LEADER SHOT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22210, 10 September 1935, Page 9

LEADER SHOT

MR. HUEY P. LONG WOUNDED BY DOCTOR LOUISIANA SENSATION FATE OF ASSAILANT RIDDLED WTTII BULLETS Ry Trlccrnpli—Props Afflorinfion—Copyrifrht (Rrceivpr) September 9. 7.45 p.m.) NEW YORK. Sopi. S Despatches from Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana, report a sensational attack upon the State's virtual dictator, Mr. Huey P. Long, representative of the New Orleans division in the United States Senate. Mr. Long was severely wounded hv a shot fired by Dr. A. C. Weiss, junior, eye specialist, a member of a family opposed to the Senator in politics. The bullet entered the victim's abdomen and passed through his body. Mr. David Colo, a member of the House of Representatives, said that Dr. Weiss fired at Mr. Lone as the latter was passing through the corridor botwoen the House and the Senate. Mr. Long's bodyguards immediately opened fire and mortally wounded the assailant, whose bullet-riddled body was left lying on the floor near the office of the Governor, Mr. 0. K. Allen. There was the wildest excitement in the House of Representatives, which was immediately cleared, and Mr. Long was rushed to a sanatorium, where Dr. Arthur Vidrine, superintendent of the New Orleans Charity Hospital, prepared to operate. Only the Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. James Noe, a close personal friend and trusted political adviser of Mr. Long's, was permitted to accompany him to the operating room. Prior to the outrage Mr. Long had been directing the legislation at a special session of the Legislature. On being shot he staggered downstairs to the basement with blood flowing from his mouth. The assailant, who was dressed in a smart whit® suit, had stepped up with a revolver and fired as Mr. Long walked along the corridor. The wounded man was given a blood transfusion late at night. DR. WEISS' CAREER ANTI-LONG POLITICS REVOLVER THAT JAMMED (Received September 9, 9.45 p.m.) NEW YORK. Sept. 9 Further messages from Baton Rouge state that Dr. Weiss, who was 29 years old, was a graduate of Tulane TJniversitv. He studied medicine abroad. His father, Mr. Carl A. Weiss, sen., formerlv was president of the Louisiana Medical Association. A possible motive for the attack on Mr. Long is that the assailant's father-in-law, Mr. Justice B. H. Pavy, is the leader of the anti-Lone political faction. In fact, one of the bills Mr. Long presented to the Legislature would redefine the judicial district Mr. Justice Paw represents, with a view to adding enough pro-Long voters to defeat the Judge at the next election. Dr. Weiss' wife, formerly Miss Yvonne Pavy, also is active in antiLong politics. Although the building was crowded at the time of the shooting, only a few people actually witnessed it. According to the testimony of three State policemen who were assigned to guard Mr. Long, they were some distance away when Dr. Weiss pressed his revolver against Mr. Long's body and shot. They say the weapon jammed, preventing a second shot being fired, which probablv saved Mr. Long's life. The police immediatelv started firing at Dr. Weiss, but denied having used sub-machine guns, as was stated at first. At the hospital it was found that the bullet had struck no vital organs, and after the blood transfusion the doctors declared that Mr. Long had a good chance of recovery. It Is said that Mr. Long remained conscious throughout, and with blood streaming from his mouth,,directed the coroner to hold an inquest on Dr. Weiss. Fearing disorders, a Regiment of the National Guard has been ordered to mobilise for the inquest to-morrow.

