ROOSEVELT AS DICTATOR

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4607, 9 October 1934, Page 8

ROOSEVELT AS DICTATOR

AMERICANS BEHIND PRESIDENT. EARLY SUCCESS OF PLANS. Americans look on their President, Mr. Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a virtual dictator, and believe that he will succeed in his efforts to secure economic recovery for the country, according to Mr. M. T. Foley, a business man from San Francisco, who is visiting Christchurch. "Mr. Roosevelt is in a position which makes him practically the dictator of the United States," said Mr. Foley, in an interview. "The American people do not acknowledge this openly, but at the same time they know that they are being led by a man who has been given the powers of a dictator. They are only too happy to allow Mr. Roosevelt to remain in his position. In fact we are glad to have such a man on whom to lean in such depressed times. When the new President came into office we were in despair. But Mr. Roosevelt has proved himself to be the best man at the head of the country since we became a republic, with the exception of President Lincoln. He went into power not as a professional politician, but for the good of the United States. He had nothing to gain personally, and was not seeking honour. But like some of the finest of England's states-

men he took charge for the common good, and the nation is behind him to a man."

It would have been a fine thing not only for the United States but for Europe had Mr. Roosevelt been the man to launch the League of Nations, rather than President Wilson, Mr. Foley said. The whole country would have been behind the great plan. President Wilson was repudiated, and his dream of the League with him, because he had undertaken the responsibility without the authority of the country which he led. President Roosevelt would never have made the blunder of leaving the States for Europe without the backing of Senate and the people.

Early Recovery.

Under the guidance of the President the proper steps had been taken for the economic salvation of the country, Mr. Foley said. The National Recovery Administration had already benefited the whole nation's trade and internal economy. Unemployment had decreased and prices increased. Unsatisfactory labour conditions in many industries had been rectified, and child labour and "sweating" eliminated, with far-reaching effects for several vital industries. Child labour had been exploited to such an extent in the cotton industry during the depression that the allied trades had come almost to a standstill, but all this had been put right. It was true that there was industrial troubles in some States, but most of the strikes and disturbances had undoubtedly been the result of incitement by agitators. Union control of labour in the great industries had suffered during the depression, but now conditions were improving, the unions were endeavouring to regain some of their old influence. The great industrialists were not against unionism, but were against the type of man representing the unions. The unions were at present led and represented by men who were like a lot of Bolsheviks, said Mr. Foley. Most of these leaders came from Russia or some foreign country, and for their agitating were using funds from some apparently unknown source. The industrial magnates refused to have any dealing with such men, and the result was that successful agitators were able to work on the feelings of the men and incite trouble. The waterfro'nt dispute at San Francisco had been started in that way.