Show st Washington Digest Does F. F D. D R. R See Seek Third Thil d Tel Term President Has Many Reasons If II Roosevelt Is Sure of Victory Hell He'll Run Meanwhile Mean lean w while It Its It's s 's a Wailing Waiting Game with President Holding Cards Says Observer By WILLIAM BRUCKART Service National Press Washington D D. D C. C WASHINGTON Senator Burke the Nebraska Democrat has come forward with a n proposition fixing the term of the President of the United States at six years and limiting an individual to one term It is not a anew anew anew new proposition It has been suggested suggested suggested sug sug- before before before-as as long ago as President President President dent Jacksons Jackson's term term but but it takes on a new significance now Its new importance is not because of Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Burkes Burke's declared intention to press the thing through to enactment enactment enactment enact enact- ment so much as in the fact that third term talk is all over the thc place these days I do not profess to know what is in Mr Roosevelt's mind about a third term That is one one subject upon which he has kept his own counse counsel Precedent Maker The third term precedent will Ivill be no barrier to Franklin Frank Frank- lin tin Roosevelt i if iJ f he thinks think f Jour four our more years ears will Ivill help him to achieve history's rating rating rat rat- ing as a great president thinks JF William illiam Bruckart Two Tico of oj Mr Roosevelt's outstanding outstanding out out- standing characteristics are his enjoyment of oJ the power of oj the chief executive and his willingness to create new neto precedents quite severely He is completely capable of keeping his own counsel when he desires and I can say without without without with with- out equivocation that he has kept it itin itin itin in this case The Washington correspondent correspondent correspondent corre corre- or observer usually can get a tip ofT as to the presidential mind in ordinary matters but not so regarding the third term Thus Thu having made a reassuring statement that this is only a guess as to the future I shall try to put the puzzle sections together and make a prediction There are many many factors to be examined Without Without Without With With- out them there can be no judgment as to the circumstance With them in full view cerain conclusions appear appear appear ap ap- pear inescapable Note that I said appear I use that word for the reason that Mr Roosevelt is one of the few men ever to occupy the White House whose whole attitude may change completely overnight on any given subject Mr r. r Roosevelt Revels Revel In the Presidency Mr Roosevelt has a n consuming desire to go down in history as a great President There can be no doubt of that He wants history to tosho show sho him as an outstanding friend of the people the masses He will let nothing prevent him from that course if it is within his power If there is one trait in the makeup of the man that transcends others I believe it is his desire to establish new precedents We speak of him himas as precedent That is in in- correct He likes to make new ne ones No other President resident has ever done more than make motions about a third term Mr Roosevelt would not be disturbed by the fact that never before had any President resident occupied occupied oc oc- oc the White House for 12 years I suspect that he would enjoy doing doing doing do do- ing that sort of thing And when I mention enjoyment I need to refer at the same time to the very well weIl known fact tact that Mr Roos Roosevelt enjoys being President That is he has what we say is a good time on the job There is no real weariness for him as Chief Ex Ex- Ex- Ex Within the range of my quarter of a century as an observe observer er there has bas been no other PresIdent PresIdent President dent who so reveled und under r the generally generally generally gen gen- accepted tremendous burden of the presidency Presidents President's Popularity Has Religious Fervor Behind the scenes no President has ever had a hallelujah chorus of so many voices around him There has hilS never been a President with such great personal popularity as Mr Roosevelt The combination of these things the continual songs of praise that he hears from his close advisors and the adoring multitudes well well I firmly believe that no livIng living living liv liv- ing man can maintain the equilibrium um necessary for sound and sane thinking while such semi religious fervor toward him is shown Seldom if ever before has any President had bad the same type of promoting promoting pro- pro mating theorists starry eyed dreamers around him The country never has had an administration as radical as Mr Roosevelt's regime At no time lime have as many crackpots crackpots crackpots crack crack- pots schemers theorists with untried untried untried un un- un- un tried panaceas had a chance to gets get their plans put into action Some are me workable most of them are not The fact that some have worked however is the very reason th the the- r whole crew sticks around and keeps plugging for further trials of this that or the other For most of these folks it is the first time lime in public life their first entry into national national na na- na office with authority They like it Also they like the payroll It Js Is natural that they