◆ SpookStack

war Me ee eet et che eed a MET a Nak te emai Matte cnet ek te ahi eine ta eee et no han nem Rt aN nae - i . : seeders ote samy ce ganed | Rss Sh Sea aa faa a 1. . een. by\France?’ 3; |Reviewed by George Morris : no In these days, to tear to pi Perkins’ T of labor relations . legislation for which the New Deal is principally noted, . , ; So much of the change that has occurred under Roosevelt is taken » jfor granted, that it is well to have the record clear on much of the his- tory of this legislation, . ~—| The story is built around the man j Who was the architect of this 12- ; year era of progress. But it emerges through some 400 Pages of which ; |most are somewhat subjectively de- =, voted to describing the work of Miss ‘Perkins’ department in four years under Roosevelt’s governorship and 12 years as his Secretary of Labor, “{BIG FAULT | There is one big fault with the! ‘|book; it pictures more the Roose-| 4; Vel and his “palace guard” -as his| opypnents liked to call those who! : ound him, than Roosevelt and’ ; the great movements among Ameri-: 3 ca’s changing people. As one reads ;jthe book, it appears as thoug jeverything funnelled to Roosey | ; , through his advisors. The FDR who; iked to see for himself and Jearn directly from those who make : America rich, is not so apparent, |{case of Harry Bridges which was :] Miss Perkins gives far more space, handled in Perkins’ department for to describing disputes’ betweers|® While.’ She describes the Presi- Roosevelt's aldes over advice to the , President or how to steer his poli- cles, than to the movements of mil- Mons that were really decisive, ‘Ted-baiting columnist of w Leader and Wall St. Jo one or two other authors. mo she made “little digests - “what she knew for the Pres Apperently, however, FDR di flepend solely upon Madame F vultures! Describing how Roosevelt was b like Frances uring war years and was often in the fielq°% from people, she writes: ene “Moat of all he missed the Ja people whom he had béen acc tomed to seeing from time ‘to ti in groups to discuss legislation ‘: ‘ KNEW: The Perkins book is one ‘of Teerkine Viking Press New Tok, 378, growing number by people who ~ . close to the President to write ab: him. Trouble is they have a t dency to be too subjective—too mi nted in describing what “I t e@ President” and what he thou; “my proposal.” Some day a C —_—__—.. Stalin is stressed in off-the-record 2| conversations. eo ‘| “He felt himself on very good per- ‘sonal terms with Marshall Stalin,” ae | she writes. “He liked him and found |, fjhim extremely interesting at to SP MUTE Will do a rounded out, “I like this man and I want toian& place Roosevelt in his oro: keep on good terms with him,” said Iplace in American history, the President on ane occasion to- ne ee her when she asked that he press: Stalin for some Soviet action she e desired on the LO. .0 LLY AT TEHERAN A particularly interesting sertion is the President's story. of Stalin's, + impression upon him at Teheran,. their first meeting. Their relations | appeared stiff and formal at first,” until both found common ground in their mutual sense of humor—in- cidentally, at Churchill’s expense. . The author describes how Roose- velt, in 1933, expressed a desire to know more about the Russians, nd } g . y) of all le, he asked her to fin —_ f " out, bat makes them tick.” KOT RECORDKD he admits that all -she eW oO about the Russians was whattshe 2 JAN 10 1947, the government” he asked: = —_—sifread in @ book by B. H. Sumners. The author minimizes those great} “Then why in the world should g /@04 William Henry Chamberlain, ___ _ istruggles of labor starting with the/ man be punished for what he thinks, ¥s San Francisco waterfront and Gen-| for what he believes? That's against a _ FRANCES PERKINS to be vice-presidential running mate as @ condition for assuring him la- bor support. Another section deals with the Jf crai strike in 1934, which have been| the Constitation” This is a piping from of the 'so {Influential in speeding the Wag- -ner Act, Social Security and Wage- !Hour legislation. The big differ- . On occasions when Miss Perkins| Page | —_ DAILY WORKER rantings against her on handling of: : the Bridges case, she would run to! _ the President. But she writes, the: Date President continued “ridiculing the: Clipped at t whole affair in his usual jovial way. Government. “It's all nonsense,” he sald to her! . one occasion. “Who is this fel-' low J. Parnell Thomas? ¥ hea: . real i ds Feeney, Why he: e¢ his name? Who fothers’ ¢ ut him? Don’t pay any attention ‘te him, You've dene the right thing” = ithe ziyears in the White House isn't ex- ' . Some sections of the book will be of considerable interest to -future In one place she de- d the visit of Dan Tobin to White House to ask ‘the Prest. to run for a third term.