Show Dewey Casts Eye T Toward award Presidency New York Y ol k Governor Govel nol Stands High in Public Estimation By BAUKHAGE AGE News Analyst and Commentator Washington Last Last week we looked at some of the contenders contenders contenders con con- tenders for the Republican presidential nomination This week it is the New York governors governor's turn More than one person who has tried to talk about or write about Thomas Edmund Dewey has complained of the difficulty difficulty difficulty culty of this task There doesn't seem to be any anyone one place to begin or end Several simple declarative sentences can be written about the ambitious ambitious ambi ambi- governor of the State of New NewYork York For or instance he is ambitious Everybody admits that his friends approvingly making it a sort of copy book virtue and Dewey has taken the copybook copy to heart not merely in regard to ambition in general but in attempting to justify just just- If a specific ambition one we al all all heard some time or oth other r in our youth every American boy has bas hasa basa a chance to be president Dewey has taken that seriously His enemies look upon Deweys Dewey's ambition as Brutus looked upon Caesars Im I'm afraid that wasn't as simple or declarative a a- sentence as I in in- tended Lets Let's try this again Thomas Thom Thom- as Dewey is not nota a hail han fellow well met I doubt I if it anybody will ill deny that r Thomas Dewey once was chosen as one of AmerIcas Americas Americas America's Amer ica's 25 be best st dressed men I It t think h ink anybody who has seen him will say say that was wasa a a. a j. j justifiable u t if fa b I e choicer Baukhage Thomas Dewey is a pm small malI all man man man-in in stature The Jokes jokesters have done the best they van Ian with ith that joke but its it's worn by flOW flOW- Standing in a small group Dewey you arent aren't particularly us of of his height height or or lack of Jt t When he be looks at you he can look r rard ard enough to make you feel that jou are almost seeing eye to eye e I mean not necessarily figuratively Tom Dewey Is a hard worker he be is 45 5 and like Taft was a good rood student When it comes to generalities Dewey Dewcy is more difficult to describe There is one thing however that emerges clearly when one examines Deweys Dewey's career It follows a very definite curve which he undoubtedly plotted a long time ago and which will take the boy from Owosso Mich all the way into the White WhiteHouse WhiteHouse WhiteHouse House i if he is permitted to follow it Frequently he be has bas had bad to pause in his upward course but buthe buthe buthe he always ahva's manages to start over again where he left off and continue continue con con- in the same direction He lost his first bids for tor the gubernatorial guber and presidential nomination nomi nation in 1938 and 1910 respectively respectively but he be tried again for the governorship g in 1942 19 and was carried Into office on a landslide land slide that ended 20 years of Democratic control That carried carried car car- ried ned him afong along to the next milestone milestone mile mile- stone and he became automatic contender for the presidency in 1914 1941 The revolt against the New Deal which put the Republicans back into power in New York wasn't strong enough to overcome overcome overcome over over- come the Roosevelt popularity so Dewey had to mark time until the next time which time which is now However there is no use leapfrogging leap leap- rogging the nomination which is the issue at the moment There is the usual controversy over the results results re re- suits of Deweys Dewey's western trip which ended in August but his managers with confident optimism announced on his return that his first ballot strength at the convention would reg register ster at least out of the vot votes s needed to nominate him Taft Might Hinder Deweys Dewey's Possibilities However the results of the more scent cent Taft journey might mean a double setback for Dewey If what Is claimed is correct is-correct correct namely that Taft not only strengthened himself I but strengthened Republican pr pros prospects s- s peets generally The reason for this Is that the men who pull the strings Inthe in inthe inthe the Republican party have no great affection for Dewey If they thought they were due for tor foran foran toran an easy casy victory they would be likely to push him aside regardless regardless regard regard- less of his vote getting ability In other words while the insiders in siders alders want a man who can get g-et the popular vote they would rather have somebody whom they are arc entirely sure Is their man man even If he Isn't as popular lar br so long long- longas as he has edge enough to pull through While no formidable stop Dewey m movement is evident the fact tact that Taft tossed Warren of California Califor nia a whole b bowl wl of roses took occasion oc casion to at least mention Stassen Stassen- and found no occasion to notice the existence of the governor of New York York seemed seemed to indicate that there might be some concerted effort Inthe Inthe in inthe the future on the part of the serious contenders And of course there are always the favorite sons whose supporters always hope against hope to get together in a stop Dewey effort One thing about Dewey however however how how- ever is that he appears to be able to build as he goes That is up to the present he be has gained in velocity velocity ve ye without having to reach too far lar back for lor his prestige Deweys Dewey's opponents point to what they call eaU a blank record record record rec rec- ord as governor The Democrats Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- say that about all aU he did was to cash in on a number of progressive steps taken by hy his predecessors clear back to Al AI Smith While It is true that he has Increased his political stature moving steadily and steadfastly toward his goal oal the White While House Douse he has at the same time been accused by his opponents of leaning over backwards backwards back back- wards to avoid doing doing- or saying anything that might prove an obstacle toward that goal g This thought was put into concrete I form in a recent resolution passed by the New York state Industrial Union council the official CIO body which represents all the CIO dO unions of New York at Saratoga Springs in September which read We accuse ac cuse Governor Dewey of permitting his personal ambition to take precedence precedence prece prece- dence over the best interests of the people of New York I dont don't mean to imply by this that Dewey counts too heavily on the CIO ClO vote Although he has created a considerable aura of progressivism progressivism pro pro- about himself some of his backers are very conservative and powerful financially-powerful individuals There is one characteristic revealed revealed revealed re re- re- re in Deweys Dewey's career which may maybe maybe maybe be forgotten as his record as an executive eclipses his achievement 4 k b kb i I I Ii J i THOMAS lAS E E. DEWEY lIes lIe's Ambitious as a prosecutor It must be remembered that more than once he has sacrificed a highly lucrative position position tion lion for the pure joy of criminal prosecution First when after making mak ing a good record on the staff stat of the United States district attorney he postponed returning to private practice practice tice in order to prosecute Municipal Court Judge without pay for the American Bar association then when he accepted the position as deputy district attorney at 16 16 a year to go after Dutch Schultz Lucky Luciano et aL aLne He ne Is quoted as saying once that he would rather prosecute I criminals than cat eat |