| Show I 1 NEWS BEHIND H I ND TH THE E NEWS Written H for The h Tele Telegram By R Ray Tucker e WASHING WASHINGTON T TON 0 N President Roosevelt's attitude puzzles close advisers and outside visitors He seems listless disinterested wearied wearied wear wear- led unable or unwilling to concentrate concentrate concentrate con con- on urgent problems The letdown contrasts vividly with his usual display of energy and vigor He deliberately avoids discussion discussion discus discus- sion Sian of questions on a conference agenda switching the conversation conversation conversation conversa conversa- tion to personal hobbies or Frequently he sends for old friends for no other reason than to chat over happier episodes of his early political career He resents criticism as deeply as ever but he ignores it by recalling pre- pre recession triumphs and ers He betrays what psychoanalysts psychoanalysts call an escape complex Likewise he refuses to bestir himself to apply pressure to a grumbling congress When liberals liberals liberals liber liber- als plead with him he shrugs his shoulders figuratively as if to say Ive done my part Now its it's up to you He exhibits the same indifference toward mobilizing mobilizing mobilizing ing industry behind a recovery drive He grasps eagerly at all suggestions which explains recent inconsistencies in matters of majar major major ma ma- jor jar policy prices policy prices holding companies companies companies compa compa- nies foreign affairs etc A friendly congressional delegation delegation delegation dele dele- gation recently found him in this mood when they arrived with alot alot a alot lot more than hair on their mind Surprised at first they quickly resorted to trigger hair-trigger strategy to get their ideas across They gave him no time to change the subject or orto to direct the talk into channels of amiability In machine gun manner t the they h e y fired their proposals and questions questions questions ques ques- at him until the conference bordered at times on a sharp cross Even so they could not pin him down to promises promises prom prom- to rally his gang behind origInal original origInal inal new deal aims With only six minutes left the congressional al chairman said Now we yield to the gentleman from New York Mr Roosevelt lifted his head slowly gazed around and his eyes Buffalo fell on bi big Jim Mead of The pre president dent smiled and said the gentleman from New NewYork York York Jim Jim Mead No spoke up the interlocutor Franklin D. D Roosevelt F. F D. D R. R seemed grateful grateful grateful grate grate- ful for a chance to talk but he said nothing pertinent to their plaints or problems Its It's a new kind of Roosevelt Washington glimpses these days The White House is privately worried over negro leaders' leaders resentment resentment resentment resent resent- ment against F. F D. D Rs R.'s failure to lead the fight for enactment of the bill Secretary McIntyre summoned several colored editors to his office office office of of- fice after they had published denunciations denunciations denunciations de de- de- de of the presidents president's aloofness from the senate con con- filet He explained so they say that Mr Roosevelt really favored cloture and was secretly using his influence to force a vote He instanced the stand of Majority Leader Barkley as evidence of where the chief executive stood That may be so replied Walter Walter Walter Wal Wal- ter White secretary of the National National National Na Na- Association for the Advancement Advancement Advancement Ad Ad- of Colored People but butwell butwell butwell well we'll wait and see The president has deplored mistreatment of Jews in foreign countries but he has said nothing about the violation of the civil rights of American citizens citizens citizens citi citi- zens within our own borders Truth is that the bills bill's sponsors have muttered in cloakrooms about the lack of expected reinforcement reinforcement reinforcement rein rein- from the White House Democratic politicos of Kentucky Kentucky Ken Ken- tucky face a dilemma in deciding between Majority Leader Barkley and Governor A. A B. B Chandler in inthe inthe inthe the forthcoming senatorial mary Some of them think it amounts to a choice between Franklin D. D Roosevelt and James A. A Farley Fancy Heres Here's why A few weeks after F. F D. D R. R named the senator as his entry writing another Dear Alben letter letter letter let let- ter and dispatching Mac to attend attend attend at at- tend a Barkley banquet at LouisVille Louis- Louis Ville the autographed photograph of a famous face appeared in a prominent spot on the Chandler desk It was a picture of National Chairman Farley and the words he had inscribed left no doubt of the governors governor's safe place in the Farley heart and scheme of things To the thousands of Kentuckians Kentuckians Ken- Ken who with Happy every week it was mute evidence that Jim was enforcing enforcing enforcing ing his neutrality law no matter what others did The administration means to throw all its influence to Mr Barkley His defeat would be Interpreted Interpreted in interpreted In- In rightly or wrongly as asa asa asa a rebuke to the president in a Democratic borderline state It would hearten new anti-new dealers inside and outside the party it might influence 1940 lineups But political grapevine reports bring word that Chandler would win if the election were held today Though they squabble on most other questions President Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt and Senator Wheeler are secretly secretly secretly se se- se- se scheming to force the in interstate interstate interstate in- in commerce commission into granting g the railroads' railroads petition petition petition peti peti- tion for increased rates There the two men part again however F. F D. D R. R has postponed his railroad railroad railroad rail rail- road conference several times in order to give the I. I C. C C. C a chance to act He doesn't feel that he can reach any agreement with the railroaders unless all hands know knowin in advance what future income prospects may be Meanwhile Senator Wheeler has called off his investigation of railroad financing financing financing ing for a similar reason He figures figures figures fig fig- ures further revelations of banker control and profits might furnish the I. I C. C C. C an alibi for denying the application Neither president nor senator would object to em- em the commissioners by blaming them for new transportation transportation transportation tation troubles The senator has also scheduled a tentative parley with rail and labor chieftains It is his private suspicion that the White House cooked up its conference scheme to steal the spotlight from his So their present Alphonse and Gaston act doesn't mean that they have made up Its It's probable they never will Copyright 1938 for The Telegram |
