OCR Text |
Show - NA NATIONAL TIONAL TIONALAFFAIRS NATIONALAFFAIRS AFFAIRS AFFAIRSReviewed Reviewed by byCARTER byCARTER byCARTER CARTER FIELDToo FIELD FIELDToo Too much build buzld buzldup buildup up isturning IS ISturmng isturning turmng turning Harry Hopkins Hopkms " ' or- or oratoTlcal oratorical or oratorical - atorical atoTlcal atoTlcalefforts atoricalefforts efforts into mto a dud . . Cutting Cuttmg federalexpenses federal expensesand expenses expensesand expensesand and balancing balancmg the budget isseen JS is isseen seen a virtual vrtualmposslb vrtualmposslblty virtualimpossibility , impossibility , lty . . . . 1\ 1 \ Acw 1tV flew tV ( ! Deal will wzU feel theloss the thewss theloss wss loss of Joseph B Keenan's Keenans Iieenan's Iieenans Iieenan'spolitical Keenan'spolitical Keenanspolitical ' [ polItIcal polItIcalsagaCity sagacity . WAS WASHINGTON-Whatever WASHINGTON Whatever WASHINGTON lUNG TON TONWhatever Whatever -Whatever - else elsemay elsemay elsemay may be said of Harry L Hopkins Hoplans Hoplansappeasement Hopkinsappeasement Hopkinsappeasement appeasement speech intended mtended to tostart tostart tostart start the wheels ot of prosperity turn turnfng turning turntag fng ing again agam in this country coufltry and to topave topave topave pave the way to bis hIs own nomination nominationand nominationand and election next year very I1tUe little littlepoker littlepoker poker strategy was shown The Thebuild Thebuildup bUJId build up was wrong The tlmmg timing tlmmgwas timingwas timingwas was calculated badly And finally finallyit , . it became evident that Hopkins slm sum slmply sumply simply ply does not have the golden radlo radio radlovOIce radiovoice radiovoice vOIce of his chiefOn chiefOn chief chiefOn On this tlus last point pomt , , one wonders If IfMr ifMr 11Mr Mr Roosevelt is us really doing his rus rusbest hisbest _ _ _ best by this tlus thus his rus secbnd sec secBbnd bnd candidate to tot tosucceed 1 t , succeed hun him nun in m the thec ther theWhite Bbnd c r " WluteHouse-wheth WluteHouse wheth WluteHousewhethto White House-wheth House wheth House - - wheth to _ . ? er Hopkins Hoplans liket like t < ' ' ' < "g g " { Robert H Jacksona Jackson ? A a $ \ is not Dot being bemg givena given { > lr " 4 < . " ( - a run rum like a candi candl candii candia a i S\ S Sdate \ date a ateal at a presiden preslden ' - " tial tlal teal convention For r ' It > t would seem to the themost themost the'J theJ . " ' M most casual student studentof student0- student0 student0OB " U . - OB of mike oratory thatBarry thatHarry that thatHarry ule the President mustbave musthave must musthave HopklDSthe Hopkinsthe Harry Barry HopLms HopklDS Hopkins have bave known that thatHarry thatHarry thatHarry Harry was not big bug time so tar far as asbroadcastmg asbroadcasting asbroadcastmg broadcastmg broadcasting is concerned and that thathe thathe thathe he could be improved unproved qu te to consld consul conslderably consulerably considerably erably by a httle lItUe little training trammg trammgMost trainingMost trainingMost Most people for instance mstance figure figurethat figurethat figurethat that Herbert Hoover would like an another another another other try tor for the White House brass brassnng brassring brassnng nng ring but nevertheless he be did advise adviseThomas adviseThomas adviseThomas Thomas E Dewey Just ] ust before beforeDewey beforeDewey beforeDewey Dewey entered the New York guber gubernatorlal gubernatorial gubernatonal natorlal natorial race that his bls oratory slm sum slmply sumply simply ply must be improved unproved And no one oneshould oneshould oneshould should know better than Hoover Hooverv.bo Hooverwho Hooverwho v.bo vbo who . as secretary of ot commerce and andas andas andas as President was one of the worst worstever worstever worstever ever known-until known until known - until Alt Alf All M Landon- Landon Landonbut Landonbut Landon Landonbut - but who turned himself blmseJf in m the opm open opmIon openion opmion Ion of ot many observers into mto the best bestorator bestorator orator the Republican party has by bythe bythe bythe the time he had been out of ot the theWhite theWhite theWhite White House tor for tour four yearsPromised years yearsPromised Promised His HlS Head Off OffFinal , FlTUll Final Effort Became DudComing Dltd Dud DltdComing Coming Commg back to Hopkins strategy strategyor or lack of ot it it is possible that he hecould hecould hecould could not avoid one big bug mIstake mIstakeLookmg mistakeLooking mistakeLooking Lookmg Looking at the whole affair coldly coldlyIt it is probable that it Jt if Hopkins Hopkms had hadmade hadmade badmade made that same speech three threemonths threemonths threemonths months earlier it would have been a awow awow awow wow The whole country would wouldbave wouldhave wouldhave bave have talked of ot nothing nothmg else for forweeks forweeks torweeks weeks Business Busmess would have been beenelectrified beenelectrified beenelectrified electrified Everybody knowing knowinghow knowinghow knowinghow how close he was to the President Presidentit It would ha\e ha e hate \ marked a dramatic dramaticand dramaticand dramaticand and spectacular mIlestoneWhat milestoneWhat milestone milestoneWhat What had happened in that three threemonths threemonths threemonths months to make it seem an anti anticlimax anticlimax anticlimax climax ? To have made it frankly franklya a disappointment dlsappomtment to business busmess as well wellas wellas wellas as to Hopkins Hopkms boosters7 boosters ? ' The ie answer is simple There had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been too much build up The trou trouble trouble trouble ble was that Hopkins Hopkms meantime meantune had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been nom nominated mated for secretary of ofcommerce ofcommerce ofcommerce commerce and had bad to get hlmseJf himself hlmseJfconfirmed himselfconfirmed himselfconfirmed confirmed Not only that he had hadto hadto hadto to go far enough in his campaign campaignto to get confirmed to avoid any serl sera serlous seraous senous ous fight over his bls confirmation Any Anythmg Anything Anything thmg thing else might have thrown him himoff himoff himoff off what seemed 1 I ke a clear track tracklead tracklead tracklead lead ng to the White Wlute House before beforehe beforehe beforehe he could get steam upSo upSo up upSo So he promised his bls head bead oft off notin notin not Iin in one intervie intervle-v intervle v intervie-v - - * ? but in dozens He Hehad Hehad Hehad had half a dozen spokesmen on onthe onthe onthe the conservative side in m the senatetellmg senatetelling senate | telling tellmg their colleagues and news newspaper newspaper newspaper paper men and business busmess men back backhome backhome backhome home just how safe and sane Harrywas Harrywas Harry | was going gomg to be He was specific specificin in his pledges left nothing pothing , to the thelmagmatlOn theimagination theimagination theimaginationIn lmagmatlOn imagination lmagmatlOnIn imaginationIn In tact fact tact , , he said so much and It Itwas itwas itwas was relayed so widely that it is no nowonder nowonder nowonder wonder his final public publJc effort was a adud adud adud adudBalancing dud dudBalancing Balancing the Budget Rudget Is IsSeen IsSeen IsSeen Seen Virtual Impossibility ImpossibilityThe The virtual impossibility of cut cuttmg cuttang cutting tmg tang federal expenditures and bal balancmg balancing balancmg ancmg ancing the budget is clearly dem demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated onstrated in m the recent senate vote voteon voteon voteon on the proposal to cut $4 4 $ 262 202 000 000from 000from 000from from the TVA appropriation It Is Iss iss isE s gm&cant gmcant gmficant gnificant & because this was the themost themost themost most log cal place for congress to tocut tocut cut this part cular cuear bill IfIt if it were to tobe tobe tobe be cut at allThe allThe all allThe The po nt is that the house In Incutt incutt incutt cutt ng more than tour four times that thatamount thatamount thatamount amount from the TV TVA A approprla appropria approprlatlon appropriation appropnalion tlon tion had included in the projects to tobe tobe tobe be d sconlinued sconlmued scontinued the GJlberlsvllle Gilbertsville GJlberlsvllledam Gilbertsvilledam Gilbertsvilledam dam on.h onh on vh wh . , ' rh C'h Ch ' the government has hasalready hasalready hasalready already expended some millions of ofdollars ofdollars ofdollars dollars and which in addition is isreco isrecorr isrecofci reco recorr ( " izcd Iztd by all engineers engmeers as 1m am 1mportant amportant important portant not only to the navigation navigationand navigationand navigationand and flood Oood control of the Tennessee Tennesseeriver Tennesseeriver Tennesseeriver river but to the lower Ohio and andMISSISS andMississ andMississ MISSISS ppi ppl rivers as wellIn wellIn well wellIn In short it is easy to see that the themost theniost themost most niost determ ned man to cut appro approprlatlons appropriations appropnations prlatlons priations in all congress m ght gin eas easIly easily easily Ily have been becn s swayed . ayed to vote for forthe forthe torthe the Gilbertsville Gllbertsville dam money On OnthIs Onthis Onthis thIs particular point pomt there was noroll noroll no noroll roll call It was approved by a a'VoIce avoice avoice 'VoIce VoIce ' vote But on the four million mlllJon dollar ap appropriatlOn appropriation approprlation propriatlOn propriation there was no such argu argumcnt argumint argument mcnt mint calculated to appeal to sena senators senators scnators tors who want the federal govcrn govern govcrnment government government ment to balance its budget Yct Yet Yctthe Yetthe Yetthe the vote to put the appropriationinto appropriationmto appropriation mto into the b II-to II to Il-to Il 11 - to go on spending spendmg- spendmg spending- spendmgwas spendingwas spendingwas - was 49 to 31 As four additional additionalsenators additionalsenators additionalsenators senators were paired in favor of ofthe ofthe otthe strengthI the appropriation the total strength strengthfor strengthfor for it was actually 53 tour four more morethan morethan morethan than a majority of the entire bodyReally body bodyReally Really Is Part and Parcel ParcelOJ ParcelOf Parcel0 OJ Of } Old Pork Porl . Barrel SystemThe System SystemThe The really discouraging dlscouragmg phase of ofthe ofthe ofthe the whole matter malter to those who see seethe seethe seethe the necessity of budget balancmg balancing balancmghas balancinghas balancinghas has nothing nothmg to do with the merits meritsof meritsof meritsof of this particular appropriation In Inhct Infact Infict hct fact it is not unfair to say that most mostof mostof mostof of the senators scnators who voted for It Itwere itwere itwere were not primarily voting votmg on its itsmerits itsmerits itsmerits merits at all Some of them were werevotmg werevoting werevoting votmg voting for tor the additional dam be because because because cause they believe In the govern government government government ment going gomg further into the elec electrlcal electrical dectncal trlcal trical business busmess Some of them did didso didso didso so because they knew the WhIte WhIteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House wanted it it . . Some of them themwant themwant themwant want to round out the TVA proJectFor projectFor proiect proJect proiectFor For example had Arthur E Mor Mom Morgan Momgan Morgan gan been a member of the senate senatewhen senatewhen senatewhen when this vote was taken . , he would wouldof wouldof wouldof of course have voted tor for the appro appro- appropriation appropriation appropriation - priation despite his bitter crltl criti crltlclsms criticisms cnticisms clsms cisms of David E Lilicnthal Lillcnthal Lilienthal and andinferentially andinferentially andinferentially inferentially of o1 President Roose Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt velt