THE PRESIDENCY: Blossom Time

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Along the banks of the Potomac, Japanese cherry trees were last week bursting into bloom, sign of hot weather soon to come, sign that Congress should soon wind up its lengthy session. Senator Connally of Texas, moved by these harbingers of summer, thought of being gracious: why should not a small delegation of Democratic Congressmen go down to the Union Station to meet the President returning from vacation? Senator Borah, also gracious, asked: Why should not Republicans be included? The cloak rooms buzzed. Someone had a bright idea: Why not invite the whole of Congress? Why not march down with a band? No one could say nay to so unprecedented a patriotic gesture, but a number of Congressmen—mostly Republicans— began to snicker at its unprecedented incongruity: to welcome back the President with open arms after Congress had, in his absence, flouted his wishes by overriding his pension veto, by taxing Philippine coconut oil, by threatening to remonetize silver (see p. 14), by extracting teeth from the Stock Exchange bill. When Franklin Roosevelt—after a long conference with General Johnson and NRA Counsel Richberg aboard his train coming from Miami—drew into Washington's Union Station, he was surprised to hear the stentorian trumpets of the Marine Band playing "Happy Days Are Here Again" and William Woodwin's "The Franklin D. Roosevelt March," to see the smiling faces of 200 eager Representatives and 30 Senators. Hale and bronzed, he came out on the rear platform of his car to the gangway which had been placed for his descent, and grinned at his unruly legislative children. Representative Kenney of New Jersey (sponsor of the bill for a billion dollar lottery for veterans) lifted his arms and led the lawmakers in a cheer. Then heartily enjoying the irony of the meeting, the President made as informal an extempore speech as can be found among public Presidential utterances: "I am very glad to see you all. . . . I am awfully sorry to get back, but while I have been having a wonderful time, I gather also that both houses of Congress have been having a wonderful time in my absence. "Furthermore, I expected on this trip to get some good publicity about the fish I was catching, but couldn't in view of the fact that here in Washington apparently you good people have been going from Wirt to Wirt." He paused, but the Congressmen were too befuddled by the sight of him to laugh even at a Presidential pun. "For you younger members of both Houses—speaking from an experience of many years in Washington—I want to point out to you the advantages of the Washington climate in July and August. It rarely gets over 110° here—there is no humidity and I don't mind if I stay here all summer. . . . "I have come back with all sorts of new lessons which I learned from barracuda and sharks. I am a tough guy. So, if you will come down and see me as often as you possibly can, I will teach you some of the stunts I learned."

Thus the President of the U. S. came back in blossom time and at once began diligently to tend his garden: