By EDWARD
W. PICKARD
OFTY ideals, beautifully worded
and eloquently voiced. That
seems to be a fair description of
the second inaugural address of
Franklin Delano
Roosevelt. Standing
bareheaded on the
capitol portico in a
cold, pelting rain,
he took the oath of
office administered
by black robed
Chief Justice
Hughes, and then,
in ringing words
carried by radio to
the ends of the
earth, he pledged
his administration
to carry on its fight for the social
security and material prosperity
and happiness of the entire people
of the United States. In effect, he
promised that the federal govern-
ment would bring about a better
life for one-third of the nation now
underprivileged, and that the pro-
gram of planned economy would
be continued. For forty millions
President
Roosevelt
the nation's material benefits the
government will provide homes,
food, clothing, education, recreation
and increased incomes.
The President's listeners inter-
preted some of his phrases as a
challenge to the Supreme court, as
when he said:
“Nearly all of us recognize that
as intricacies of human relation-
ships increase, so power to govern
them also must increase—power to
stop evil; power to do good. The
essential democracy of our nation
and the safety of our people depend
not upon the absence of power but
upon lodging it with those
the people can change or continue
at stated intervals through an hon-
est and free system of elections
The constitution of 1787 did
make our democracy impotent.
“In fact, in these last four years,
we have made the exercise of all
power more for we
have begun to bring private auto-
cratic powers into their proper sub-
ordination to the public's govern-
ment. The legend that they were
invincible—above and beyond
democratic;
shattered. They have been chal-
lenged and beaten.”
Jefore the inauguration cere-
monies, Mr. Roosevelt and mem-
bers of his family attended a special
service in St. John's Episcopal
church. After delivering his address
the President reviewed the military
parade from a cupola built in front
of the White House. In addition to
the soldiers, sailors and marines,
samples of the Civilian Conserva-
administration were in the line, as
were the governors of 46 states with
their staffs.
ECRETARY OF LABOR FRAN-
CES PERKINS herself undertook
the difficult task of breaking the
renewed deadlock in the General
Motors strike, but
at this writing she
had not made much
progress. Governor
Murphy of Michi-
gan, who went to
Washington for the
inauguration,
helped her, arrang-
Ing separate meet-
ings with John L.
Lewis, C. I. O. lead- A
er, and President E R
Sloan of the motor Secretary
corporation. But his Perkins
efforts to bring these two gentle-
men together seemed futile. Lew-
is summoned Homer Martin, head
of the striking union, and John
Brophy, C. I. O. lieutenant, from
Detroit and conferred with them
on ‘“‘strategy’’. All the union lead-
ers appeared supremely confident,
and Lewis insisted the demand that
the union be recognized as the sole
bargaining agency must be conced-
ed if there were to be any strike
settlement negotiations.
Secretary Perkins, after talking
with both sides, went directly to
the White House. She said she was
“keeping the President informed”
of developments. The belief was
general that it would be necessary
to invoke the personal aid of Mr.
Roosevelt to bring about a peace-
ful settlement.
Lewis brought about the tempo-
rary suspension of negotiations by a
statement he gave the press. With
brutal frankness he said:
“We have advised the secretary
of labor that the ‘economic royal-
ists’—and the du Ponts and Mr.
Sloan are among them-—used their
money to try to drive Mr. Roose-
velt out of the White House.
“Labor rallied to the President's
support when they attacked him.
“These same economic royalists
now have their fangs in labor, and
labor now expects the government
to support labor in its legal and logi-
cal objectives.”
This was too much for Sloan, who
started for home with the remark:
“We find it useless to attempt any
further negotiations in Washington.
Any time the President sends for us
we'll be there.”
Lewis’ position was strengthened
by the settlement of the Pittsburgh
Plate Glass company strike and in-
creased prospects that Libbey-
Owens-Ford glass workers would
return to their jobs. His strategy
has been to curtail General Motors
production, and interfere with its
principal competitors, Ford and
Chrysler, as little as possible. Re-
sumption of production by glass
manufacturers would permit Ford
and Chrysler to produce at full
speed while sit-down strikers keep
General Motors plants inoperative.
ONGRESS did not wait for the
inauguration to rush through
the bill asked by the President ex-
tending for two and one-half years
his power to control the two
billion dollar stabilization fund and
to devalue the dollar. Senator Van-
denberg and Representative Snell,
minority leaders, made futile
treasury to submit to
complete audit and report upon
the operations of the fund after the
expiration date in 1939.
The fund originated three years
ago at the time of the 40 per cent
debasement of the dollar. Gold
holdings of private individuals,
banks and the reserve banks com-
mandeered by the Treasury, were
“revalued’. Each of gold
formerly valued officially at $20.67
raised to
This resulted in a two
billion, 800 million dollar *“‘profit”’
for the Treasury.
The odd 800 millions
diately diverted
account to cover
Two billi
use as a stabiliza-
New legislation was
secretary
ounce
was
federal
ns were al-
expenditures.
for
fund
authorizing the
tion fund to manipulate the value
of the dollar in
transactions, to purchase silver and
gold and to rig the
United States government securities
market.
quotations on
said the condition of Pope Pius
XI was steadily growing worse. He
was suffering excruciating pain,
especially in the
right leg. The pon-
tiff, however, insist-
conducting
of his office, telli
Archbishop Cast
oni he was deter-
mined to work as
long as breath re-
mained in his body
The pope was
greatly distressed to
hear of the death of Pope Pius
Bishop M. J. Gallagher of Detroit,
the superior of Father Charles
Coughlin, ‘radio priest.” Bishop
Gallagher made a visit to the Vati-
can about six months ago.
HE conflict between fascism
and communism in the Old
World grows more intense day by
day, and the German Nazi leaders
insist every nation must espouse
one side or the other. Air Minister
Goering declares England especially
should align herself with Germany
and Italy, but Foreign Minister
Eden in a speech before parliament
virtually handed back to Germany
the question of Europe's fate. “We
cannot cure the world by pacts or
treaties,” said he, “or by political
creeds, no matter what they be.”
He demanded to know whether Ger-
many intended to use the ‘““mani-
fold gifts of her people to restore
confidence to a world sick of an-
tagonism,” or ‘to the sharpening of
international antagonism and a pol-
icy of even greater economic isola-
tion.”
German officials called Eden's
speech “‘untimely;” and Ulrich von
Hassel, German ambassador to
Italy, speaking in Cologne, described
the “axis of Rome-Berlin” as a
“central pivot around which the
whole of Europe revolves.”
“Germany and Italy,” he said,
‘‘are destined to fight the false doc-
trines of the east (Russia) and sur-
mount western capitalism. Germany
and Italy are reither east nor west,
but the center, and Europe will be
able to keep in harmony only if
hey remain the strong central ax-
It was said in Berlin that a mixed
German-Japanese commission has
been named to carry out provisions
of the Berlin-Tokio anti-communist
agreement of last November.
Over in Japan Foreign Minister
Hachiro Arita opened the parlia-
ment with a speech in which he
declared communism was to blame
for the political troubles of the world.
He ‘defended the German-Japanese
pact as directed only against com-
munism and not intended to foment
dispute with world powers. He ad-
vocated that all colonial possessions
of all nations be opened to free
trade, :
OSEPH E. DAVIES, our new am-
bassador to Russia, arrived in
Moscow and at once declared: *‘It
is amazing! Russia is one of the
most interesting countries in the
world.” Then he and his party of
ten moved into Spasso house, the
official residence of the ambassador,
and prepared for a lively social
season.
The envoy's group was preceded
to the capital by another party of al-
most equal size, including maids,
chauffeurs, other house servants, a
personal physician, Commander N.
W. Bunkley of the United States
navy, and others. Mr, Davies said
he intended to entertain extensively
but not on the lavish plan previous
reports had intimated.
EPRESENTATIVES of five rail-
way brotherhoods who have
been in conference in Chicago de-
cided to demand a 20 per cent
raise in wages for the members of
those unions, numbering about 250,-
000. These are employees in the
train service classification—conduc-
tors, engineers, firemen, trainmen
and switchmen.
Based on the October, 1936, pay
roll statistics issued by the inter-
state commerce commission, a 20
per cent pay raise for these work-
ers would require an increase of
116 million dollars in the annual
pay rolls of the country’s railroads.
The total pay roll for 251,508 train
service employees last October
was $48,623,261.
UMORS were current in Wash-
ington that Dr. Arthur E. Mor-
gan would soon resign as chairman
of the Tennessee Valley authority
as the result of his
long and bitter dis-
agreement with Di-
rector David Lilien-
thal over TVA poli-
cies. Both the gen-
tlemen were in the
capital and it ap-
peared they had
laid their cases be-
fore President
Roosevelt for his
decision as to which
should be the lead-
er. Lilienthal, who
was formerly Wisconsin utilities
commissioner under Gov. Phil La
Follette, favors unrelenting war-
fare on private utility interests.
