Clubjellows

Franklin Roosevelt last week looked for the first time on a long colonial building with a low veranda and a row of white-washed trees on its broad, flat lawn. Not for lack of invitations had he never before visited the Jefferson Islands Club in Chesapeake Bay. The founders of this sporting organization include some of the most famed Democrats in the land: Owen D. Young, John W. Davis, John J. Raskob, Senators Pittman. Tydings, Robinson. Logically they might have expected a Democratic President who liked outdoor fun to drop in upon them often. If they ever so expected they were mistaken, for President Roosevelt on vacations displayed a pronounced preference for his own New Dealers, rather than for regular Democrats, as companions. So last week when he finally accepted the club's invitation to Jefferson Islands through its president, Senator Robinson, the announcement made a stir in Washington.

Embarking at Annapolis on the Sequoia, the President was accompanied by Senator Robinson, Postmaster General Farley, Speaker Byrns, Vice President Garner. After an afternoon's fishing in the Bay they went ashore at Jefferson Islands, later to find almost every good Democrat in the District of Columbia on hand for an old fashioned political get-together.

Absent members of the Cabinet were Secretary of State Hull; Secretary of Labor Perkins who, being a woman, was not invited; Secretary of Agriculture Wallace, who was tripping in the Midwest; Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau, who has no taste for clambake politics, and Secretary of the Navy Swanson who, as usual, was ailing. Harry Hopkins and Rexford Tugwell went along for the sake of goodwill, as did George Peek, Frank Walker, T. Jefferson Coolidge, Charles Michelson, top men from many a board & bureau. The list also included John D. Reilly, president of Todd Shipyards Corp., Sidney Weinberg of the Business Advisory Council, Clark Howell, publisher of the Atlanta Constitution, Arthur Mullen, Democratic boss of Nebraska, and a fine delegation from Congress, including Col. Edward Halsey, pompous but popular secretary of the Senate, and Senators Tydings, Dieterich, Walsh, Barkley, Radcliffe, Copeland, Duffy, Gerry. The only political outsider present was Minnesota's Senator Henrik Shipstead who, though a Farmer-Laborite, is a crack duck hunter.

So many politicians had annexed themselves to the party that they could not be accommodated at the clubhouse and most of them went only for Sunday--which was just as well since they would have made unhappy bedfellows. Hardly a guest was there who did not have a grievance against one or more of his fellow guests. Examples: Senator Dieterich v. Representative Rayburn on ''death sentence" legislation for utility holding companies; Senator Tydings v. Secretary of the Interior Ickes on the administration of the Virgin Islands (see p. 16).

In short, the mixed currents of Democratic politics came to a grand crossing at Jefferson Islands. Party peace was the purpose and to that end Boss Farley took along a dossier full of patronage requests, Dr. Tugwell his ingratiating personality, and, above all, Franklin Roosevelt, his smile.

So far as the President was concerned the Jefferson Islands powwow was perfectly timed. Of his New Deal measures a good handful needed only a smattering more of Congressional goodwill to reach him in forms that exactly suited his taste--the Utility Bill, TVAmendments, AAAmendments, Banking Bill. With them out of the way there would remain but one cause of friction between him and Congress-- his tax bill. Hardly a Congressional leader at Jefferson Islands but was annoyed because the President had demanded that that measure be hurried through this session.

What balm was mutually poured on hurt wounds, what pledges of goodwill were exchanged during that happy Sunday, no one present cared to say. Sunday evening when the Sequoia docked at Annapolis, the President had nothing to say. Neither had Vice President Garner nor "General" Farley. Several hours later other members of the party got back to Washington, content but uncommunicative. One guest, breaking the golden silence on condition that he remain anonymous, confided that he had seen Secretary Ickes and Senator Tydings, arm-in-arm, laughing and jesting convivially.

P: Moose-tall Sir Ronald Lindsay, British Ambassador to the U. S., stalked into the White House, disclosed to Franklin Roosevelt a large canvas from the brush of Frank Salisbury, British artist who last winter painted the President's portrait. On the canvas was a handsome picture of George V, R. I., his lion and his unicorn, a gift from Artist Salisbury to the President on behalf of the American people. Said Sir Ronald: "As the King's Ambassador in America I have often been impressed by the feelings of affectionate respect which His Majesty's personal qualities have inspired widely in America and which were so noticeable when he was gravely ill some years ago. They were again illustrated by the interest with which the American public during this summer has watched the ceremonies of the King's Silver Jubilee. It is in recognition of these feelings that the artist offers this gift of the King's portrait to yourself for the American people. . . ."

Said Franklin Roosevelt, ". . . Inform His Majesty that the portrait will be hung in the National Gallery. . . ."

P: Adroitly seized upon by the President last week was the fact that Soviet imports from the U. S., which were down to only some $15,000,000 in 1934, have doubled in volume so far this year. This fact he turned into a feat of diplomacy by instructing William Christian Bullitt, long-suffering U. S. Ambassador in Moscow, to agree with Soviet Foreign Commissar Maxim Maximovich Litvinoff that Russia, in return for the indicated increase in her purchases from the U. S. during the next twelvemonth, shall enjoy for that period a 50% reduction in the U. S. tariff on manganese, one of Russia's chief exports to the U. S., a 12 1/2% tariff slash on Soviet safety matches with uncolored stems and other tariff favors.

Perfectly amazing to professional diplomats, the Bullitt-Litvinoff agreement was apparently verbal, confirmed in written statements by each which were not identic notes but differed in vital respects. Thus Ambassador Bullitt stated that Russia "intends" her purchases to total "$30,000,000," but Comrade Litvinoff stated that she will "take steps to increase" her purchases without naming any figure. The Russian stated that the agreement was pursuant to a Congressional act of June 12, 1934, but the U. S. State Department announced that it "was not concluded pursuant to the authority of the Trade Agreements Act of June 12, 1934."

P:By upping oldtime Careerman Hoffman Philip from Minister to Norway to Ambassador to Chile, President Roosevelt made room at Oslo for Anthony Joseph Drexel ("Tony") Biddle Jr., Philadelphia socialite.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.