velt , , in the conduct of o1 TV TVA A affairsBut affairsBut affairs affairsBut But the really discouraging dlscouragmg pomt point pomtIs pointis pointis Is that it is part and parcel of the theold theold theold old pork barrel system It will be benoted benoted benoted noted that the senators from trom many manyof manyof manyot of the states stafes which hope tor for more moretederal morefederal morefederal tederal federal spending spendmg on dams and river rivercontrol rivercontrol rivercontrol control projects went along With Withthe withthe withthe the majorityWhat majority majorityWhat maJorityWhat What so many people who hope hopefor hopefor hopetor for economy from congress do not notthmk notthink notthink thmk think about in m their wishful talkingis talJ.mgIS talJ.mg talJmg talking . IS that it is good business busmess tor for poll pollt t cians clans to spend public moneys In Infact Infact Intact fact that is how politicians bve live bveSometimes liveSometimes liveSometimes Sometimes it is crude as in m the thecase thecase thecase case of local contracts " with "Hth Hth atten attendant attendant attendant dant graft Sometimes it at is more moredifficult moredifficult moredifficult difficult to trace as tn m in the pork porkbarrel porkbarrel porkbarrel barrel type of federal tederal .pendmg pendmg pending 'pendingThere pendingThere ' . .pendmgThere pendingThere There the objective is not graft butbrmgmg butbringing but butbringing bringing brmgmg home the bacon1ew bacon baconAcio \ Acio l\ew l ew 1\ew 1 ofKeenan's ofKeenans ojkeeTUln's ofheenan's \ Deal Feels Loss oj of keeTUln's keeTUlns heenan's heenans ' ' Political Wisdom EFasdom WisdomThe WIsdomThe EFasdomThe The steppmg stepping out of the New Deal Dealcircle Dealcircle Dealcircle circle of Joseph B Keenan who whohas whohas whohas has been assistant attorney general generalleaves generalleaves generalleaves leaves really no one on the mSlde inside mSldeso insideso insideso so to speak . whose .hose hose knowledge of ofpractical ofpractical ofpractical practical politics and political m in mtell1gcnce intelligence intelligcnce tell1gcnce telligence commands very much re respect respect respect spect on Capitol Hill with the nota notable notable notable ble exception of course of ot the thePresident thePresident thePresident President himselfIt himself himselfIt It has frequently been a matter of ofcomment ofcomment ofcomment comment that Mr Roosevelt from fromthe fromthe fromthe the day he yielded to Alfred E ESmIth ESmith ESmith SmIth s urging urgmg that he run for gov governor governor governor ernor of New York m in 1928 did not notmake notmake notmake make a single smgle serious political mls mis mlstake mistake mistake take until he had entered on his hissecond hissecond econd second presidential term It is also alsofrequenUy alsofrequently alsofrequently frequenUy frequently pointed pomted out that a great greatmany greatmany greatmany many positive actions . which .hlch hlch were wereof wereof wereof of the highest order of ot political politicalsagacIty politicalsagacity politicalsagacity sagacIty contributed to his succes- succes success succesm successin - m in the period a little short of seven sevenyears sevenyears sevenyears years which Is included mcluded in m this spanHIS spanHis span spanHis His first political mistake accord accordmg according according mg ing to the consensus on Capitol H II IIwas IIwas 11was was his proposal for the enlarge enlarge- enlargement enlargement - . ment of o1 the Supreme court made madem madein madein m in January 1937 Then followed followedthe followedthe followedthe the purge and a long list of actIOns actIOnswhich actionswhich actionswhich which approach the definition defimtlon of an anold anold anold old time political leader that It Itwas Itwas Itwas was worse than a crime crune it was a ablunder ablunder ablunder blunder Many critics insist mSlst that it is not notmerely notmerely notmerely merely a coincidence comcldence that dUring dUringthe |