable deal which could eventually be broadened to handle military and commercial problems. prob-lems. Private pourparlers, diplomatic diplo-matic exchanges in sealed pouches and fireside chsts are going on now in preparation for the final agreement, which will be proclaimed pro-claimed at a world conference designed de-signed to win preatige for the statesmen Involved. Despite President Roosevelt's defense of his labor aetup Secretary Secre-tary Perkina and the national labor relations board you may look for aweeping changes in both agencies in a few months.- F. D. R. won't drop them while they're under fire, but It is his habit to move when folka aren't looking. The president haa been advised by his moat trusted labor frienda that he should get rid of Miss Perkins and revamp the personnel of the Wagner board. Miss Perkins Per-kins has antagonized William Creen, who thinks she has shown partiality to the rival C. I. O, and she haa irritated John L. Lewis, who tells friends that "labor "la-bor hasn't a aingle representative in her department." He excepta Assistant Secretary McGrady, a ataunch champion of organized labor's rights and responsibilities, on the ground that "Ed" exercises no real authority. Both labor groups, aa well as "economic royalists," roy-alists," have little use for the official of-ficial Industrial arbiters on the labor board. The likeliest prospect is that Miss Perkins may be shifted to. the department of public welfare if congress creates this new ' agency before adjourning. Then Mr. McGrady may be stepped up to the cabinet post otherwise he will step out some time in the fall. F. D. R. is already looking around'for an impressive, impartial impar-tial figure to take command of the labor board. But he will make no substitutions until the drumfire drum-fire haa died down. "Charley Mac," which happens to be the friendly nickname of Republican Senate Leader Mc-Nary, Mc-Nary, performed a neat operation opera-tion on the White House faction a few days ago. Only those who have listened to cloakroom conversation con-versation on the Democratic side sense the devilish subtlety of his remarks. The Oregonian simply asked whether congress was to follow the leadership of "Young Bob" La Follette, who has lectured the aenats after a week-end aail with the president, and whether the supreme court arrangement effected ef-fected by the "able vice president" waa to be capped by an early adjournment ad-journment "Charley Mac," of course, had wallowed in the resentment re-sentment seething among senate Democrats over the La Follette performance. He knew that the old-linera were sore at F. D. R. s selection of a Republican Progressive Progres-sive for his week-end companion. Mr. McNary also knew how proud the Capitol hill statesmen were over the V. P.'s dominant role in the latter days of the court conflict It gave them a new confidence in themselves and lifted lift-ed up their chins. "Mac" was appealing to personal prejudices, bitternesses and political differences. differ-ences. Inadvertently ha adver-. adver-. tised the G. O. P. strategy for the aession and the pre-1940 period. It is to widen the abysmal split between Rooseveltian new dealers and old-fashioned party Democrats. Demo-crats. A southern Democratic crop-cotton crop-cotton may eventually salvage Roosevelt reforms doomed to die at this session of congress. A record-breaking surplus and a 50 per cent fall In price may permit him to say "I told you ao" to the below-the-line legislators now sabotaging his demand for new agricultural, industrial and economic eco-nomic controls. Cotton haa been bringing high prices for the last few years. But the demand haa had the ineyitable effect the planters set out extra acres so as to reap the immediate benefits. Official estimatea place the 1937 crop at tremendous figures fig-ures far mora than domestic consumption or the export trade can absorb. As a result, prices may sag to the level of Hoover days, when nobody got back even their seed. Should these unexpressed hopes materialize, Mr. Roosevelt will come up with an Irresistible argument argu-ment for supreme court reform (the court killed the original A A A), for his catch-all agricultural agricul-tural bill and for measures restricting re-stricting speculation in many other remote fields. King Cotton may eventually topple the "economic "eco-nomic royalists" from their new-won new-won throne of rugged individualism. individual-ism. Hatton Sumners of Texas whose eloquent address in the house really killed the aupreme court reform bill may lose his seat unless his predictions that at least two more justices will resign come true. It waa this forecast by the foremost friend of the court on Capitol hill which downed F. D. R. in the momentous struggle. Mr. Sumners hss been telling friends privately for many months that three Jurists would quit if assured of life psy, aa they have been by the measure he sponsored. Ha never named the three members, mem-bers, keeping secret their promises to him, but the supposition haa always al-ways been that they were Messrs. Van Devanter (who has stepped down), Butler and McReynolds. They hung on, so Mr. Sumners informed friends, only out of resentment re-sentment against the court-packing proposal. Now there is no reason why they shouldn't retire under the much advertised Sumners theory. If they don't his political enemiea back home will denounce him for having given false counsel that contributed to the president's defeat. de-feat. So the honorable justices can aava his seat only by giving up theirs. Notes: Federal trade commission commis-sion is to make sweeping investigation investi-gation of public utilities and electric elec-tric power. . . . Protesting against establishment of cancer research Institute in Washington, Congressman Con-gressman Amlie of Wisconsin says District of Columbia climate Is worse than Death valley. . . . Representative Tinkham of Massachusetts Mas-sachusetts wants three presidents instead of one and proposes an inquiry Into the subject . . . Uncle Sam haa (40.000 regular civilian employes, with payroll $1,500,000.-000 $1,500,000.-000 a year. . . . Only 117,000 ara located In Washington. (Copyright, 1937, for The Telegram.) |