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Show Merry-Go-Round By DREW PEARSON and ROBERT 8. ALLEN WASHINGTON The president returned from his two weeks "look-and-liaten" dash across the continent with seven definite impressions: 1. That he haa lost little, if any, political strength, and that his popularity still ia at a high crest. 2. That the foes of his court bill, although ' under bitter fire from ardent new deal elements, ele-ments, are far from on the ropes. 3. That the country generally Is apathetic apa-thetic toward the judicial fight and is far more intereated in immediate issues. 4. That west of Chicago there is no demand de-mand for the reaignatlon of Justice Black because of his one-time membership in the Klan. 6. That farmers want a new triple-A. . That there is no demand for a special session. . T. That there Is intense interest in whether wheth-er Roosevelt will run for a third term in 1840. Still Riding High Evidence of Roosevelt's popularity waa so overwhelming that it surprised even the gentleman gentle-man involved. All along his route, whether morning, afternoon after-noon or night, at country crossroads or large cities, it was the same story enthusiastic, cheering cheer-ing crowds. In a campaign year this is to be expected. People are "steamed up" and turn out to hail their champion. But in an off-election period, and especially after a bad licking at the handa of congress, a sightseeing president is not a surefire sure-fire thrill. Roosevelt, however, left behind him an un-mlstakbale un-mlstakbale trail of genuine enthusiasm. Equally significsnt was the wsy the local politicoa hovered about the president and fell over themselves trying to get alongside him when the cameras clicked. Politicians don't do that unless they know it pays dividends. Dead Fish While it 1 quite possible for Roosevelt to revive re-vive the court furore by launching a new legislative legis-lative attack, at the moment that issue is as dead aa a kippered herring.- There is lively interest in how he feels about senators who threw him for a loss. But on 'the issue itself there is dull and definite apathy. The anti-Roosevelt senators unquestionably have lost some Democratic strength. But on the other hand, their court stand won heavy Republican Repub-lican approval. And under the election laws of their states. Republicans can 'go into Democratic primaries without loaing their party votes in the final election. So it is entirely possible that when the antis come up for reelection, this G. O. P. backing may cancel out Democratic losses and the boys will emerge "vindicated'' victors. Special Seasloa The one subject Roosevelt discussed most during dur-ing his trip waa a special session of congress. And practically everyone shook his head. They aaid there waa atrong demand for new farm legislation, but total indifference to hurry-up action. Senators and congressmen were especially opposed to an early return to Capital hill. No real time would be saved, they argued, and they would be inconvenienced. Rooaevelt did not indicate whether he had definitely made up his mind or not, but he talked as if he were strongly inclined to recall re-call congress in November. His argument was that the main aession would be shortened by a November beginning, thereby giving congress a running start toward next year's electioneering. A special session, he predicted, would bring adjournment ad-journment by May. What will be hia final decision depends large-' ly on Chairman Marvin Jones of the house agriculture agri-culture committee. Third Term At Clinton, Iowa, first stop west of the Mississippi Missis-sippi river, an old farmer yelled out: "We're for you, Mr. President and that goes for 1940, tool" The crowd cheered. Roosevelt grinned and said nothing. Keen interest In the third term possibility wss evident everywhere. Local newsmen and politicians invariably asked Washington corre-s corre-s pendents about it The latter could tell them no more than they already knew which was nothing. Mrs. Betsy Roosevelt, wife of eldeat son Jimmy, Jim-my, attracted much more attention than her towering husband. After snapping the president presi-dent photographers made a bee-line for her. Contrary to popular belief about newsmen, the moat popular drink of reporters on the president's presi-dent's train waa milk. Dining car stewards reported re-ported that the correspondents consume more milk than a train of ordinary passengers. (Copyrgiht, 1937, fog The Telegram) |