STORMY SENATOR SPECTACULAR CAREER \ METHODS OF PUBLICITY Mr. Huey Pierce Long, the selfstyled " kingfish " "of Louisiana, was born of a poor family at Winnfield in that State, in August, 1893, and is a self-made man. As a lad he hawked books and sold patent medicines. He studied law at the Universities of Oklahoma and Tulane, but did not graduate. At the age of 22 he was called to the Bar. At 25 he was appointed to the Louisiana Railroad Commission and throe years later to its Public Service Commission. In 1924 he was Democrat candidate for the Governorship of his State and was defeated, hut four years later he was elected. He made himself popular bv providing free school books, parents having hitherto had to pay for them. before his term expired as the State Governor, Mr. Long had been elected to the United States Senate. Mr. Cyril Astor, Lieutenant-Governor of Louisiana, at once claimed the Governorship on the ground that Mr. Long's term was thus automatically ended. Mr. Long ordered the police to arrest Mr. Astor if he appeared to press his claim and he called out the militia to prevent Mr. Astor from entering the capital. He also appointed a new Lieuten j ant-Governor. Ho came into conflict with Texas over his proposal that all cotton growers should sow nothing for 1932, so as to raise prices. Mr. Long initiated a great road construction scheme in his State and began to tax the big corporations, thus earning their lasting hostility. An exceedingly astute politician and a skilful organiser, he established a system like that of Tammany Hall and eventually secured complete control of Louisiana. For long he had been regarded as a

mere mountebank, but it began to be realised that he might have to be taken seriously.

As tho municipality of Now Orleans had not shown subservance to him, Mr. Long conducted an inquiry into the alleged corruption of the city administration. All the proceedings were broadcast, the press being excluded. Mr. Long failed to prove graft. The State Assembly, which he controlled, was therefore asked to pass a measure depriving tho city of self-government and vesting the power in Mr. Long's nominees. He also secured the transfer of the right of appointment to many posts from the local authorities to the State. All the measures he put forward were passed automatically by the Assembly. Meanwhile Mr. Long had become popular all over the United States, thanks to his " Share the Wealth " movement, for which in 19H5, he claimed 15,000,000 supporters. He spoke regularly on tho wireless to the entire nation, his talks commanding more listeners than those of anyone else, except Father Coughlin. Ho also founded " Share the Wealth " clubs all over the country and prepared a manual for them, containing quotations from the Bible, Josephus, Milton, Goldsmith, Daniel Webster and himself. Expert Political Showman The proposals of Mr. Long included drastic incomo and inheritance taxes and a flat limitation on the annual income or the complete fortune of everyone. One of his schemes for increasing his popularity was incursions into adjacent States with his private army and his political " fans," 5000 strong, in gaily striped trains to attend football matches. Ho is described as tho best showman in United States politics. But, while he studiously spoke ungrammatically in public and posed as a plain man, those who know him declare that he is a man of brains who knows exactly what ho wants to do and how to do it.

In November, 1934, Mr. Long got his legislature to pass a two-year moratorium on public and private debts, provided debtors could show that it was necessary. As a result the United States Government cancelled a loan to the State, while retail shops considered stopping all credit transactions. Mr. Long also got authority to dictate the rates charged by public utility companies for gas, water and the like. He told them that these would he cut at once, if the firms did not do so voluntarily. Comparison With Hitler Mr. Long's behaviour led to fears of Fascism in the United States. People began to ask whether he was not America's potential Hitler, and to believe that his success would mean a dictatorship and the end of democracy. His actions 1 --ailed those of the Nazi leader. Thus he ordered the destruction of a student newspaper which criticised him for appointing a football player to the Louisiana Senate. " This is my university," he said, " and I will throw anyone out who utters a word against me. I will expel a thousand students, if necessary." The militant " Square Deal Association," which opposed Mr. Long, was put out of action at Baton Rouge, Mr. Long getting martial law passed and calling out the National Guards. Afterwards ho broadcast allegations that public officials had plotted to murder him. Contempt for Conventions Mr. Long's contempt for ceremonial conventions nearly caused international trouble in 1929. A German cruiser arrived at New Orleans and the captain landed in the morning to pay his respects to the Governor. Mr. Long received him in pink pyjamas and carpet slippers. Highly indignant, the captain made n formal complaint of discourtesy and much tactful diplomacy was required to smooth the incident over. On June 13 last, Senators in Washington watched Mr. Long speak himself into a collapse after. 15J hours of continuous talking in an attack on Mr. Roosevelt's administration. It was the second longest speech in the history o'f Congress. Mr. La Follette, in 1908, spoke for 18 hours.