Show National Topics Interpreted by William Bruckart National Press Building Washington D C Washington President Roosevelt noose appears to be he facing a considerable amount of or trouble as Trouble for his MS plans move for- for Roosevelt ward for administration tion of the r wor works works relief relief f fund Th The dim dim- difficulties cuI ties confronting the President are nm of ot two kinds each likely to prove em em- At this Olis writing It Is Impossible Impossible impossible im Im- possible to forecast what the end will willbe willbe be but the circumstances of the situation situa situa- thou tion that hils been heen brewin brewing some weeks seem to warrant a n recital of the tIte facts It will be remembered that durIn during the long drawn out congressional fight ht preceding passage of or the appropriation there were numerous open accusations and man many r more mum mum- bungs s underneath that the fund would be used by the administration to some e extent tent at nt least for political purposes Most Host observers thought at that time that the accusations were simply representative representative rep rep- e of ot a n boiling political pot It was felt also that opponents of or the President were fomenting discontent and defections In his ranks s In order to establish a record for later political campaigning Now however hower howe r a different aspect ap ap- ap- ap pears The patronage question has bobbed up tip It Is coupled with complaints complaints com com- plaints in man many states against federal encroachment upon states states' rights So It Is made to appear that Mr Ir elt Roosevelt Is faced with a n determined element clement which Is battling against his policies not so much because he Is a n New Dealer as ns because they believe federal power has been exten extended ed to a n new boun boundary ar and this breeds a fear of further further further fur fur- ther subordination and subjugation of state authorities The recent meeting of or the governors' governors conference at Biloxi Miss constitutes ample proof If further further fur fur- ther titer evidence be needed of or the UprIsing uprising uprising up Up- rising out In the states against en encroachment encroachment en- en on state affairs by the Washington administration History records numerous Instances where heretofore heretofore heretofore here here- the Washington government go Ins has sought to extend the scope of or Its power flower in one way or another usually In minor matters In every Instance this move has been met by a solid phalanx of or state officials and state leaders lenders who have promptly put the federal government back baele In Its Us coni constitutional con con- place As far as ns discloses however how the P ilo I governors governors' governors governors' govern govern- overn- overn ors' ors conference Is the first Instance In which the chief executives of states have ha come out so openly with their declarations that the federal govern govern- goY rn- rn went ment had gone too far The Biloxi pronouncements tal take e on added signIficance significance significance sig sig- as well wen through the fact that lenders leaders who w were re the most critical of President Roosevelt In that meeting were governors of traditionally Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic states The other phase of or the faced by Mr Ir Roosevelt Hoose links s possibly more mor directly with Political the politics In the Phase situation than does that which I have hav Just discussed While the states states' rights question and th the potentialities of or a n further subordination of state authorities au nu- nu- nu s' s to the will of or the federal government government government gov gov- ties In directly with the Presidents President's expressed d. d desire sire for con conS revision the second fc fr tor carries possibilities of Important political po po- defections In the ranks of or the Democratic party i Again the governors governors' conference gives a n clue State officials must maintain main maln- tain tamn their own wn political or organizations Unless they do so they sink quickly Into oblivion During the last fifteen years ears the of ot governor In a n good goad many states has hns been looked upon as asa asa asi a stepping stone to the senate or to the Presidency Consequently unless the governor go who has political ambi ambitions holds hold his own lines pines fast his chances are gone one Since the federal go government nt has so much money to spend In each one of the states It becomes becomes be be- comes conies obvious that the governors go look wl with h longing eyes ees at nt the cash If they control the tho expenditure they wield wiehl an enormous power The trouble Is under under un tm- un- un der Mr Roosevelt's Hoose policies the governors governors governors gov gov- In most states are arc not being allowed a voice In this expenditure Aubrey Williams assistant emergency emergency emer mer- gency ency relief rollet administrator here herc let lethe the he cat cut out of the bag In his speech to o the governors at nt BIloxI Few plainer plain er words could have been chosen than were used by Mr Williams In ImpartIng Impart- Impart Ing ng to the governors' governors conference the Information that Relief Administrator Hopkins and anel Works Administrator Ickes ekes were going to pick their own I Imen men In most If It not all all states Naturally Naturally Nat Nat- the governors go began to wonder what was left for tor them When they discovered they ther were holding an empty bag containing no checks which th they y yenn can enn sign their wrath knew no bounds And there are further complications In n the works relief relict spending program It will be recalled Other that a good many Difficulties senators und representatives representatives es did not conceal their antagonism for Secretary Glees while the bill was before them Indeed some som of or them laid down an nn Irrevocable position demanding demanding demand demand- ing that Mr Ir Ickes es public works administrator administrator ad ad- under the old or order er should have nothing to do