Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, S. C.. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1938 -Weekly News Review President’s Peacemaker Role ; v Seen as Campaign Strategy •By Joseph W. La Bine* Politics On Tuesday, November 8, the United States will elect an entire house of representatives, one-third 'Of its senate and a host of gover nors. Since U. S. politics swings back and forth from Republican to Democratic domination, since the Democratic swing which began in 1933 has reached and passed its peak, the safest prediction is that Republicanism will start swinging back into power this year. Obviously, it is Franklin Roosa- velt’s ambition to stymie a Repub lican comeback. But his chief in terest in last summer’s primaries was not Republicanism, but the con struction of a coherent liberal party through so-called “purge” tactics. Since “purge” failed, since preser vation of New Deal gains already made is now more important than FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT At election tune, m peacemaker. party purification, November’s elec tion has resinned normal political color for the first time since 1930. As in 1936, this year’s Republican candidates can base a strong cam paign on New Deal failure. Unlike 1933 and 1936, this year’s Democrat ic campaign becomes essentially a defensive proposition. But develop ments of the past month show that the New Deal’s defense will not fea ture such argumentative points as AAA, relief and budget-balancing, will attempt instead to shift public interest on Franklin Roosevelt’s ac complishments as a peacemaker. Three points of peace: World Peace: The world may nev er know if President Roosevelt helped smooth over the Czech-Ger man crisis, but his final message to Adolf Hitler and simultaneous pleas to every other world power came only a few hours before the Reichs- fuehrer called his historic Munich parley. But, coming when it did, Roosevelt intercession looked tre mendously successful. Thus, prais ing the administration’s foreign pol icy as a safeguard to world peace, Democrats hope the voting pnblic will overlook the fact that Munich’s meeting did nothing to help democ racy’s cause, was instead a blood less victory for Germany. Business Peace: If the adminis tration’s foreign policy helped win world peace, it also helped U. S. business. Upshot has been a tre mendous stock market upturn, greater steel and automobile pro duction, higher railroad carloadings. But part of this upturn is also due to governmental “pump priming,” which is just beginning to show its effect. Nevertheless these signs of optimism came at a time when U. S. business decided to quit warring on the administration, choosing instead to play ball until a Republican gov ernment throws out New Deal meas ures which it considers oppressive. President Roosevelt has asked for less “saber rattling” and more co operation between government and business. Charles Hook, president of the National Association of Manu facturers, has assured him theft' business is eager for co-operation. Thus, Franklin Roosevelt looms as a peacemaker with business. Industrial Peace: When th£ Amer ican Federation of Labor convened in Houston, Texas, the President messaged, his desire'for a settle ment of the factional war between A. F. of L. and John Lewis’ Com mittee for Industrial Organization. Obviously a solid labor front, thor oughly New Deal, would be a potent vote getter. How it could exercise this solidified.strength against em ployers is aii unpleasant thought, but the average business man is in clined to hope a patch-up will bring more conservatism to labor. Though the President’s peacemaking effort has completely failed, the nation may well appreciate his gesture. Despite the political connotations these peace efforts must certainly carry during election season, the President’s self-chosen role of arbi ter wins favor with a war-weary U. S. populace. Whether this popu lar appeal will overshadow Republi can criticism on November 8 is any body’s guess. Domestic In 1930 the census showed 25.3 per cent of all U. S. women over 16 were gainfully employed. By 1937, said John D. Biggers, resigning as head of President Roosevelt’s un employment census, the percentage had jumped to 31.7. Reasons: (1) technical and cultural changes; (2) economic necessity. Mr. Biggers found the corner bakery and laun dry relieved Mrs. Housewife of many duties, leaving her free to boost the family’s income or re place an unemployed husband as breadwinner. His comment: “This is an eco nomic and social trend worthy of consideration.” A much more blunt comment eame from the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Ful ton J. Sheen, famed radiorator and faculty member of the Catholic uni- varsity at Washington: “The only real success for a woman, the only real vocation is motherhood *. . . Why be equal to men when you are superior?” • Until this year, most U. S. citizens regarded the foreign spy as a comic strip and fiction character, although government intelligence officers have long known the nation is in fested with agents from Russia, Germany, Italy and Japan. First real action to combat spies is the house committee on un-American ism which has heard evidence con necting espionage with everyone from Shirley Temple to unnamed industrial magnates. Incoherent though its findings may be, the un- Americanism committee has crys- talized enough U. S. sentiment to demand action. After reviewing the