REVOLT FROM ROOSEVELT

Grey River Argus, 25 February 1944, Page 5

REVOLT FROM ROOSEVELT

BY HIS PARTY’S SENATE LEADER Over tax Bill Veto J'Aus. & N.Z. Press assh.l (Rec. 7.25.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 23. SenatSr A. Barkley, Democratic Party leader in the Senate made a dramatic speech when he resigned the leadership as a protest against President Roosevelt’s veto on trie 2,315 million dollar tax Bill. Mr. Roosevelt, in a message to Congress, had said the Bill only afforded the Treasury 1,000 million dollars of new < taxes, instead of 10,500 millions ask- * ed by him.. The President said the Bill provided relief, not for the needy, but for the greedy. In a dramatic address to the Senate, Senator Barklty bitterly assailed Mr. Roosevelt’s action. He said: “^ e President, has resorted to one of the most unjustifiable calculations possible, in order to make the yield from the tax Bill appear to be lower than it actually was." , Senator Barkley recalled that president Roosevslt’e veto message tele - red to persons in public -me .wn wanted to have even higher taxes than he (the President) wanted. Pie continued: "This obviously has reference to Mr. Wendell Wilkie, who k darts across the skies, like a . ' ■ illuminating the heavens with an ” array of figures which nobody can understand. Perhaps nomad has frightened the President into asking for a higher figure. Shouting angrily, Senator Barkley declared: “This is the first time my lon°" service that I have been ac-’ cused of voting for a Bill extending relief to the greedy and impoverishing the needy ! Other members may do as thev please. I do not propose to take this unjustifiable assault tying down. If Congress has any seirrespect left, it will override this veto and enact the Tax Bill into law. Thunderous applause then swept both sides of the chamber. Many of the Stnators, including .Democrats, , rushed over and shook Senator Barkley’s hand. ~ Representative Doughton, tnt Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, later urged the House or Representatives to override the Presidential veto, saying that Mr. Roose- , velt sought to usurp the right ot. Congress to decide what shall go into a revenue bill. Mr. Doughton added: "He has told us, in effect, to accept , his dictation or to abdicate our responsibility. There’s where I part company with the President of .the United States.’’

Roosevelt’s Appeal

(Rec. 7.25.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 23. President Roosevelt has urged Senator Barklev not to resign as the Democratic Majority Leader in the ; Senate. Mr. .Roosevelt has telegraphed Senatoi- Barklev as follows: “I regret to learn, from Vbur speech in the Senate, that you thought that I attacked the integrity of yourself and of other members of Congress. Such, you must know, was not my in- - tention. You and I mav differ, and have differed, on important measures, but that does not mean that we question each others good faith. In working together to achieve common objectives, we have always tried to i accommodate our views, so as eacn > may not offend the other, whenever we could conscientiously do so. Neith- ) er can expect the other to go further. When, last Monday, I read to you | portions of mv tax message, and you indicated disagreement, I made certain changes as the result of our talk. You did not, however, try to alter the basic decision, when you realised how strongly I felt. While I did not realise how very strongly you felt, had I known, I should not have tried to dissuade you from exercising your own judgment in urging the overriding of the veto. I sincerely hope that you will not persist with your intention to resign as the Majority Leader of the Senate.. If you do, 1 hope that your colleagues will not accept your resignation.. But if they do, I sincerely hope that they will immediately unanimously re-elect you. With many serious problems daily confronting us, it is inevitable that, at times, you should differ with your colleagues and differ with me. I am sure your differing with your colleagues does not lessen their confidence in you as Leader. Certainly, your differing with me does not affect m v confidence in your leadership, nor in any degree lessen my respect and affection for you personally.” BARKLEY SEEKS SUCCESSOR. (Rec. 9.10.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 Senator Barkley has called a conference of the Democratic majority in the Senate for to-morrow morning, | to select a successor. Many Democratic Senators, however, have predicted that Senator Barkley would be given a vote of confidence, and would unanimously be re-elected The House of Representatives Democratic Majority Leader, Mr. McCormack, has also expressed the' hope that Senator Barkley- will be re-elect-ed. However, Senator Barkley said, that he did not desire re-election.. The .Associated Press of America says: The capital has. been stunned by the revolt of Senator Barkley. It added that the repercussions on the steadily-deteriorating relations as i between the President and Congress could not immediately be appraised. GOVERNMENT ANXIETY. (Rec. 11.40) NEW YORK, Feb. 24. ■ The significance of Senator Barkley’s resignation as Democratic Leader in the Senate obviously far transcends the immediate question of the merits of the legislation involved, says the New York “Herald Tribune” in an editorial. “This cleavage is far too deep to be repaired by any eleventh-hour repentance by President Roosevelt, however abject. Iwo theories have been advanced to explain the growing rift between the President and Congress. One is that President Roosevelt, like the late President Wilson, has become so immersed in world affairs that he has lost touch with public opinion at home The other is that Mr. Roosevelt has embarked upon a deliberate campaign to discredit the legislative branch of the Government as part of his fourth term campaign.” The New York “Times” in a leading nrticle saMs: “The tone, even more than the fact, of President Roosevelt’s veto of the Tax Bill has precipitated the crisis in the relations between the President and Congress. mbP intemperate language of his veto ■was an obvious blunder. The President m Ms 'Mesram to . Senator Parkley, has wisely recognised how essential it is, for the sake of collaboration with the legislative branch to repair that blunder.’ 1 The “Herald-Tribune’s” Washington correspondent says: The Government officials are anxious to determine whether the Congressional '•revolt would imperil the hitherto nonnar«isan Co!n £ ress . su PP° rt of u the foreign policy, such as the lend-lease, the U.N.R.R.A., and

the strategic materials purchasing arrangements. The United Press says Senator Barkley’s denunciation of Mr Roosevelt is a most sensational political development, inasmuch as he has served the President with complete devotion since his appointment, as Leader in 1937.