Show r NATIONAL AFFAIRS Reviewed by CARTER FIELD FIELDg g B Presidents President's personal strength with voters still high notwithstanding b beats his defeats defeats de de- feats eats in purge attempts in primaries Reorganization bill may appear again m in modified form Activities o of Lewis and Smith in Mexico Mex ico stir up aP Secretary Hull WASHINGTON A recent poll shows that despite the victory of every one of the nine Democratic senators who opposed President Roosevelt on the Supreme court is issue issue issue is- is sue in their battles and the failure of such hundred per per- centers as William Villiam G. G McAdoo 1 in Cal California ornia James P. P Pope in Idaho William H. H Dieterich in Illinois Herbert Herbert Herbert Her Her- bert E E. E Hitchcock in South Dakota end and George L. L Berry in Tennessee the llie Presidents President's personal strength with the voters is still high In fact the sampling ballots taken indicate that he has more than 50 per cent of the total vote of the two major parties The discouraging point about this to opponents of the President is that more than a majority of the major party voters favor the as against an ideal opponent For example had they been asked Instead of if they still favor the President whether they favored him against Herbert C. C Hoover a Iain number of those who recorded themselves against the President would have switched to the Roosevelt Roose- Roose velt relt elt side Probably a very considerable considerable considerable consid consid- erable number t I Or if the voters questioned in this sampling poll had been asked if they favored Roosevelt or Alfred M. M I Landon undoubtedly many would I ave ave moved over to the Presidents President's Bide side Not the same group group group-as as would I have ave moved had the choice been Hoover Hoover but over but but a different group Simony Similarly Sim Sim- ony arly the President would have gained had any conceivable opponent opponent opponent nent been made the alternative Fight on President in Primaries Not Personal This is obvious on its face Also it is obvious that the Democrats who voted against the n y Presidents President's wishes in Georgia Mary- Mary eland South Carolina and Iowa and the two leading Democratic Democratic Democratic Demo Demo- cratic organizations in Illinois that disregarded disregarded disregarded dis dis- sf regarded his wishes and refused refuse d to c consider consider con con- o nand n- n y sider seder Senator Dieterich Die- Die tench cannot be lumped in m any group Sen Byrnes as opposed to to the President For example Sen James F. F Byrnes of South Carolina has frequently frequently frequently fre fre- fre- fre been mentioned as one of the closest men in the entire senate to the President Many senators so regard him despite the fact that the President favored Sen Alben W. W Barkley over Byrnes and of course also over Sen Pat Harrison as Democratic leader of the senate Yet strongly pro-New pro Deal and even more strongly Roosevelt pro-Roosevelt Senator Byrnes threw every ounce of influence he could bring to bear to aid the of Sen Ellison Ellison Ellison Elli Elli- son D. D Smith whom the President wanted purged No one thinks that the Nash Kelly-Nash organization in Chicago or the Gov Henry Horner machine in state down Illinois is going going going go go- ing to be against the President from now on just because they ignored his wishes in their own cat and dog dogfight dogfight dogfight fight for control of the Democratic organization in Illinois No one thinks hinks that Sen George L. L Radcliffe close personal friend and a business associate of President Roosevelt before before before be be- fore he entered politics who managed managed managed man man- aged Millard E. E Tydings' Tydings successful fight for is going to be lined up now with the opposition to the President just because the President President President Pres Pres- ident fought what Radcliffe was trying trying trying try try- ing to do in Maryland The big question now is whether the President goaded by his nonpolitically nonpolitically nonpolitically non- non politically minded inner circle will show his resentment against the themen themen themen men who helped beat him in the primaries primaries primaries maries but are actually still for him The general opinion is that he will do nothing of the sort Bureau Chiefs Breathe Sighs o of f Relief Now Lots of important cogs in the administration administration ad ad- ministration were rooting under their breaths for the senators President President President dent Roosevelt tried to retire to private private vate late l life e. e These bureau chiefs and assistants are breathing sighs of relief relief relief re re- re- re lief now and their relief has nothing to do with whether Mr Roosevelt wants a third term or whether he would still like to enlarge the Supreme Supreme Supreme Su Su- Su- Su preme court What has been bothering bothering bothering both both- ering them is the reorganization bill It will be recalled that the reorganization reorganization rear bill which virtually gave the President blanket powers to shift t and change any government bureaus bureaus bureaus bu bu- bu- bu and commissions he liked passed the senate but was defeated by a narrow margin margin four four votes votes- votes votes-in in m inthe the house One government agency took no chances The army engineers engineers engi are timers old-timers at this sort o oi of f thing so they moved in on the senate senate sen ate and it was discovered when th the C bill emerged from the special committee committee committee com com- that handled it that the army engineers were specifically exempt from the new powers the President was to have been given by the bill But most of the worried agencies bureaus and commissions did not know how to do