situation. President Roosevelt has laid plans for co-ordinating the work of such spy seekers as the army and navy intelligence departments, federal bureau of investigation, se cret service and other treasury law enforcement units. Already in op eration is a new law requiring all agents of foreign principals to reg ister with the state department. Though the measure has no teeth, it will enable the U. S. to keep an eye on propagandists, thereby pav ing the way for action against spies. • Regardless of who holds power when civil service is expanded, it will create furore in the minority ranks because present job-holders will be favored. On this assump tion, a furore will come in Repub lican ranks February 1 when 81,000 Democratic workers in so-called emergency agencies are moved into civil service classification. Another 44,000 may be added later. Religion Last March, just before Reichs- fuehrer Adolf Hitler marched into Austria, Vienna’s Theodore Cardi nal Innitzer urged Catholics to vote for German annexation as a means of blocking Communism. Though Cardinal Innitzer knew German Catholics had suffered at the Reich’s hands, he plumped for Naziism be cause Herr Buerckel, Hitler’s rep resentative, had quoted the Saviour: “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God that which is God’s.” Criticized by the Vatican, Cardi nal Innitzer moreover was to learn that “Caesar” Hitler would take all he could get, shearing every vestige of power from the Catholic church. Early in September the cardinal protested when marriage was made a state affair, when Catholic schools were frowned upon, when Catholic nuns were ousted from hospitals. Later he complained when priests were denied the right of administer ing church comforts to political pris oners. The state, it was apparent, THEODORE CARDINAL INNITZER After Naziism, he changed his mind. strove to push Catholicism into the background, to raise Austrian youth in Nazi ideology instead of Catholic theology. When Cardinal Innitzer protested, a mob strongly reminiscent of the Middle ages descended on his pal ace, made it a shambles, threw 60- year-old Father Johann Kravanik from a second-story window. The Cardinal himself was cut by flying glass but appeared next morning at Vienna’s famed St. Stephen’s cathe dral. Only official Nazi answer to Vati can protests has been shoulder- shrugging, but Vienna’s mob scene may have far-reaching effects. Al ready seen is a surging German re ligious revival which is bound to crash headlong into the state’s dom ineering program. From this point, Germany might either become an anti-Christ state or modify its re ligious position. Meanwhile, church and state are girding for battle. Star Dust ★ Consolation Prize ★ No Publicity Wedding ★ Rolling Home Next? By Virginia Vaie Janet Gaynor in feminine I T LOOKS as if the skids had been put beneath another foreign star. Columbia has had Dolly Haas on the payroll for a year—at $1,250 a week, which maybe is a tidy little sum and nothing more to Columbia, but is a lot of money to a lot of us—and she was scheduled to play the lead in Lubitsch’s “The Shop Around the Corner.” She didn’t make any other pictures; just waited for that one. So—Lubitsch recently moved into the Selznick-International studio, ready to begin work on the picture, his first as head of his new unit in associa tion with Myron Selznick. But he. wanted, not Dolly Haas, but Janet Gaynor, for the lead. A disappointment for the lovely Vien nese, no doubt. In cidentally, the de mure Janet goes right on increasing charm all the time. * Ronald Colman’s marriage to Benita Hume rather startled a lot of people, who felt sure that he’d never marry again. It wasn’t ex actly the sort of ceremony that might have been expected, but Col man’s knowledge of the publicity that attends any starts wedding no doubt prompted him in keeping his application for a license secret, and having a police judge perform the ceremony. Ever since 1920, when he and his first wife separated, there have been rumors to the effect that the dash ing hero of “If I Were King” was going to marry someone or other, although he has never been one of those yonng men about Hollywood who used rumored romances as a sure-fire way of garnering publicity. The beautiful Benita is just the wife (me would select for him—best wishes to them both! *— The fates seem to be agin’ Ralph Bellamy, so far as owning a home is concerned. Last winter the Califor nia floods washed away his $50,000 home in North Hollywood. This summer the Connecticut hurricane washed away the house and much of the land on his farm in that state. Looks as if he’d have to buy him a trailer and settle down in that. * I like Kate Smith; I like her new radio program Thursday nights, which keeps her right up there with the topnotchers. But I do not like her when .1 am waked up at the crack of dawn to receive a pale blue turtle with “Greetings From Kate Smith” across its painted back, ac companied by a box of fish food. * Any time the movies need a young and handsome man to conduct an orchestra—and really conduct it, too—they can’t do better than to raid the field of radio and take Mack- lin Marrow. He has been guest con ductor. of practically all the big symphony orchestras but the Bos ton and he is undeniably both young and handsome. What’s more, it was accidentally, discovered, the other day, that he screens well. A friend of his got involved in making a commercial movie. She took a look at the young men sent by one