Entr'acte

Four months ago the curtain came down on the grand finale of the triumphal history of Franklin Roosevelt, Part I--as he took his bows amid the plaudits of supporters in the hour of his victorious reelection. Last week the curtain fell on Scene I, Act I in Part II of his History.

As befits the beginning of a sequel, the end of the first scene found the protagonist involved in new difficulties. His final speech, a sober fireside chat appealing to the nation on behalf of his Supreme Court plan was in a far different setting from the flourish of trumpets which closed Part I. His supporters rushed to the White House to group themselves around him in a final tableau. Then he disappeared into the wings, proceeded to his dressing room for intermission: Secretaries Hull and Roper, Attorney General Cummings, Senator Hugo LaFayette Black drove with him through slush-filled Washington streets to the Union Station. He boarded his private car accompanied by his usual batch of secretarial assistants, his daughter-in-law Betsey Roosevelt and an unannounced addition, William C. Bullitt, U. S. Ambassador to France. Twenty-four hours later he was in Warm Springs, Ga., driving around at the wheel of his old manual-operated car, enjoying sun and fun.

His first few days at Warm Springs were partly spent in saying hello to old friends and catching up on his personal affairs, visiting his 2,800-acre farm on Pine Mountain and making out his Federal income tax.* On his first trip in his car he took Daughter-in-law Betsey, his personal secretary Miss Marguerite Le Hand and Ambassador Bullitt. To Columnist Walter Winchell, whose mind runs largely in one channel, the inference from such events was clear. Wrote Gossip Winchell: ". . .

Ambassador Bullitt's return to Washington brings him closer to FDR's confidential Girl Friday Marge Le Hand. . . ." To less superficial observers, Bill Bullitt's appearance first at Washington and then at Warm Springs meant much more.

For Ambassador Bullitt is Franklin Roosevelt's closest personal adviser on foreign affairs, holds a position much like that which Raymond Moley held in 1933 before he ran afoul of Secretary Hull. From Paris Mr. Bullitt telephones the White House almost daily and sends back voluminous written reports for the President's eyes alone. With a volatility of mind similar to that of Rexford Guy Tugwell, Bill Bullitt gives advice which appeals to Franklin Roosevelt.

Therefore his visit to Warm Springs-- just after the French had made financial overtures to the Treasury Department; just after the visit of Canada's Premier Mackenzie King; just before the forthcoming visit of Canada's Governor-General Lord Tweedsmuir (John Buchan); while the President is dallying with the idea of a U. S. diplomatic reshuffling and the still bigger idea of some major proposal to promote world peace--was as good an indication as any man could ask that during the entr'acte Protagonist Roosevelt intended to rehearse important lines for use later in the play.

Mindful that many of the eight States still needed to ratify the Child Labor Amendment might well follow big New York's lead, President Roosevelt, Governor Lehman and Mayor LaGuardia all urged their State's Assembly to join its Senate in voting ratification. New York's Roman Catholic hierarchy urged against it. The President expressed deep regret last week when the Assembly, with 41 out of 74 Democrats joining the Republican opposition, did the Church's will by a thumping 102-to-42.

*Not a joint return, for Mrs. Roosevelt makes hers separately. On his $75,000 salary, after he took the family deduction of $2,500, but exclusive of additional income from investments and of other deductions, his tax was $18,779.

Since his pay comes from the Federal Government, he was exempt from New York State's income tax which would have cost him an additional $5,550 on the same basis.

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