likewise Some of them knew but did not have the pow pow- er The army engineers have a curious curious curious cu cu- rious series of personal ties with theelder the theelder theelder elder statesmen on Capitol Hill not possessed by any non-military non division division division divi divi- sion of the government Some of the ranking officers of the corps were appointed to West Vest Point by senators still in the upper house I Some were appointed by former senators senators senators sen sen- but the ties tics still exist And the ranking officers of the corps have been in close touch with nearly all the present senators and members members mem mem- bers hers of the house of representatives They have discussions with them over projects during committee hearings They meet them socially and gravitate together at otherwise I dull parties to talk about subject of common interest interest generally generally some river or harbor project back in the legislators legislator's home state that the army officer has studied Continuing Friendships p pAre Are Thus Built Up Th That t sort of thing builds up continuing continuing continuing con con- friendships The men get getto getto getto to like each other They get to admire admire admire ad ad- mire each others other's work especially as there is no friction and no element element element ele ele- ment of competition So naturally the senator or representative lends a willing ear when the officer comes round with an urgent plea that the administration be not allowed to I mess his job up up-as up as he sees it There is the further fact that the legislator legisla legisla- I risks this fa fa- tor nothing by granting I vor It is not an issue at home If It it were made an issue he would probably be on the right side of it i I But there has been every indication indication indica indica- tion that the President would renew his fight to get the reorganization bill and was willing not to antagonize antagonize antagonize nize the powerful lobby of the army engineers by including them in it I So the other bureaus and commissions commissions commis commis- and agencies have been worried worried worried wor wor- I ried ever since congress adjourned With one or two exceptions the senators that the President would have liked to see beaten because they opposed him on the Supreme I I court issue opposed him also on the reorganization bill Enemies o of f Labor Board Plan New Line of Attach A new line of attack on the national nation nation- al labor relations board is about to I open as a result of the recent trip to Mexico City of John L L. L Lewis and I Edwin Smith a member of the board I The new attack by enemies of the labor board and of C. C I. I O. O may have the support of Cordell Hull secretary of state It is charged that it was the influence of Lewis and Smith with certain other Americans Americans Americans Amer Amer- that has made the task of the state department so difficult in dealing dealing dealing deal deal- ing with the Mexican 1 government on the issue of Mexico's seizure of American and other foreign oil prop prop- Reports reaching state department department department depart depart- ment officials show that the newspaper newspaper newspaper news news- paper accounts of the Mexico City meeting attended by Lewis and Smith did not give an adequate indication in indication indication in- in of the lengths to which the American visitors went in in approving approving approving ing everything Mexico has done One dispatch spoke of the venom with which Edwin Smith attacked everyone everyone everyone every every- one opposing extremist labor legis legis- lation Smith praised Mexico as the only country having a capitalistic structure ture presumably ture-presumably presumably the only country except the Soviet republic which republic which has the enlightened courage to insure in- in insure insure in in- sure the rights of all workers Reports indicate that Mexican officials officials officials of of- prepared an elaborate buildup buildup build build- up for Smith prior to and after his speech which was translated immediately immediately immediately imme imme- into Spanish and repeated to the meeting for the benefit of the delegates unable to speak English Declares Mexicans LeadIn Lead LeadIn LeadIn In Forward Movement Smith left no doubt in the minds of the delegates that Mexico was inthe in inthe inthe the lead in the forward movement with the United States tagging along but en route John L L. L Lewis according to the reports agreed with Smith in supporting supporting supporting sup sup- porting every very action J l the Mexican government govern govern- x J 7 ment has taken r Four million workers workers work work- rt 1 ers in the United l States he told the delegates had sent V him to bring good good r F i wishes and encouragement encouragement i J x gement to the Mexican Mex Mex- t 4 r j i ican workers Problems Pro Problems J lems of workers workers In in 11 all countries are similar he said and John L L L- LLewis Lewis the tactics of big employers the same in no matter what country they may be The two great statesmen on the North American continent he said are also the two great humanitarians ans Roosevelt ans-Roosevelt Roosevelt in the United States and Cardenas in in Mexico Most of the delegates came away with the notion notion no no- notion tion from Lewis' Lewis speech that the aims of both Roosevelt and Cardena on behalf of the downtrodden and in the desire to In develop national resources resources resources re re- sources for the benefit of all the workers are such that Roosevelt approved approved approved ap ap- proved Cardenas' Cardenas action in seizing the oil properties This last statement according to reliable State department officials is just about burning up Secretary Hull O tD Bell BeU Syndicate Service |