Show Washington Digest I IBy r t S I By WILLIAM O t r Washington President Roosevelt again has changed courses on re re- lief This time Ume he Tries Trie G. G O. O Phu launched an Relief Plan experiment that becomes most moat significant sig aig- and Interesting because he heis heis is Js trying out In a small wa way the very ery heart of the relief proposal contained In the Republican plat plat- form Without an any ballyhoo or an any detailed de tailed statement the President has allocated of P Public 11 c Works Work Administration funds for use we useIn weIn In direct grants to states and has laid down a formula for use of this thil mone money that takes take it Into the same sarno category as the tho Republican plan o The President took this action per per- sonaU He has not only prescribed o the conditions under which the grants will wW be made but has hu laid down rules rulea for PW A which will In effect bring to his W. attention an any completed arrangements Involving these funds The program provides that the federal government will bear brar 45 0 per percent percent percent cent of ot the cost a municipality or count county contributing the tho other 65 55 per cent out of its own funds and before the allocation Is made definitely definite definite- I ly the municipality or count county receiving re reo re- re calving the funds fund must agree to employ employ em plo ploy per cent relief labor In this manner the need for relief relief re reo lief becomes become the measuring stick sUck If the local community is unable to supply only onty unskilled labor from the relief rolls roUs and the project of construction planned for the community com com- community requires the use of skilled labor it does doe not get let the money The projects considered to faU fall withIn within with with- in the category of this new experiment ment include a great reat man many worthwhile worth while construction jobs such as school chool houses sewage systems systems' and water systems The things proposed proposed pro pro- posed therefore may be said laid to be beof beof beof of permanent value and to that extent extent ex tent represent a veering b by the President to the theory which Secretary Sec Ickes of the Department of Interior always alway has held namely that if federal funds fund are expended the they should be used in the construction construe lion tion and maintenance of permanent Improvements Although the general idea of this f r new experiment in relief new to the New Deal was It Handled practically forced l Jl Locally upon the President o b by the necessity of it I the present relief mess mesa it represents a return to a method Ion long regarded by many students of the problem it 0 e the only way wal in which relief funds lund can be properly handled bandied H k places place back In the hands hand of local communities the task of looking after their own destitute and charity cases easeL The federal government contributes contribute a share of the funds fund of course but it does doe not boss bo the job as has been the practice under Harry Hopkins and his hi Works Work Progress Administration further than the requirements that relief labor be employed As A. stated above the plan now on trial constitutes the very heart of the Republican proposal for handling han han- dUng federal relief The R Republican pubU can platform calls caUs for federal grants in aid to the states and territories territories ter ter- while the need exists upon compliance with these conditions a fair proportion of the total relief burden to be provided from the revenues revenues rev rev- of states and local governments govern covern ments ment all aU engaged In relief administration admin to be selected on the basis of merit and fitness adequate provisions provisions pro pro- visions to be made for the encouragement encouragement encouragement of those persons persona who are trying to become self supporting I hear I-hear much discussion around Washington that the Presidents President's experiment experiment ex meets the Republican program in ever every wa way except as aste asto asto to te the second provision which relates relates re re- lates late to the selection of the administrative admin personnel upon the basis of merit and fitness There are many who believe Mr Roosevelt has reached the conclusion that there is la considerable merit merl in the contention that unless steps are taken to get relief of the unemployed unemployed back into the local communities com corn it will become an unworkable unworkable able monster a Frankenstein On the other hand some ome of the bitter critics critic of the Roosevelt administration ad ministration are contending that Mr Roosevelt seeks to try out the Republican proposal in this thIl manner In order to demonstrate that it Is II unworkable They point also to the omission of the second provision just mentioned and declare that the President will use political patronage pat ronae rather than merit as the means meana of creating supervision In other words worda the they are charging chargin that thai Mr Roosevelt is II adding to his political po po- machine in advance of elec lion tion t r E While the new method has not Ii been made fully operative so 0 that thai anyone can see It Way to In Jn full detail the i Dodge restriction which Mr Roosevelt has