In January, the Committee for the Nation broadcast a letter to members of the House and Senate and to presidential advisors that commended Roosevelt for his "leadership in formulating the aims of a new national monetary policy. The credibility of the Committee was, however, further rocked by the publicity that accompanied the Wirt incident in April 1934. "In May the Committee for the Nation circulated a Lippmann column from May 3, 1934, in which the noted columnist pointed out that in February 1933 cowhide in Chicago was selling at 35 percent of its 1926 price, but men's shoes were selling at 96 percent of 1926. In August, the Committee alerted its members to a radio address to be given by Senator Thomas over a national network in which Thomas would take "an aggressive stand for rescue of creditors as well as debtors." Late in July, amidst falling economic indices, the Committee wired Roosevelt who was leisurely vacationing in Hawaii.