Show F NEWS BEHIND THE NEWS I Written for The Telegram By Ray Tucker Tuder WASHINGTON The swiftness swiftness swiftness swift swift- ness with which army authorities authorities authorities ties are setting up draft machinery machinery machinery ma ma- chinery amazes even the most enthusiastic advocates of compulsory compulsory compulsory com com- military service Private Private Private vate estimates of senate military military mili mil tary affairs committee members members members mem mem- bers are that at least men will be undergoing training training training train train- ing by November 1 An army colonel recently ap appeared appeared appeared ap- ap before a closed session of the committee with copies of the printed draft blanks He explained that they will be sent out to soon after passage passage passage pas pas- sage of the Wadsworth Burke-Wadsworth bill he took that for granted and that they must be returned within five days after their re re- re In the meantime it is coincidental that local selective selective selective tive boards for physical examinations nations have been established The selection of the f fir first i r s t trainees will be showy and make much copy The page eight-page draft blank combines all the questions of a civil service examination a census questionnaire and an in income income income in- in come tax return Its comprehensiveness comprehensiveness comprehensiveness compre compre- puzzled even committee committee committee com com- experts B But u t army spokesmen explained smoothly that it is designed to furnish Washington with a roll call of Americas America's military might The bolt of Democrats to Wendell L. L Willkie has forced President Roosevelt's political hand in an unexpected manner Despite his pledge that he would not participate in political political political cal campaigning it has necessitated necessitated necessitated a Hyde Park call for bal bal- lot-box lot volunteers In other years when James JamesA A A. Farley stage-managed stage af affairs affairs affairs af- af fairs the Roosevelt popular front appeared to be a spon- spon growth Progressives of Wisconsin Laborites Farmer-Laborites of Minnesota and American of New York joined with the Democrats behind F. F D. D R. R Big Jim always had a finger in the framing of these alliances but his hand was quicker than the eye Now how however ver Democratic desertions have become so numerous that Mr Roosevelt himself apparently apparently apparently felt it necessary to step into the breach He has as assumed assumed assumed as- as full charge of his own campaign Thus the 1940 contest threatens threat threat- ens to be a struggle between two coalitions The parallel may be even more complete It looks now as if many old- old fashioned Democrats will unite with Republicans behind Mr Willkie while liberals and leftists leftists leftists left left- of various shades will rally around F. F D. D R. R the record conversations conversations on Capitol Hill disclose that the president will be bereft of the solid substantial Progressive support which rolled up vast majorities for him in 1932 and 1936 Burton K Wheeler will not mention the national ticket in his campaign for reelection in Mont Montana na He resents F F. F D. D Rs R.'s acceptance address repudiation of the no war no-war war plank Young B Bob b La Follette talked formation formation formation forma forma- tion of a third t party on the war issue as recently as the week before the Chicago convention He He- will not swing his forces in Wisconsin behind the Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt- velt Wallace velt-Wallace Wallace ticket Nor will I Hiram W. W Johnson say a kind word for the man in the White House Only George W W. Norris still remains loyal loval to the president president president dent and the Nebraskan is too L old to rampage the west as in other days It is doubtful if any of these men will oppose Mr Roosevelt actively however since it would be hard for them in view of their utilities anti-utilities records to swallow Mr Willkie It may be too early to record the saga of the decline and fall from presidential favor of Tommie Tommie Tom Tom- mie Corcoran and Ben Cohen Tom still fingers a mandolin prettily and Bens Ben's legal training training training train train- ing still fascinates the president But the emergence of Harry Hopkins as the new deals deal's political political political po boss and the nomination of Henry Wallace as vice president president president dent does suggest that F. F D. D R. R has lost trust in his surviving brain Mr Corcoran never did like the secretary of agriculture In the endless quarrels between Wallace Wallace Wallace Wal Wal- lace and Ickes over ownership of the forest service and the rural electrification administration tion Tommie lobbied on Capitol Capitol Capitol Capi Capi- I tol Hill for the secretary of the interior Mr Wallace though I amiable and tolerant has an Indians Indian's memory Likewise Mr Hopkins' Hopkins name was written in indigo on the Cohen Corcoran Cohen Corcoran books after he became secretary of commerce They accused him of fraternizing ing with the enemy enemy Big Big Business Busi Busi- ness ness and and of seeking to appease the economic royalists |