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Show NATIONAL TOPICS INTERPRETED NATIONAL PRESS BLDG. WASHINGTON. D.C. Washington. The AmericaD Liberty Lib-erty league has laid aside Its swaddling swad-dling clothes Liberty League and has put on Steps Out lonS Pants ln the Held of poll-tics. poll-tics. Although comparatively new as a group and promoted consistently consistent-ly as non-partisan, the league can now be said to have plunged headlong head-long Into the political warfare. If its first big rally can stand as a criterion. Its Influence Is due to be felt Id an, Important way In the forthcoming national elections. This rally that really marked the league's campaign debut was a picturesque pic-turesque thing. It was picturesque first because of the time and the place and the very nature of the thing and the manner of approach to the voters of the country, but It was more picturesque and more Important Im-portant as well because the headline head-line speaker was Alfred E. Smith, one time Democratic candidate for the Presidency, and by all odds the most colorful and pungent speaker of the present day. It was a dinner din-ner of more than 2,000 persons from every state In the Onion and It was held ln exactly the same rooms of the Mayflower hotel here where two weeks earlier President Roosevelt had addressed about the same Dumber of persons at the Jackson day $f0-a -plate dioner. As a further note of Interest, attention might be called to the fact that the meeting was presided over by Borden Bor-den Burr, a lifelong Alabama Democrat, Dem-ocrat, and the other speakers were Dr. Neal Carothers, a southern Democrat, long head of the economics eco-nomics department of Lehigh university uni-versity In Pennsylvania, and former Federal Judge Charles I. Dawson of Louisville. Ky., a Republican. I referred above to Mr. Smith as being a colorful speaker, and from all of the comments I have heard. It seems to be the consensus that never has he justified the description descrip-tion better than In his league speech. He was Introduced by Mr. Hurr as "Al Smith of America," and proceeded to assure his audience that Included millions listening by radio that he placed patriotism above party, that he was a candl date for no other ollk-e under the sun, that he had no ax to grind and that such critical shots as he might take were without persona animosity ani-mosity for anyone. But he did not jmll his punches when he pilloried the New Deal and he showed no mercy when he drew the deadly 4ini)le between the Democratic (platform of l!l.'!2 and the policies which Mr. Iloosevelt had carried through. I helleve It may be said that he reached the peak of his -speech when he laid, on the speaker's speak-er's stand copies of the Democratic Tilatrorm of l!l.'12-and the Socialist jdatform of the same year and in Ills best East side twang he challenged chal-lenged anyone to deny that Mr. Koosevelt had been elected on a Democratic ticket and had carried out the Socialist promises. The President's "breathing spell" utterance, his message to congress on the state of the Union, his staff of advisers, his monetary policies formed other meaty subjects which the former governor of New York picked to pieces In his own Inimitable Inimita-ble way. He begged congress to assert Itself again and quoted from tile Bible In his plea It should return re-turn to the father's house and be again one of the three branches of the federal government. Through the speech was Mr. Smith's chosen theme that a great o'anger lies ahead, a danger that the New Deal will destroy everything which he held had made America the outstanding nation that It Is. He accused the President of having arrayed class against class and asserted as-serted thai what the nation faces Is the most gigantic tax burden ever known. To this he added that It will not be the rich who will pay. tint "that vast army of Individuals with Incomes from a hundred dollars dol-lars a mouth to live thousand dollars dol-lars a year." I'Mnally, In conclusion, Mr. Smith saiil : "Let me give this solemn warning: warn-ing: There can he only one capital, Washington or Moscow. "There can be only one atmosphere atmos-phere of government, the clear, pure fresh air of free America or the foul breath of communistic Russia. Rus-sia. There can he only one (lag. the Stars and Stripes, or the ting of the godless union of the Soviets There can be only one national an them, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' or 'The Internationale,' there cnn lie only one victor. If our Const I tiitloti wins, we win. But If the Constitution stop, stop here the Constitution cannot lose." But what of the significance of the league dinner ati'I the Smith speech? The Smith Vrur to the Walkout dinner, the league's executive execu-tive council met In secret Whether It committed the