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Show Brackart'a Washington Digest Three Important Problems For Congress to Consider National Defense, Relief, and the Railroads Are Pressing Questions; This Congress Will Not Vote Money Just to Please the President. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU Service, National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON. If it were possible possi-ble to close one's eyes to the tragedy of the scene and forget all about the sadness of the world, one might produce a masterpiece of humor concerning the situation in the nation's na-tion's capital this week. After the manner of the circus hawker, one might shout that the greatest show on earth is about to open; one might call attention to the fact that this show is unlike most others because it has two "big tops," and one might, without stretching the imagi-- imagi-- nation, suggest that if you want to understand what is happening, or is about to happen, you had best keep your eyes trained on both tents. Yes, in all seriousness, there are two shows this winter. One of them has many actors, many voices. It is to be found in the halls cf congress con-gress on Capitol HilL The man on the flying trapeze never excelled by comparison with members of the house and senate. Never were there better clownish acts than are staged annually in those chambers. Instead of vocal applause and much clapping clap-ping of hands, however, the actors in the Capitol Hill circus want applause ap-plause in the shape of votes; they want to have the home folks approve. ap-prove. Now, concerning the other tent, there is only one actor. But he controls many Charlie McCarthys. He used to operate a puppet show. He made his actors perform so well that they became known as rubber stamps. But an election has intervened. inter-vened. Some of the strings that controlled puppets have been broken, bro-ken, others have become knotted, and the master actor probably has somewhat more critics in his audience audi-ence than he formerly had. National Defense and the Railroads Serious Problems And so we get down to cases. President Roosevelt will offer to congress in a few days his program for building up the national defense. He will tell congress, as well, what the needs of the destitute are and how he conceives that they must be met As a third great problem, and probably the most difficult as well as of concern to every one of us, there is the question of what to do to save the railroads of the country. No official seems to have found a proper or sane solution, but to me it appears that the time has come when national action is called for in a much more concrete form than the "intellectual liberals" surrounding surround-ing the White House are accustomed to advance in bringing about the more abundant life. Trains run on money, as well as steel, and if the owners do not get some money very soon there won't be more than half a dozen rail lines in the country that have escaped bankruptcy. In addition to these problems, we are likely to see competition between be-tween the two shows for some very juicy jobs. Of course, these concern con-cern largely the north ring of the Capitol Hill circus, namely, the senate, sen-ate, which must confirm presidential presiden-tial appointments before the act is completed. It is not too much to expect that there will be considerable considera-ble difference of opinion between the White House and the senate over a good many of these selections. There is always the annual mess of appropriation bills. Work has been started on many of them by committees which have charge. But it should be remarked that the work has been only started. It is by no means finished. For in these money bills this year there are tons and tons of hot air. There are not enough rubber stamps to bring a majority vote if, as and when wanted, want-ed, like it has been for the last several sev-eral sessions. In other words, in the forthcoming session, unless all signs fail, there will be close scrutiny scruti-ny of appropriation bills. Congress Won't Vote Money Just to Please the President From present indications, I believe be-lieve it may be said that Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt will get money out of the current cur-rent session of congress only when the congress decides it desires to vote money. It will not vote money just because the President says money shall be voted. Further, it appears certain that there will be no more "blank check" appropriations. appropria-tions. The end has come for that snrt of thing. Hereafter, one may expect that congress will have its Fay as to v.'hnt is done with the rn.mey, where and how it will be .-nt. In other words, there is such in'cnse hatred of Professional Re-l.cver Re-l.cver Harry Hopkins that the bulk of the congressional membership is a v. a iting an opportunity to clip Harry's winys as the world's crcat-r crcat-r :.t spender. And it rnij;ht be added here. too. tli;it there are certain cer-tain senators and representatives v.ho would rather welcome a chance to take a slap at the whole new deal relief setup, not to mention a side- wise smearing that thereby would be given the President It must be remembered that Mr. Hopkins is Mr. Roosevelt's closest friend and adviser. This national defense program about which the administration has been doing so much talking has its merits, I believe. As far as I have talked with officials, with students I of international affairs, with foreign representatives, I find none who is happy about the prospect. It is a straight-out challenge to the democracies democ-racies of the world that has been waved by Hitler, Mussolini and the others. Dictatorship is feeling its oats. With Communism on the one hand and Fascism on the other, there surely is need for preparedness prepared-ness and that is what Mr. Roosevelt Roose-velt is proposing. Big Navy Helps to Keep Foreign Statesmen Rational It looks like a tremendous waste of money, because hundreds upon hundreds of millions will be spent for ships, for aircraft, for fortifications. fortifica-tions. I always have felt that a big navy the mere presence of it helped keep some greedy and aggressive ag-gressive foreign statesmen in their right senses. The change in war methods that has come about from development of the airplane requires re-quires that our air force be strengthened. All of these things must be considered. But if they were not to be considered, I have two other reasons for believing the President is on the right track. I witnessed the terrific waste in the attempt to build a war machine in 1917 and 1918. If it is built up according ac-cording to plans, without haste, by people who know their business, we will at least get something for our money which we didn't in 1917. Those who have ever visited the James river in Virginia surely will agree with that statement after they have seen several thousand boats, built for war purposes, rotting to the water's edge without ever having hav-ing been used. The second reason to be mentioned men-tioned is that expenditure of money for this type of construction is going go-ing to mean jobs. It will take many people off of relief. Again, surely it is worth more to have something substantial built than to have strong men raking up leaves or building privies. Before the debate on the defense program is over, of course, there will be charges that Mr. Roosevelt has set up a hobgoblin of fear. He will be charged with having proposed pro-posed the defense program to distract dis-tract attention from his failure to help business out of its slump. There is some truth in that But there is truth in the reports that we are not protected, as a nation, and that our army and our navy would be like a terrier fighting a police dog if we should have to mix it with any foreign power. Railroad Picture Important As Is the Defense Program The railroad picture is as important impor-tant in a domestic way as is the defense program. Indeed, I can not help wondering what our defense program would be like if the rail lines break down. I am told that the war department has figures showing that if the railroads were called upon to haul 25 per cent more traffic now than they hauled in 1937, some of the freight trains would be taking short cuts across corn fields and trying to leap over creeks. Some of the senators and some administration officials want to provide pro-vide additional government loans to the rail lines to help them build up their rights of way. That sounds foolish to me. To loan them more money is simply to break their backs with added debt. They have all of the debt that they can stand now. I have about reached the conclusion conclu-sion that an actual subsidy to the railroads may be the best and the cheapest thing to do. Give them cash; treat them as other means of transportation have been treated. There is no use denying it, for the government has subsidized waterways. water-ways. It is giving cold cash to the merchant marine. It has subsidized highway construction which in turn enabled the sale of motor cars. It has given funds for airport construction con-struction and has construction lighted light-ed airways for planes. Each and every one of these is a subsidy and calling them by any other name does not change the fact. It would seem to me, therefore, that if the administration and congress con-gress were to vote a plain subsidy sub-sidy of a couple of hundred million dollars a year for, say three years, they would be rebuilding an industry we must have for peace as well as war. The funds could be granted for use on roadbeds and buildings. & Western Ncwspuprr Union. |