of the model agencies, and they wouldn’t do at all. Then she remembered him. Unlike many ra dio big-timers, he was delighted to do it, just for fun and to oblige a friend. With that picture serving as a screen test he should be able to sign his name to a Hollywood contract if he ever wants to. * Dorothy Thompson, our most famous woman news commentator, has also discovered something about herself as the camera sees her. She’s on the air now on a program that includes Phil Spital- ny’s orchestra, and the other day a picture was taken of him leading the orchestra, with her at the mi crophone. It couldn’t be sent out to the papers; the dignified Miss Thompson—or Mrs. Sinclair Lewis, just as you like—looked exactly like a pretty blues singer, instead of an important commentator on world affairs! Harry Duncan of the “Radio Rubes” declares that he can tell which parts of the country are hav ing bad weather by the amount of fan mail he gets from those sec tions. During New England’s hurri cane week the “Rubes” averaged two hundred letters a day, and he knew that the storm was really ter rific when the postman brought four layer cakes. Thinks all New Eng land must have been moored to their radios. * ODDS AND ENDS . . . Charlie Far rell's next stop on his come-back trail will be the male lead in “TaUspin,” with Alice Faye . . . “Drums" ought to go down on your list of the new pic tures that you must see . . . Paramount wasn't too pleased when their starlet, Ellen Drew, told Philadelphia reporters that she has a three-and-one-half-year pld son. • Western Newspaper Union. BrucharPm Washington Digest Old Trickery Again Being Used In Writing Views of a President * That Intangible Personality, the ‘White House Spokesman,’ Is Back on the Job; Makes Goats of Writers; Taxes Blamed for Added Burden Business Carries. By WILLIAM BRUCKART WNU Service, National Press Bldg., Washington, D. C. WASHINGTON. — The “White House Spokesman” is back! That ghostly, shy and sometimes playful figure has been resurrected from the grave where President Roose velt interred his intangible person ality early in March, 1933. He was placed there with proper ceremo nies by Mr. Roosevelt after his witchlike voice had served during the administrations of Presidents Coolidge and Hoover, and after he had served valiantly as the source of one inspired news story after another. Mr. Roosevelt unmasked the “White House Spokesman” as just the President of the United States, speaking behind his hand. But lo! Here is that man again. I could not help laughing a bit the other day when the “White House Spokesman” reappeared on the front pages of metropolitan daily newspapers, in the work-a-day clothes of ‘‘authoritative White House sources.” Grieving as most writers did that this trickery had to be employed in order to write a President’s views, I enjoyed the hu mor of the situation, nevertheless. If the White House Spokesman was going to be reborn, what more prop er place could there be than Hyde Park, N. Y., the President’s sum mer home. That delightful home on the banks of the Hudson river is only about the length of an air plane runway from the fiction scenes of nightly riding by “the headless horseman of Sleepy Hol low.” But restoration of the “White House Spokesman” to his place of eminence is a serious matter. Use of such a disguise, such a mask, has no place in American life. Many a time in the period when Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover occu pied the White House, there were stories sent to all parts of the na tion that came from the “White House Spokesman.” It was a silly procedure. It was both silly and eheap. The head of the government was simply using the correspond ents as vehicles to carry the respon sibility which the then occupant of the White House should have as sumed. Some stories were trial balloons; some were expressions of a person al opinion by the President which he was not quite ready to espouse publicly, and others were pieces of just plain trickery, given out with the understanding that the Presi dent should not be directly quoted. The course was adopted, so it was claimed, as a means of giving the writers all of the available facts right up to the minute. Just Kidding and Fooling Readers of Newspapers Well, without questioning the “sin cerity of purpose, the fact remains that the writers were the goats. And here they are being made the goats again, .and the public, the readers of newspapers, are to be kidded and fooled some more. What’s the ex cuse? There is none. It is the same old ostrich and the same old sand in which he is hiding his head; so why do it? The present, and rejuvenated, “White House Spokesman” had a good deal to say, behind this shad owy veil, about the desirability of a truce between business and labor, a truce with the administration in Washington. The bitterness between industry and government was made almost into a parallel with Euro pean conditions, and the “Spokes man” went further to suggest that some method of getting together, comparable to the European “settle ment,” should be used here. Well, I imagine there is none in our country who do not hope for, and believe in the need of, a lasting peace between business and govern ment. As the shadowy form said, as it floated over Hyde Park, there has been too much name calling, too many charges and recrimina tions. The condition has slowed up general business; it has made the relief rolls full to overflowing. But when the “White House