Show Bruc karts washington digest congress takes bit in teeth to restore national confidence vast resources of nation to be made available again for all people old line democrats responsible res p on sible for sudden determination to assume leadership washington the dictionary defines the word confidence as meaning trust tn in or reliance upon another a belief in a person or a thing the dictionary might well have added that confidence is som something ething quite intangible but yet it is a condition of 0 national or state thought about its governmental policies as well as a condition of individual thought it might have added further that confidence can be destroyed more easily than it can be maintained or recreated when it once h has a s been destroyed in a any n y event the thing about which we have heard most in washington lately Is the necessity tor for establishing tab lishing a feeling of confidence throughout the country the necessity exists it is explained freely because bebau the depression continues and millions of persons who would like to work are not working in some places where political face saving is important the movement is called business appeasement but that is a difference between dee and dum it remains as an effort to recreate national confidence so that all of the vast resources of the nation can be made available again for all of the people all ot of this Is only a prelude to the declaration that C congress on gress has taken the bit in its tee teeth th with a determination that indicates rather a unified effort to restore the eie count rys confidence it apparently is going to guide the policies and work out solutions for or the various problems that are viewed as destructive of a feeling of assurance among the bulk of the people in other words congress seems to have assumed a leadership in national life that it has not had in recent years and is moving sincerely to b ring bring back prosperity president hoovers plans wrecked by Stock Market the course of events that has led up to the latest development a development that has both political and economic significance has been rather a wandering trail it had its headwaters back in 1930 and 1931 when herbert hoover then president sought to stem the tide of rushing waters of depression by inviting dozens of business leaders to washington for con he was seeking to restore confidence to encourage the country to feel safe those were days it will be recalled when prosperity was just around the corner mr hoover wanted t to 0 bring tt it out where it could be of some use well mr hoover failed because the stock market crash had so destroyed the confidence of the country in him and in his policies of government that there was no possibility of recreating it the totes folks simply would not believe in him nor in any of his works at that time along came the elections of 1932 and mr roosevelt took over the job in 1933 those days need not be reviewed except to point out that no man ever had the complete confidence of a people as the new president held it congress did as it was told thereafter of course there were ups and downs but the scene was dominated by the personality of mr roosevelt a condition that continued through about six years that brings us to the mistakes in politics which mr roosevelt made in 1938 reorganization of the government ern ment proposed expanding of the supreme court by appointment of six justices of his own choosing charges that business leaders were attempting to submarine the new deal policies and destroy the roosevelt administration this was the beginning in quick succession there came important gains tor for the republicans in the 1938 elections lear lear among many old line democrats that their seats in congress were being jeopardized by mistakes of various new deal agencies and laws and in general a doubt that their party should be allowed to remain under new deal leadership old line democrats decide to ass assume ume leadership and I 1 believe it is the latter condition of belief among the old line democrats that is chiefly responsible for the sudden blossoming bloss oming of congressional determination to take leider leadership ship some observers hold the conviction that many members of the house and senate feel they should protect their own hides and that to accomplish this they must assume national leadership instead of leaving the policies to be theorized and blueprinted blue printed by such as jerome frank th armond urmond arnold tommy corcoran secretary ickes and others ers of that type that tha t Is only saying numerous house and senate members believe the country has lost con confidence confided fiden ce tn in that sort of leadership only recently it may be recalled mr roosevelt voiced an as assurance ce that business would have no new aames to burden it it hea spoke confidently about the fut future tire others re Alec fleeting tins the presidents President 1 position in t eluding secretary tary hopkins and secretary ickes spoke pieces ot of an assuring nature this is the same mr hopkins who used to be head of the relief spending what happened the stock market that ruined mr hoovers administration showed its confidence in the new statements of 1939 with only a little less feeling than it did in the years when prosperity was just around the corner the market dipped down only a few days but if the stock market can bi be regarded as an answer for any question the stock market must have said anyway there arose immediately the new and very potent movement in r congress for a program of business appeasement one of the first things to happen was a declaration by senator harrison mississippi democrat and one of the really pow pov erful men in the senate for a cessa 1 tion of spending or specifically senator harrison demanded a cur t clment tl ament ment of spending a start toward a balancing of the national budget in the belief that the whole country is fearful ol of the gigantic national debt shows days of rubber stamp congress are gone the foreign policies of the adain admin were dragged out onto the floor of the senate for exa examination minati on under der a magnifying glass of mcburse course the senate did not force any real al change in the international relations which mr roosevelt has established from long observation in wa washington sh ington I 1 doubt that the senates criticism of these policies was I 1 any too sound but it had to engage in debate on the subject to let the country know it was watching eairy everything that was being done it obviously had the effect of demonstrating to the country that the days of the rubber stamp congress are gone and it constitutes another bit of evidence of the new Washing washington 16 leadership the real demonstration of congressional s I 1 onal vitality however came the other day when senator harrison as chairman of the senate finance committee and representative doughton of north carolina as chairman of the house committee a on wa ways Ys and means joined in a letter to secretary requesting a treasury statement on a tax program the two congressional leaders urged a new and sound tax program and an administration reassurance against further heckling of business to the end that buil business ness wo would uld try to go ahead were asking therefore were some sl signs agns gns which could give business great or small a feeling of confidence that the government at washington would quit pulling hair it was a natural request of the treasury the treasury always has provided the fundamentals of every tax program capitol hill had read mr Roosevel ts pronouncement concerning no new taxes faxes as meaning there would be no changes in the tax structure however and there were a good many legislators who felt revision of some and a abolition of other taxes were advisable congress will go slow on increasing national debt there are numerous signs that congress is not going to uin be in any hurry at all to pass a law that will allow an increase in the total tia national debt present law provides that the treasury I 1 may issue notes note and bonds up to the curr current ent total is not so far below that figure and secretary has asked congress to boost the limit emit to congress apparently en uy is not so sure that there should be an increase in the debt limit it is a type of confidence rather a lack of confidence that is plainly visible I 1 believe the debt tot total alwill will have to be increased because there is s no provision made mad i for enough taxes to offset the vast spending program tor for relief and national defense upon up on which mr roosevelt has laun launched c hed there Is no place to get that money therefore except by borrowing so about the only good that ca can n come from co congressional barking on this score is to awaken the me country as to the dangers of its great national debt from all of these things conets one Is pretty likely to get the one can hardly help wondering where we are headed but it seems to mathat me that there probably is need nead for a confidence that thus farbas far has not been en mentioned in this discussion this is a confidence in fundamental americanism the voters of the country can compel sound government ern menton on the part of those wh who make the policies and on the surface if It appears now that the voters bare are telling congress what to do a 0 western newspaper union |