league to a definite defi-nite stand was not formally an nounced, yet surely there are grounds upon which to base a state ment that It means to support candidates can-didates and platforms on the conservative con-servative side. With equal emphasis, It can be said that Mr. Smith has walked out on that section of the Democratic party that sticks by Mr. Roosevelt. He said it was a choice either to "put on the mantle of hypocrisy or we can take a walk." He explained it probably would be the latter course. And frankly It seems with the personal following that he has, a walkout by Mr. Smith cannot be described as otherwise than serious seri-ous to the party from which that group is defected. It has all of the earmarks of an Interesting political situation. Immediately after Mr. Smith had spoken, quite a few Democrats In congress Bred back at him and In defense of the New Deal. Men like Representative Doughton of North Carolina, a Democratic wheelhorse as chairman of the powerful wnya and means committee; Speaker Byrns and a flock of others. They Insisted generally that the Smith barrage was more helpful to the Democrats than campaign speeches they themselves could make. Administration Ad-ministration leaders in the executive execu-tive department are beginning to fire also, but they are smart enough to let the enthusiasm aroused by the speech die down before they attempt to upset arguments advanced ad-vanced by Mr. Smith. I have no doubt, from the signs even now cropping up, that an effort ef-fort will be made Id congress to discredit the league. It looks like Senator Black, Alabama Democrat and chairman of the senate lobby committee, probably will dig Into the league's files to show how It was financed to a large extent by such wealthy men as the Duponts, among others. Such an investigation investiga-tion likewise will carry an undercurrent under-current of a movement to do away with political Influence of such men as John J. Raskob, former Democratic Demo-cratic national chairman, a league director, and Jouett Shouse, former executive chairman of the Democratic Demo-cratic national committee and the league president. If that fight gets started It will be a mudslinging beauty. So, summarized, the picture resulting re-sulting from the league's dinner Is that of a major feud, as well as a major political movement, because there Is a really bitter fight between be-tween personalities In sight as well as the possibilities of a third party movement Congress frequently goes off on a tangent In which It will set about exposing this or Digging that or the other Up Secrets, among the practices prac-tices of private business. In the last several years It has been particularly active In exposing to public view secrets of corporations and individual representatives repre-sentatives and senators have blown off much steam concerning salaries paid business executives and they have directed criticism at private business as well for some of Its other expenditures. A few years ago Senator Norrls of Nebraska, among others, spoke at great length In criticism of our government's diplomatic service because be-cause of the salaries paid and the expenditures allowed for operation of our foreign diplomatic ofllces. The Norrls attack apparently did considerable damage to the diplomatic diplo-matic service because It made many capable men fearful of entering enter-ing that field where highly trained men are necessary. But all of the time during which criticisms have been leveled at private pri-vate business on account of salaries sala-ries paid business executives and because of other expenses, the senate sen-ate itself has been going ahead from year to year using taxpayers' money to suit Its own purposes. For Instance, In-stance, Col. Edwin A. Halsey, secretary sec-retary of the senate, lately has made public his annual report covering cov-ering senate operation and It shows that the taxpayers' money to the extent ex-tent of $:i.2'.Hi.Sri2 had been spent for maintenance of that one branch of congress There are SKI senators, each of whom has an ollice staff; there are some 30 odd committees In operation, each with a staff, and there Is the regular senate organization organ-ization with a large personnel. Consequently, Con-sequently, salaries alone take up a considerable chunk of the total outlay, but Colonel Halsey's report disclosed that general "contingent expenses" of the senate had eaten up $701,000. Included In this total of "contingent expenses" was aD Item of J'.'HH.ooo for the cost of sea-ate sea-ate Investigations In the last year. Almost half of this amount was used hy the munitions Investigation committee headed by Senator Nye. Itepiihllran of North Dakota, who lately was made the subject of criticism criti-cism on the senate lloor because of his committee's attitude. G Western NsniDUMr Unlo& |