Spokesman” seeks a “settlement” like that at Munich, Germany, where Dictator Hitler grabbed everything he want ed—well, let me observe that it was a swell subject as an illustration why the “White House Spokesman” should remain in his grave! There was another phase of the “Spokesman’s” backfence snarling that is bound to disturb the neigh bor’s sleep. It was tantamount to a demand that business stop misrep resenting the government’s attitude —this being the New Deal attitude— toward business. That is to say, there was a veiled charge that busi ness, which is to say, “the economic royalists,” have been lying about the government’s programs and ob jectives, no mention being made of some of the abortive results. Blame Taxes for Added Burden Business Carries The news dispatches from Hyde Park made reference to unfair sto ries about taxes. The “Spokesman” specifically asserted that business interests were all wet when they as serted that federal taxps are heav ier now than one, three or five years ago. It struck me as being a queer complaint, because federal taxes are higher; there are more of them in number and the rates on nearly all the old ones are higher. Treas ury figures show that the federal government collected $3,115,000,000 in taxes five years ago. The same official figures show collections of more than $4,100,000,000 three years ago, and in the fiscal year ending June 30, 1937, the collections were announced as $5,290,000,000. Then, on June 30, this year, the official figures recorded collections of $6,240,000,000. To be absolutely fair, it must be considered that business was at its lowest ebb five years ago. Hence, tax payments were at the lowest. But, without attempting to cite all of the increases in rates and new taxes invoked, new taxes and new rates have been responsi ble, too, for the increased burden which business carries. It is important, also, in connec tion with the consideration of taxes to call attention to the federal gov ernment’s budget condition. At the end of September, when the first quarter of the fiscal year was com pleted, there was a deficit of more than $700,000,000. The Treasury had been called upon to pay out $700,- 000,000 more than it had taken in by way of taxes. If my country school multiplication still serves me, there is a deficit indicated for the current fiscal year of approxi mately $2,800,000,000 since there are four quarters in each year. It may be less—or it may be more. No * Breathing Spell* Ever Has Taken Place In the matter of a truce between the government and industry, I be lieve I recall accurately the famous “breathing spell” of several years ago. Roy Howard, the Pittsburgh and. New York newspaper publish er, wrote a letter in which he told the President of the need for co operation between the government and business and suggested at the same time how encouraging it would be if business could be as sured that government harass ment of business was at an end. If I remember, Mr. Roosevelt said in his reply that the major portion of his New Deal reforms was complet ed and there would be a “breathing spell.” It was about that time, too, that Vice President Gamer was re ported to have said it was time to let the cattle get fat; that they had been chased around until they were just skin and bones. He meant, of course, that if business was going to expand and re-employ workers, then on relief, the government must quit taking everything the employers re ceived. Well, neither the “breath ing spell” nor the fattening process ever has taken place. ^ Further, reference might be made to the fact that, not the “White House Spokesman,” but numerous spokesmen for Mr. Roosevelt have been having great fun riding astride the neck of business. One can re fer to the activities of Robert H. Jackson, trust buster extraordinary; to Thurman Arnold, who succeeded to Mr. Jackson’s job in the depart ment of justice; to William O. Doug lass, or to Secretary Ickes. Each of these has had several turns swing ing a bludgeon at business men, and they will swing them some more. So, perhaps Mr. Roosevelt’s anal ogy in which he compared the Eu ropean situation and “settlement” with the idea of a settlement be tween government and business was not so far wrong. Perhaps the “set tlement” by which Hitler took over great chunks of Czechoslovakia is the way the “authoritative sources” or the “White House Spokesman” would have our government take over most private industry. Needs Encouragement From Leaders in Public Life The “White House Spokesman’s” suggestion about a truce and co operative effort between business and government brought a response from Charles M. Hook, president of the National Association of Manu facturers, who assured the Presi dent that “there will be no rattling of sabers as far as the manufac turers are concerned.” He said there would be an upward surge in business “if there is encouragement from leaders in public life.” I am not able to say what is meant by the “no saber rattling” beyond the obvious meaning of a willingness to keep the collective business mouth shut. Actually, it appears the crux of the whole problem is to be found in the fact that throughout the Roose velt administration there are many officials who blab and blab and have little or no idea of the matter they are discussing, while on the business side of the fence the fellows who pop off most are incapable of far vision. C) Western Newspaper Unis*. 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