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Show News ft BehindM By PaulMallon J?' Released by Western Newspaper Union. ROOSEVELT'S DEATH ENDS GREAT ERA WASHINGTON. The meaning of Ihe death of Mr. Roosevelt to the country and the world escaped searching examination in the period Df shock and mourning. His law partner Basil O'Connor, In a tribute which was great in its simplicity, said portentous estimates esti-mates of the changes to be expected ex-pected might not be safely made for a long time. Yet the passing was not a shock to those who knew the condition of the President, and in that fact lies the substance of the immediate situation. A week before his death he had lost his taste for food. His general condition had become so weakened, a bad cold might at any time have brought the end which came through hemorrhage of the brain. He had not been able to work at the White House for many previous weeks but had been 'at Hyde Park and Warm Springs. Indeed, he had been a sick man for at least 18 months. The greatest of men, while ill, cannot do their best job. The immediate change, therefore, there-fore, will go no further than to place a protege of the late President at his desk. The difference of administration at first then will only be personal. Mr. Truman has been saying by every action and word that his guiding inspiration will be the thought: "I would like to do this as Mr. Roosevelt would have wanted it done." He went beyond the normally expected ex-pected announcement promising to keep the Roosevelt policies, and proposed pro-posed to keep the Roosevelt personnel per-sonnel as well. No Market Change. The war-sensitive stock market showed no discouragement at these prospects. There was no selling. National Na-tional reaction generally shared this interpretation. As far as the war is concerned, not the slightest change is possible. Our plans were all in the hands ot the army and navy, and not only have been long-since adopted, but all near fulfillment. Some changes in the peace 1 think will eventuate. I believe Mr. Roosevelt was near some alterations altera-tions to meet the newly-arising international situation. Whatever these turn out to be, they will not be far from his plans. His State Secretary Stcttinius knows the situation thoroughly, is realistic, and a far greater man than yet recognized (his handling of Argentina successfully success-fully gave evidence of this). Furthermore, the personality ol Mr. Truman is bound to inject itscli more and more in all decisions, domestic and foreign, as time goes on. In a year or so, necessity neces-sity may well force him into assumption as-sumption of policy - originating initiative. initi-ative. Remember he has nearly foui years to serve, and time swiftly covers cov-ers graves. Yet I cannot escape the conclusion that this is the end of an era. Great men, I have found, are like artists. When they produce a greai work in a certain style which gains them popularity a,nd fame, they think that is the only way to do things always thereafter. It becomes the only way for them. Writers who make a hit with a certain line oi endeavor adopt that style and s change of it later becomes physically physical-ly Impossible for them. Actors who gain success playing a certain part, always thereafter live that part In other roles. They become that person. per-son. Indeed all of us cling to the theories which once proved successful success-ful for us, long aflcr they are successful suc-cessful or popular. New minds come along and capture populority with new methods, and they supplant the old who cannot change. Depression Era Gone. Mr. Roosevelt was of the era o) depression. He come Into the thick of it, devised a successful and popular popu-lar line of thought, illustrated by the spend - lend theory. Although times charged, he did not. He could not. Human nature would nol allow him to discard or greatly alter the ideos which brought him to the top of the world, and he wanted to pursue them internationally as a postwar measure. Truman is a new man, although also a product of the depression era. Indeed he has been a senator only since 1934. His knowledge is on the subject of war contracts. Student of Roosevelt. He has been raised politically to the worship of Mr. Roosevelt's methods, particularly in the political politi-cal sense. Yet the basic Roosevelt political principle was to keep his organization organiza-tion and his setup as a one-man unit. He did not even groom his successor. What kept the government and organization or-ganization line on straight center was the magic of the Roosevelt name and personality. Can anyone else do that? I doubt it. |