with the new fund whereupon the President soothed their burts Hurts b by saying that he himself would direct the spending tint and his promises I are regarded as having saved the day When the new n setup set set u was announced however Mr Ir IcI Ickes es was found to be he apart n fl part of It It Is true that theoretically his position Is of or less consequence than that of or Relief Administrator and that h ho he Is also subordinate In away n a wn way to Frank C. C Walker Waller who was wal brought ht In as us n a new co co cle ele- went ment As s the program develops Mr Ir Hopkins appears more anti and more to tobe tobe tobe be the hj lug big shot Ills IUs Influence pre dominates It must roust be added however however however how how- ever that his policies and those enumerated enumerated enu enu- by Mr Ickes are arc not In IQ ac fie- ac- ac cord The divergence of or views between Mr i g gHopkins Hopkins and Mr Ur Ickes was vas shown In Illuminating fashion the other day when wIlen these two officials held press conferences on the same day Mr Ir Ickes who believes the admInIstration administration administration admin admIn- never has hns ma made e a real try at I pump priming by use of Its public I works s program nr argued the Impossibility Impossibility of con conducting real public works worl s son on any substantial scale un under er th the present Roosevelt program of spending spend spend- ing Mr l Hopkins on the thc other hand discoursed at length en th on his favorite 9 theme the necessity of planning projects from the standpoint of ot potentials poten tints In providing employment Tho The Hopkins policy takes no account of or the question of permanence of or the projects It contemplates only the fie factors Involved Involved In In- In getting betting Immediate work Mr Ickes takes the position tint that t recovery cannot be he gained unless public odes projects serve seive not only to give gl j Jibs j 1 but i to Induce other lines of to commence operation points to previous experiences In the present administration with these attempts at nt priming the pump and causing related Jobs jolls to prosper while Mr Ickes Infer Infer- at least holds that It Is better better bett bet bet- t ter r to continue tr tryIng to prime the Y pump than to give ghe up the Job or use the money In the Hopkins fashion While this little difference of opinion between the two high ranking officials ma may not seem Important the consensus Is that It has had hall the effect of up the work of spending the vast ast sum of or money Most folks folks' believe It will tal take e much longer than a year In which to spend the nn anyway way so that any additional dela delay puts pule further back the ultimate consummation of oC the works relief pro program m. There Is another element clement of this situation deserving of consideration It is Mr l Hopkins who Is picking tho the 7 Presidents President's representatives es In the various varl vari ous states where the federal government government govern govern- ment has taken over the management ement of or relief relict expenditures Mr Ir Hopkins Is not a politician has never had e. e ex experience experience In that field and gives every appearance of or being wholly unconcerned unconcerned unconcerned about political advices advice The re- re 5 suIt sult naturally Is that Mr Ir Roosevelt la is being the spot In a n number number number num num- ber of or Instances through h Mr Ir Hopkins Hopkins' appointments Political observers are watching these developments closely because 1 they see In them the tho germs of ot bitter ti 1 v political enmity that may not servo serve Mr Ir Roosevelt noose so well In the next nest lle t i elec tIon The sleepy Republicans show signs of or arousing The administration has been trying to to Ig- Ig Republicans nore the Springfield Awaking conference of Grass GrassRoots GrassRoots Roots Republicans and has succeeded except for Spokesman Spokes Spokes- man Farley j Mr Farley as ns head of ot tho the Democratic national committee and postmaster general and political patronage patron patron- age dispenser had to shoot back In his characteristic c fashion Other than his outburst silent treatment has been A Athe the medicine prescribed respecting tho the Republican uprising If It Mr Roosevelt elt kept his radio turned on while the Springfield meeting of or Republicans was In session he must have hive harkened back to n a similar circumstance Involving his predecessor Herbert Hoover Political writers In Washington Washing and a n good many of or the franker er politicians could not resist drawing a parallel on the Springfield meeting and the tIle strafing which the Democrats gave Mr Hoover Of at course cours every pry one knew then that Mr Hoover was too thin-skinned thin politically to stand up under such machine pun gun un fire Few of ot us e expected that Mr Roosevelt had bad the same characteristic characteristic- because he had been under political gun fire tire much more than Mr Ir Hoover v Notwithstanding White House silence on the Springfield SprIng meeting however the tho word leaks lenks out that the President has hns been much Irked It If trot not disgusted by the attack on fundamentals of or the New Deal It will be remembered that for the first time the tIle Republican opposition opposition opposition singled out what the opponents opponent believe e to be eighteen vulnerable spots in the tho New Deal pro program ram nero Hero In Washington observers are watching closely to discover er how the the President Intends to offset the Republican Republican lican criticism If It and when he c fight back It Is believed his general tactical plan for tor 1030 1936 will be disclosed Republicans Republicans Re Re- publicans also are watching watching- There are to be more of or these so so called called Grass Roots toots conferences ces and if It by any chance the President tips his hand before these other meetings arc are held Insiders among the Republicans Insist they the are ure prepared to take full advantage advantage j k tage of or the disclosures V western o Vest urn Newspaper Union 4 1 3 |