The Bismarck Tribune

B
Behind the Scenes
in Washington
WITH RODNEY DUTCHER
Tugwell Houses His Force in a Palace, Let Raspberries
Fall Where They May . . . He Finds Settling Resettlers
a Tough Task . .. Some Salve Is Found for
Democrats in Rhode Island Defeat.
Washington, Aug. 14.—Dr. Rex Tugwell has had
many publicity breaks and they almost unanimously have
been bad. No wonder the resettlement administrator has
developed a fine abhorrence of personal publicity.
Lately a new crop of raspberries has been picked
for hurling at Tugwell because he has lodged a division
of his organization in the very swell McLean mansion.
which has always been one of the capital's show places
and is certainly no less of a show place now that the
resettlement administration is taking it over
You will find plenty of people to say that this shows
how the New Dealers aren't satisfied with ordinary office
space and that it proves they are very crackpotty indeed
when they insist on working in the gaudy palace where
the McLeans used to have their famous New Year par-
ties.
But the fact is that this place rents 50 cents a year
a square foot cheaper than any office building space
Tugwell could find.
WRECKERS ON HEELS
The problem of settling the resettlement administra-
tion itself before it could do any resettling has been a
major one and the agency is now spread over seven
buildings all around town, not to mention a few beaverboard
compartments erected in corridors here and there.
The management division is virtually having the
Architects' building where it was housed temporarily
pulled down around its ears. Secretary Ickes is tearing
down the block to make an annex for the interior de-
partment and just as fast as Tugwell can get a few
men and women out to other quarters, the Ickes wreck-
ers come in to tear out the doors, windows, and other fix-
tures—to the disturbance and worry of employes left be-
hind.
Dr. Tugwell wishes he could find some more man-
sions and he doesn't care who knows it.
SALVE FOR DEMOCRATS
Roosevelt and other administration leaders have
been somewhat comforted about that Rhode Island con-
gressional election by confidential reports showing that
much more than the New Deal issue figured in the con-
test, despite indications to the contrary in most dis-
patches.
The administration's poor position in New England
is still conceded and everybody knows the processing tax
—anathema in New England textile areas—counted
heavily against Mr. Prince, the defeated Democrat.
But the seeming absence of other local issues to help
account for the bad trouncing Prince received was what
made the party leaders here so glum.
Current advices, stressing the fact that Republicans
polled only 48,000 votes in the district as against a sup-
posedly rock-bottom party vote of 49,000 in 1934—whereas
the Democratic vote slipped from 70,000 to 35,000—say
that thousands of Democrats stayed home.
RELIGIOUS ROW BOBS UP
The long-standing row between Irish Catholic Dem-
ocrats and French Catholic Democrats popped up again.
(It came to a head several years ago, when a French
leader was excommunicated by the pope.)
Prince had been in opposition to the Rhode Island
bishop and had become regarded as pro-French. But
Prince couldn't even capture all the French vote, because
Risk, his opponent, is of half-French extraction.
The Governor Green faction of Rhode Island Dem-
ocracy was strongly behind Prince, who had been state
treasurer, but the liberal hard-boiled group, led by Tom
McCoy, was sour on both Green and Prince.
Also, you could find plenty of Rhode Island voters
who were fed up at the way the Democrats they had
elected were jumping around from office to office.
Congressman Condon, Democratic incumbent for the
district, had jumped into a judgeship almost as soon as
he was elected. Prince was trying to jump out of the
state treasurership. The practice was getting
to
be
rather a bore.
Anyway, these explanations come here from sources
which have heretofore been reliable and are passed
along herewith for that reason and for whatever com-
fort they may be to Roosevelt Democrats.
With the suggestion, however, that you wait for fur-
ther such contests before being too sure about what will
happen in 1936.
(Copyright, 1935, NEA Service, Inc.)