THE GUIDING POWER

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1933, Page 4

THE GUIDING POWER

MR. ROOSEVELT’S POLICY. INFLUENCE OF PROFESSOR. Washington, May 14. Everywhere one goes in Washington, folk are discussing President Roosevelt’s “Brain Trust,” headed by Professor 'Raymond Moley, nominally As-sistant-Secretary of State. People who have business with the Government declare that he is more Secretary of State than Mr. Cordell Hull, and more Secretary of the Treasury than Mr. Woodin. Everyone wants to know what the “Brain Trust” is doing and what it will do next, whether it is true that it is ruling the country behind the White House throne, and whether it has really changed America’s Government to a constitutional dictatorship, and especially whether the objective is Fascism, Communism or. what. These are not merely theoretical questions. They are questions about which people are. demanding answers. Official Washington has been rent asunder by the advent of the ‘ professorial.” Either one is for the “Brain Trust” or against it. Either one points with pride to a new deal, sprung fullpanoplied from the brain of the professorial,” oi’ one views with alarm the dictatorship. The “Brain Trust” completely overshadows Cabinet. Newspaper reporters are quick to consult these professors, knowing that each probably has on his hip to-day the draft of a bill that will become the Roosevelt programme tomorrow. Professor Moley is a square-shouldered pinkish-cheeked man with greying brown hair on a high-domed head. He occupies a great suite of offices with a bevy of fine-looking women secretaries, including an honours student from one of his science classes in Barnard College, where he still goes once weekly to. lecture. Professor Moley is admittedly the President’s closest adviser. .He it was who conceived the Constitutional Dictatorship. He took America off the gold standard, and it is his plan to stabilise currencies at the World Economic Conference. Mr. Roosevelt will not attend the London conference, but Professor Moley will.