laid dO down that only relief labor shall hall be used is looked upon as providing providing pro pro- viding a means menns of dodging complete o operation of the plan It is to be noted that the Republican plank does not limit the workers wholly to relief In making makin such a restriction restriction tion as the President has done It itIs itIs Is 1 held in some ome quarters quitters that there will not be too many communities able to take advantage of ot the fresh federal funds The reason for fot this is II i that particularly In the smaller communities tie there is II not a great amount of skilled labor This comparatively com com- comparatively small proportion of skilled labor comparatively small when measured against the amount of common labor or unskilled labor available makes It impossible impossible sible in a good many Instances for forthe forthe forthe the smaller communities to obtain money monel The situation Is simply this Inthe Inthe in inthe the construction of sewage and water systems system and most other construction construction con con- jobs there is more skilled labor required than will be available avail able in the communities where these public works work are to be un Further with the pick pickup pickup pickup up in industry however small it t ma may yet be the skilled artisan has more chances to get let jobs Job than has the common laborer In addition I think it can be fairly said laid that a skilled worker Is I. of the type to be among the last lut to go 10 on relief rolls In any event he will not go 0 on the relief rolls until there is I. no other alternative He Ue Is able to earn a much higher rate of pa pay than is I. available to him as a relief dole and naturally is n not t content to remain on the relief rolls roUs longer than Is ia absolutely 11 necessary a ry In this direction then trouble may lie Possibly some communities ties will be guilty of seeking to Induce In duce skilled workers to go on relief rolls roUs for a sufficient length of ot time timeto to enable them to carry out an agreement to employ only relief la la Is bor This Is II a regrettable possibility ity but it Is I. a very real one In all aU fairness to the President I think It must be said that he is II proceeding on a method to reach communities and unemployed that hitherto have been rather like step step- children The big relief projects under the former system and the Harry method of handling han ban dung relief in some way or other have managed to be concentrated in the great cities While some some ome persons persons per per- sons son may be unkind enough to say y that the tho President Is s expanding his vote getting machine to the small communities tie it nevertheless remains remains re reo mains main as a fact that the system now undertaken will let some sorpe relief dribble down to those who have not had it before In any event since it is being tried out b by the New Deal it Is an experiment very well worth watching The nations of the world find themselves in one of those peculiar and almost almot humor humor- Quirks Quark of 01 Ous situations situation that Diplomacy can develop ont only from the queer quirks of diplomacy It has not far enough yet for anyone any one to say ay what the outcome of this new diplomatic situation will willbe willbe be but it is le not devoid nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless less of possibilities both from the tho serious as well as 81 the humorous side aide It may have escaped general notice that under Mussolini's or den ders King Victor Emanuel Is now not only king of Italy but he Is II also emperor of Ethiopia lie He was given Iven this new title Immediately after the conquering hordes of Italians had held their triumphant march In Rome and as far as II Mussolini Mus was concerned Ethiopia had gone out of existence a dead na oa lion Despite the fact that Mussolini would like to have Emperor Halle Haile Selassie kno known only as II a plain Mr most of the nations of the world still are compelled through treaty agreement foreign policy or plain desire to consider that Mr has the title of emperor of Ethiopia which he and his hi ancestors ancestors an an- so long bore There Is ls however this thil circumstance circum stance since no nation has bas extended extend ed formal recognition to Italy as embracing Ethiopia no diplomat can be formally received In to that thai capacity For example the pew new Italian ambassador to the United States State will wW come to Washington as the plenipotentiary of the kin king ol of Ital Italy and emperor of Ethiopia but bui our ambassador to Italy Mr Welles Welle will wW go to Rome when he be returns to his post this fall faU as the ambassador to the court of King Victor Emanuel nothing nothing- being said about Ethiopia All AU of this results from American foreign policy and the Ole foreign poll dies des of other nations who oppose the taking of territory of another nation or race by force It is a policy firmly footed as witness the course cours of all aU of the nations excepting except in ing only Salvador In their attitude toward Manchuria which is ls now under un un- uni i der Japanese control Salvador I recognized Japanese e sovereignty I over Manchuria largely because it t was wa thereby enabled to t. t I a great coffee sale C Q W it ra N wip p r Value VaIn I |