TALK TO THE NATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 55, 6 March 1937, Page 9

TALK TO THE NATION

ROOSEVELT'S APPEAL

SUPPORT FOR JUDICIARY PROPOSALS

HIS CHIEF AMBITION

United Press Association—By Electric Tele^

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WASHINGTON, March 5.

Although he did not mention the Supreme Court by name, President Roosevelt, in an address at the Democratic victory dinner, opened a series of radio appeals throughout the nation in support of his Judiciary proposals as the quickest and surest way to obey the election mandate and to remedy the conditions under which a third of the nation is still ill-nourished, illclad, and ill-housed.

He said that his greatest ambition was to surrender the office of President to a successor in 1941 secure in the knowledge that the nation was intact, peaceful, and prosperous, and aware of the existence; of powers to serve the citizens and in a position to use these powers unhampered to meet the modern needs of humanity, thus proving that the democratic form of Government could and would succeed.

"Slavery took at least 40 years' argument, discussion, and futile compromise before it came to a head in a tragic civil war," 'he declared, "but economic freedom of the wage-earner, the farmer, and the small business man won't wait 40 years, or even four. It won't wait at all. Various forms of Government have failed in the world. Even democracies have failed for. the time being to meet human needs. But democracy has not failed in the United States and we propose not to let it fail. ALL MUST PULL TOGETHER. "I cannot say with candour that democracy in the United States during the past few years has fully succeeded, nor can I tell you just where we are headed. I can only hope, for there is no definite assurance, that the three-horse-team American system of Government will pull together. If one horse liesdown in the traces'or plunges in another direction, the field will be unploughed." The President painted a picture of farmers burdened with debt, men and women labouring in factories with inadequate pay, children, working in mines and mills, labour strikes costing millions of dollars, threatening floods, and blowing dust. He said none of these problems could be adequately met while uncertainties continue with regard to the legality of Congressional attempts to remedy them. • ... Mr. Roosevelt's speech is considered tantamount to an announcement that no new effort will be made to. meet these conditions until the Supreme Court is brought into better harmony with the legislative executive branches. He placed support for the plan to remake the Court squarely on the basis of party loyalty and responsibility, and warned the Democrats that if they did not have the courage to lead the American people in the way they wanted to go, someone else would. He said he wou^d continue the discussion in a fireside chat on March 9, and in. subsequent; addresses.