ROOSEVELT'S FIGHT WITH BIG BUSINESS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 135, 10 June 1938, Page 7

ROOSEVELT'S FIGHT WITH BIG BUSINESS.

POLITICAL SURVEY.

Congressional Elections in

November.

DEMOCRATIC CHANCES. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, June 9. With the work of Congress this session virtually completed and the adjournment a matter of only a few days, legislators are feverishly working day and night to clean up the calendar and return home to prepare for the November elections. The legislative and political situation is probably more complicated than at any time since Mr. Roosevelt assumed the Presidency. It is, from the viewpoint of all observers, Mr. Roosevelt against the field.

Is the President still the most dominant figure in the national scene or is he not? That is the most important question of the hour for Americans.

Mr. Roosevelt comes out of the present session of Congress with more accomplished than his enemies predicted after the defeat of the Government reorganisation plan in April, and much less than he or his proponents hoped or expected.

His achievements include the comprehensive Farm Bill, extensive naval expansion, important extension of housing and large relief and pump-priming expenditures.

His defeats include the tax measure, with undivided profits am" capital gains, levies virtually expunged and complete reversal of the Government reorganisation plan, while his partial defeats include the Wages and Hours Bill, which, although passed by Congress, :s so deadlocked in conference that a compromise seriously reducing the value of the measure may be necessary in order to secure its approval by Congress. Still Unquestioned " Boss." So the question may well be asked: What is the real status of the Congressional revolt against President Roosevelt, or has there actually been a revolt? There has been a revolt, but in fact Mr. Roosevelt remains the key entity in his party. He is still the unquestioned "boss." The primary elections within the Democratic party to date do not yet indicate any important trend. The candidates he supported in Oregon and Florida were victorious.

There may yet develop Indications of a movement against Mr. Roosevelt in the remainder of the primaries, and observers are not yet ready to predict the outcome of these. It is freely predicted, however, that the Democrats may lose 20 to 80 of their 334 seats in the House of Representatives. This would seriously reflect on Mr. Roosevelt's position, but the best opinion holds that he will retain a sufficient majority in both Houses to successfully carry on. Danger of Recession. "Politics won't defeat Mr. Roosevelt, but intensification of recession till November will." The foregoing seems the consensus of opinion of impartial onlookers. Washington is the scene of straw polls by several agencies which indicate a diminution of Mr. Roosevelt's popular strength, but he still remains the 51 per cent choice of Congress. Mr. Roosevelt's chief instrumentality for combating recession is the 3,700,000,-000-dollar relief spending. If it f*ils it is expected the Democratic party will be swept out in 1940. Meantime an extraordinary twist has been given relief expenditure. It is alleged, against unsuccessful contradiction, that relief moneys are being spent in large quantities to support Roosevelt Congressional candidates in many States. A Roosevelt Purge? It is charged that Mr. Roosevelt is attempting to "purge" at least seven from the nine Democratic Senators coming up for election in November because they voted against the Supreme Court enlargement. It is, of course, impossible for the , Democrats to lose control in the Senate at the November elections, but political realists insist that it is probably a more serious matter for Mr. Roosevelt if the Democrats in both Houses of Congress who are against the "New Deal" retain or grow in numbers, than if he should lose considerable seats to the Republicans, believe what the other does is wrong, wholesome involvement of relief moneys for political purposes, is not altogether j unjustified. Another remaining and important aspect of the situation is the unabated war between business and Mr. Roosevelt. The noted biographer, Emil Ludwig, whose interesting life of Mr. Roosevelt has just been published, states significantly that the hysterical hatred of Mr. Roosevelt by business and Wall Street groups still persists. He intimates that the rich hate Mr. Roosevelt because they recall with shame their passionate surrender to him in 1933 when they appealed to him to dictate and save their fortunes. This may be a.bit of psychological exaggeration. The less inspired student of the American political and economic scene must content himself with the simpler observation that Mr. Roosevelt and business both uncompromisingly maintain their determination to go their different ways. The Most Unfortunate Aspect. It is this which unquestionably produces the uncertainly responsible for retarding American recovery. This is one of the most unfortunate aspects of the country's situation. Mr. Roosevelt and business not only believe what the other does is wrong, but cannot be made to believe that the other wishes to do right. Thus, Washington observers are forced to adopt a ! pessimistic attitude regarding the ' immediate economic and political future of the United States, since widespread confidence, which is considered the most ; vital missing factor leading to prosperity, seems impossible of attainment I while the Administration and business are so bitterly estranged.