want to stay f Effort to Restore Party Parly To Old Line Democrats Democrat There is beside all of these faa fao tors the differences within the party parly of which Mr Roosevelt is the titular head I believe that the Ule Democratic party machinery machiner was completely taken over by the radical wing and so now there is n a definite effort under under under un un- der way to restore the party control to old and tried Democrats That Thatis is to say the effort is to unhorse the type of men like Ickes Wallace Corcoran Minton of at Indiana and others of that stripe Men like Senator Senator Senator Sen Sen- ator Harrison and Vice President Garner and even Jim Farley do donot donot donot not like to see those other fellows in a position of responsibility They believe in the Democratic party for Democrats So it is quite apparent that the struggle for party control Is a rough and tumble e fight from now on because because because be be- cause there is a convention of the party part to be held in 1940 1930 and It is not too early to line up delegates Were it not for the battle ahead and the desire of those surrounding Mr Roosevelt to keep on with his reforms re re- forms and forms and the jobs lobs jobs Mr Roosevelt Roosevel would control the 1940 convention His declarations of a purge of the party has made it impossible for fOI him to control the convention without without without with with- out a fight That is to say he will willbe willbe willbe be unable to pick the 1940 nominee to carry out his plans without a battle President Is Playing Jr Waiting Wailing Game Now there are many who believe that Mr Roosevelt's personal popularity popularity popularity larity will be the only thing sufficient sufficient sufficient to swing that party control He will wm not be able to nominate his own pick but he will be able to nominate himself say these ers When we have reached that stage therefore we have reached the point of determination of the course which Mr Roosevelt will follow My Myown own c conclusion is definitely that Mr Roosevelt is preparing for any even even- He is unlikely to say he will or w will 11 not run He will wait If the situation makes it appear that he can win he will accept the nomination if iI however he believes that he will get licked he will try to pick the nominee He will select selecta a man who will do his bidding if he has not lost control of the party convention I am convinced Mr Roosevelt would like to run but he will not run if there is certain defeat defeat defeat de de- de- de feat staring him in the face And when we talk of third terms and precedents etc I must recall a certain vote in the senate on February February February Feb Feb- 10 1928 President Coolidge had said he did not choose to torun torun torun run but there were many Democrats Democrats Democrats Demo Demo- who thought that was a trick to invite the nomination So the senate adopted a resolution a prec prec- making resolution saying it was the sense of the senate that no President ought to have a third term or something to that effect How HolO Will ill They Vote Vole This Time It gave me quite a 3 laugh when 1 looked up the vote on that resolution resolution tion because I can see some very delicate situations developing for some of the senators who voted for that resolution It was good politics politics politics poli poli- tics then of course but what I Iwonder Iwonder wonder are some of those men going going going go go- ing to do if Mr Roosevelt moves inon in inon inon on them with a third term campaign campaign campaign cam cam- Of the present Democratic members members members mem mem- bers of the senate we find the following following following fol fol- lowing as having voted their e expression expression sion that no President should have a third term Ashurst of Arizona Barkley of at Kentucky Gerry of Rhode Island Glass of Virginia Harrison of Mississippi King of Utah Thomas of Oklahoma Wagner Wag Wag- ner of New York Wheeler of Montana Montana Montana Mon Mon- tana McKellar of Tennessee Neely of West Virginia Pittman of Nevada Nevada Nevada Ne Ne- vada Sheppard of Texas Smith of South Carolina and Tydings of Maryland We find also that Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor LaFollette of Wisconsin the great Progressive leader voted against a third term and we also note Senator Norris another Progressive Progressive Progressive Pro Pro- who said by his vote that no man should have a third term Well Vell It struck me as being funny Take such men as Barkley the New Deal leader in the senate and Neely and McKellar who continually have popped off in praise of Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt and who have no complaint about any phase of the New Deal Or consider the plight of Thomas of at Oklahoma who probably will be reelected reelected reelected re- re elected and who therefore will be faced with a decision if Mr Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt decides to seek seck a third term It will wm be easy for Pat Harrison or Wheeler or Smith of South Carolina to vote for a similar resolution in inthe inthe inthe the next session but it wont won't be so easy for fur the others to d decide cIde because because because be be- cause those who have opposed some I of Mr Roosevelt's program will be beable beable able to say they are being tent e Western Newspaper Union |