Doctor Morgan, on the other hand,
doesn't want a “fight to a finish”
but, rather, a effort
to pool public and private electric
ity in the Southeast in order to end
TVA's legal war with the private
interests. The chairman, however,
stood almost alone among those who
are shaping the administration's
power policy. He issued a state-
ment to the press setting forth his
views but it didn't arouse much
sympathy in high circles.
Decision in the controversy is nec-
essary soon for the first big con-
tract between TVA and private util-
ity interests expires February 3 and
the question of renewal must be set-
tled before then.
Drafting of a national power pol-
A. E. Morgan
co-operative
a committee headed by Secretary
Interior Ickes. He said
that this policy, once established,
and to new power developments as
OWARD HUGHES, wealthy
ranufacturer, motion picture
producer and amateur aviator, set
a new record for the flight from
Burbank, Calif., to New York—7
was an astonishing performance.
Hughes’ average speed for 2,480
miles over what he calls a “modi-
fied great circle course” was 332
miles per hour. This achievement
is the greatest sustained speed
flight ever made.
The flight was made without a
stop, the cruising altitude being
about 14,000 feet, and the motor of
the plane could not be allowed to
operate at full throttle for more
than a small fraction of the time.
The top speed reached was 380
miles an hour.
RITAIN'S plan to bar from Spain
volunteers from other na-
tions met with a big setback when
Russia refused to adopt prohibitive
measures. Foreign Commissar
Maxim Litvinov handed to Ambas-
sador Chilston a note saying:
“The Soviet government, although
it presently does not practice the
dispatch of volunteer detachments,
does not consider it expedient to
adopt unilateral prohibitive meas-
ures.”
Explaining the refusal, Litvinov
continued: “I consider it necessary
to point out that in the Soviet gov-
ernment’s opinion unilateral, pro-
hibitive measures on the part of
some participants in the London
committee (on non-intervention)
while other participants not only
are free from obligations, but con-
tinue sending military divisions to
Spain, will not only fail to accom-
piish the desired aim but will result
in intervention.”
A N ARMY communique issued in
Tokio announced the conviction
and sentencing of seven former
army officers and eight civilians
Washington.—Two messages to
congress by the President have
created more
than the usual ex-
citement attend-
ant upon such
«angs as the new session has set-
tled down to its annual considera-
tion of public affairs. In each of
these were Presidential declara-
tions that are beginning to rever-
berate and that means they are
highly controversial.
In Mr. Roosevelt's annual mes-
sage ‘‘on the state of the union,”
congress
“co-
Messages
Cause Stir
how much he appreciated its
the boldest statement he has
since entering the White
ably
made
term. He called upon the Supreme
Court of the
roundabout way to
wo sratn'?
co-operate
nent, the legislative and ex
ecutive.
to say disturbance, was caused by
the President's
wsking congress for a wholesale re-
special me
rganization of the executi de-
artments and agencies
is proposal a plan for moderniz-
ng the government
calling
}
One can circulate through
ridors
and office buildings and
terings aplenty and even
it of outspoken
and offices of the
critic
senators an
* two circum
”
ioned. Ther
y
the legi
The fact is that ou
ernment has becom
ir far as the exe
are concerned, th:
an octopus. Abou
these units and agencies are
ucts of the New Deal rec
program; they work at cross pur-
poses; they move in their own
sphere and make their
cies with almost no direction from
the White House. Certainly, the
time is ripe to clean up that mess.
Yet, in cleaning up these condi-
tions, in reorganizing, it is undoubt-
edly the consensus of those charged
per
Overy
common sense must be used and
discretion employed or else untold
damage will be done to the govern-
ment and to
taxpayers.
» * *
The Presidential
in charac-
. . ter and that is the
Reorganization ro540n why it has
Program
For example, the
plan calls for placing the interstate
commerce commission, the general
commission largely inside of old-
cabinet officers preside.
in the past a political ap-
made important
So, it becomes plainly evi-
agencies as those I have named in
regular departments, is to place
them completely under political
domination.
Where it is good, therefore, to
place strictly administrative agen-
cies under cabinet control, it be-
comes equally dangerous to place
under political domination such
quasi-judicial agencies as the ICC
and the general accounting office.
