OCR Text |
Show NATIONAL AFFAIRS Reviewed by CARTER FIELD Federal contract-seekers have a neiv hurdle to clear the Defense Commission Com-mission . . . Political effect of opposition to Lease-Lend bill doubtful. (Bell Syndicate WNU Service.) WASHINGTON. National defense covers a multitude of sins, being spread out thin enough even to cover the old rivers and harbors pork-barrel pork-barrel situation. Back in the years just before World War No. 1 those bills were a scandal. Then came the famous filibusters, led by Sen. Theodore E. Burton of Ohio, which gradually built up so much popular opposition to the pork-barrel pork-barrel system that it was changed. The system gradually evolved for outwitting the pork hunters, and yet leaving some baeon for the boys in congress to take home to their constituents, con-stituents, and thus get re-elected, is something like this: First, congress passes a bill directing di-recting the army engineers to survey sur-vey a certain project. Then the engineers, en-gineers, with a weather eye cocked on future promotions, appropriations for their own service, and friendships on Capitol Hill, study the project In due time, the engineers report. Generally the report, strangely enough, is favorable, or at least can be so translated by its advocates. AUTHORIZATION NEEDED Now comes the second hurdle. The project must be authorized. That is, congress must specifically approve of the project being put on a list from which those actually to be done are to be selected. Then congress votes a sum, usually under $100,000,000 a year, to finance those projects which may be selected. Note that congress no longer as in the old pork-barrel days actually actual-ly makes the final decision as to which projects shall be done this year, and which shall wait, perhaps forever. That decision as to which projects ,pass this third nuraie is made by the engineers, always having hav-ing in mind the elements previously mentioned. Lots of projects on the "authorized" "author-ized" list will NEVER reach the pick and shovel stage. Everybody knows it, including its congressional backer. But at least he is able to boast about it tell his constituents he is fighting to get federal money spent right there. To these three hurdles the President Presi-dent has now added a fourth. Even if the engineers like a project on the authorized list, it must be sanctioned by the defense commission. Because the pork barrel is still there, the smart pork grabbers on Capitol Hill have adapted themselves them-selves to the new rules. They have to do their trading with the White House, now, instead of with their colleagues. col-leagues. So don't let the shock affect your heart when your senator votes for something the President wants that you know personally the senator thinks is cockeyed. He's jusi straightening out the national defense de-fense situation back in his state Making the engineers, AND the defense de-fense commission, AND the Presi dent, see how important that dam on Podunk creek is to help Britain SPECULATE ON EFFECT OF LEASE-LEND BILL While there is no desire on the pari of most observers here to charge that opponents of the lend-lease bill to aid Britain are playing poli tics with national defense, there is a good deal of speculation as to what the effect will be when the political wheel does turn, as it has a way of doing. At the present moment, as revealed re-vealed in all sorts of ways, including includ-ing the polls, the public is in favor of going to any necessary length to aid Britain by something approaching approach-ing a three to one majority. Hence it might seem poor politics, regardless regard-less of other motives, for men who are ambitious for their own political futures to side with the minority. This would be more important, so far as the senators are concerned, if that facing of the constituents had to be done SOON. As it is, even the next congressional election, when only one-third of the senators are up, is almost two years away, and two years in the present international inter-national situation is a mighty long time indeed. RECALL 1920 ELECTION In the 1918 election, it is recalled, certain popular figures who had opposed op-posed going into the war did not fare well. For example, Clarence C. Dill, a member of the house from Washington, Wash-ington, was defeated chiefly because he had voted against the war declaration. dec-laration. But in the 1920 election, just two years after the Armistice, the voters turned on the Democratic party very largely because of the war and peace conference aftermath. So it is not enough to be with the majority at the time. If one is to succeed in politics one must be able to guess what the popular reaction will be a couple of years later. II you are just a voter, you can swing and right-about-face with impunity. But if you are an elected official you have to be a long-distance po litical weather forecaster. |