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Show I NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS I I Written for The Telegram iy Ry Tucker I WASHINGTON No other year . in ths era of Roosevelt II has closed in such a spirit of bitterness bitter-ness and chaos as 1837. Harassed statesman talk glibly too glibly of a war movement or demonstration demon-stration as a screen for distracting distract-ing domestic attention from economic eco-nomic political and Industrial atrifs. The president Is fighting mad again at ths anti-Roosevelt bloc of Democrats on Capitol HilL He condemns topnotchers In business busi-ness and Industry the moneyed group for deliberately engendering engender-ing unfavorable public psychology fear. Hs is bitter toward the Green and Lewis factions for ths Internecine struggle which is also blocking recovery. Amidst these domestic worries hs Is burdened with ths conviction that Uncle Sam must embark on stormy seaa in the Orient. Nevertheless Mr. Roosevelt has Informed advisers that hs will striks a tolerant note in his message mes-sage to ths regular aassion next month. He will mingle caustic ertlcism with a request that so-called so-called recalcitrant elements SCO-nomic SCO-nomic and political rally around him in a war on the recession. He will bugle as forecast a call to ths spirit of national patriotism. pa-triotism. In a privata conference with senate progressives they asked for it ths president conceded sadly that major responsibility for ths special session's barren performance restsd upon him. But he sent them from ths White House with a promise that be would battle for nsw deal objectives. objec-tives. Senator La Follette acted as principal spokesman for ths senatorial sena-torial mourners. Hs set forth the liberals' belief that Mr. Roosevelt hsd not shown his old tlms stuff In support of the wage-hour bill In ths house They sxprsssed amassment that a president still overwhelmingly popular with the people should permit himself to be thwarted by reactionary Democrats. Demo-crats. They could not understand, under-stand, they said, why he had not resorted to a fireside chat or other forms of pressure to whip them Into line. F. D. R. may not realise It, but this visit may herald a final break between himself and the progressives. They still trust him that is. some do but his lack of spunk discouragea them; they insist that be show more than good Intentions. The regular regu-lar aession may present the last chance for him to bold the independents inde-pendents in his camp. Elder Republican statesmen's rush to rally around Prasident Roosevelt in ths Sino-Japanese crisis was not an altogether voluntary vol-untary affair. Some of Mr. R.'s aids made a few important phone calls before Messrs. Landon. Knox and Stimson chorused their repudiation re-pudiation of the Ludlow antiwar petition and their support of the administration's firm policy toward to-ward Japan. Soma signatoriei of the Indiana man's round robin feel rather sheepish after thinking over ths consequences of their impulsive action. According to confidential reports, Japan was preparing a comprehensive apology designed to settle the Psnay mattsr once and for all. There waa an even prospect that ths emperor might send regrets, though Indirectly. Now mors than a week has passed without receipt of ths expected note from Tokio. The suspicion prevails in high quarters that ths peace at any pries attitude on Capitol Hill gave writers' crsmp to Nippon's diplomats. The Ludlow motion may poll aufficient votea to force consideration consid-eration of his antiwar amendment amend-ment when it is debated on January Jan-uary 10. Adminstration leaders ars willing to let it come to a ahowdown, knowing they have ths votes to block its submission. But Its first friends may be glad to forget it by mid-January, especially es-pecially If ths fleet is sailing eastward east-ward under sealed ordera by then. Numerous government buildings build-ings at Washington will bavs to be renovated from attic to cellar as a result of ths supreme court decision outlawing wire tapping even in the enforcement of criminal crim-inal laws. This illegal form of eavesdropping eavesdrop-ping baa been spidemie at the capital for many years, but sven more viciously during the present administration. High officials. Including cabinet members, have frequently charged that somebody (most of them suspect but don't publicise ths culprits) hss "put a tap on them." The most consistent con-sistent critic of ths system, on and off ths court has been Justice Brandeia, who abhors ths practice. prac-tice. Nobody expects ths habit to abate simply because the high court has spoken. Certain government govern-ment detectivea figure that they stand above tha law. and rarely notify the proper authorities or ask ths telephone company's permission per-mission when they break in on a wire. Ths mors modern devices for tapping a telephone ars almost al-most Impossible of detection. The president's recent appoint- mente havs shocked both old fashioned Democrats and liberals. They discern no political sense in bis handling of patronage. Mr. Roosevelt cbose Senator Wallace . H. White of Maine as chairman of ths American delegation dele-gation to ths international radio conference at Cairo next winter. The appointment gives ths juiciest junket at the president's disposal to a Yankes Republican who viciously attacked bia benefactor in tha IMS campaign. Scores of important Democratic contributors contrib-utors bad been angling for the post The promotion of E. K. Burlaw to ths post of assistant secretary of ths Interior was another jolt especially to Harold Ickea' erst-whils erst-whils progressivs pals. Mr. Bur-lew Bur-lew has frequently been suspect sus-pect becauss of bia aervice during G. O. P. regimes Fall. Wilbur, West which sought to give away natural resources. At one time his alleged interference with new deal projects provoked a demand for hia resignation from within Whits House circles. Mr. R.'s answer an-swer to complainants is complets, however each man knows his particular business. Ambassador Saito'a Impervious-ness Impervious-ness to attacks on his nation'a conduct is as thick as Samurai armor. At an embassy dinner to visiting visit-ing propagandists from Japan tha diplomat assembled a group of distinguished newspsper men. When two spokesmen for ths American press voiced sympathy with Japan's aima and needs (this happened during tha Shanghai Shang-hai bombardment), the aharp, swarthy face of Nippon's representative repre-sentative was wreathed in smiles. Turning to a Washington correspondent corre-spondent at bis aide, he said: "I shall csll on you next." "Better not," growled ths blunt guest "for I'll tell the truth and you won't like it" Saito took or showed no offense. of-fense. Hs simply grinned and said: "Thank you I shall not ask you to spesk!" Notes: House committee en judiciary ju-diciary lukewarm on proposal to impeachs Judge Geiger . . . Senator Sen-ator Barry's row with T V A over "marble" deposits reaching the acandal stage . . . Government's baby bonds are selling at rats of 1 1.500 000 a day . . . Discrepancy in official T V A figures ss to cost of Gltbertsvllle dam Involves S1S.000.000 . . . Few congressmen look for antitrust legislation this winter session too short and tax problems paramount (Copyright. 1937, for The Telegram) |