There can be no doubt of that fact.
That is the crux of the disturb
ance among the legislators under
the reorganization proposal.
Those of us who have had long
experience as writers and observ-
ers in Washington have seen evi-
dence in almost every adminis-
tration of attempts of politicians to
get their fingers into the pie of rail-
road rate making. They have adopt-
ed all sorts of tricks; they have used
subterfuges and they have em-
ployed strong political pressure
time after time to gain control of
railroad rate making. Through all
of these years since the ICC was
established, there has always been
enough sane minds in congress who,
with White House backing, could
resist this political move. Natur
ally, therefore, it is a matter of
some question why President Roose-
velt should attempt to toss the in-
erstate commerce commission and
its rate making power straight in-
to the laps of the politicians.
Of course, the Presidential mes-
sage on this point appears on its
face to provide against the end that
I have mentioned but old timers in
congress point out how this wedge,
driven only a little further, will
bring about political domination of
the ICC.
* » *
It is hardly necessary here to set
that can emanate
from political con-
trol of such a vast
structure as the
railroads of the United States. It
is unlimited in its possibilities. Dan-
in any program
with which the politi-
cians are identified and it appears
to be & mstance in
18 going to serve the
erly, should call a halt.
Potential
Dangers
which con-
general unti f-
plant to include it in
again under the rule
of an auditor general, the reorgani-
zation scl simply will
trol of pt litures back a
u
One of the
eme set con-
}
14 1 : » -
earlier Presi no effort
to conceal the 1 that could be
the auditing unit of the gov-
when he said, on an occa
"we
. i
where the ch
retary of the
hat Secretary
ce the Secretary
Furs an appointee of
ient and serves only at
the President's les
mind a link
by the Whi
trol determination of legality and
of expenditures.
Congress created the general ac-
counting office in order that it would
have an agency independent of the
Chief Executive and the executive
keep tab on how
the Presic
propriated. That was the reason
why the office of comptroller gener-
al was made to carry a fifteen-
year appointment with removal only
for malfeasance or misfeasance.
Now it is proposed to tear down
that structure and bring the whole
inet officer.
But there is another phase to be
considered. It has been my good
in Washington dur-
ing the entire life of the general
accounting office as well as for sev-
edge, I can say that the general
accounting office has recovered mil-
lions of dollars of illegally disbursed
funds as well as prevented illegal
disbursement of other millions.
» * »
There seems to be more support
for inclusion of the civil service
. sommission in the
Civil
Service adminis-
service
executive department than there is
support for breaking up of the fed-
dent proposed. Neither of these
agencies has such an
as do the other two I have dis-
cussed. The plan to make the civil
siderably by the President by inclu-
ernment employes below policy-
ice laws,
ent setup as prosecutor, judge and
jury but many legislators believe
this can be corrected without emas-
culating the agency and destroy-
ing its identity by putting it into
an executive department. It ought
to be free and independent and
ought not to have any politician
in a cabinet chair telling it what to
do when it seeks to make business
be honest.
© Western Newspaper Union.
Home Heating
Hints % ke tardtey
Heating Expert
Way Means Most Heat at
Lowest Fuel Cost
HERE'S an art in refueling a
furnace fire that enables you
to get the most heat at the least
cost. There's more to it than just
scooping up a few shovelfuls of
The economical way is simple,
Shake the grates gently when
necessary. Don’t do it vigorously
and shake a lot of live coals into
When you see a slight
ing. Then pull a mound of live
coals from the rear to the front
of the firebox, just inside the fire-
door, using your shovel or a hoe.
Don’t disturb the ash under the
. | COAL
|
wor | |
spoT |
2 MVS
Zz \
live coals. That
bed sloping down fre
the
ves you a fire
n the edge of
coor wo the
»r or
NOW,
into the
shovel ¢ of fresh
toward
», being careful
re OF
coal the
back of the furnac
l ai8 In
§ ignite the
ntact of
causing
F oreign Words
and Phrases
afresh
(F.) Loyalty to
of sol-
improvvisa-
npromptu poet or
Mauvaise
bad
war or
ence.
Miss
REE LEEF
says:
d’heure. (F.) A
an awk-
experi
quart
quarter of an hour;
uncomfortable
"CAPUDINE
relieves
HEADACHE
quicker because
it’s liquid...
Be Worthy
The only way to compel men to
speak good of us is to do it.—Vol-
taire.