Show Bruckart's Br Washington Digest Early Political Activity Presages Bitter 1940 Presidential Campaign Widespread DIo Movement l ement Away Avay aY From New Deal Philosophy Philosophy Philosophy phy of Government nt Worries Democratic Leaders r Popularity of P President Yet to Be Evaluated r rBy By WILLIAM BRUCKART Service National Press Washington D. D C. C ASHINGTON There There seems to tobe tobe There VV be no doubt that the political mill for 1940 h has begun to grind earlier than has happened in almost almost al al- al most any modern time Politicians and political forecasters alike agree that the activity the advance agents of the 1940 1910 campaign with Its national conventions and presidential nominations and national elections elec Is evident now to a n greater extent t than has been recorded in almost any other quadrennial period pe pe- It is to be recognized of course that there would be more intensive effort in advance of the 1940 1990 elections elections elec elec- than occurred prior to the 1936 national elections because presumably presumably presume ably at least both great political parties will be sorting over the can can- dida tes a. a rte Y v 2 R 4 4 a k r. r t tx x aY s h ALFRED M M. LANDON Will ViII not have as much voice in selection of the Republican candidate candidate candi candi- candidate date as Mr l Roosevelt Roose will have in making making- the Democratic choice So we approach the things that are ate to be considered and dealt withas with withas as campaign questions next year year year- as seen from this distance Is New Deal DealOn DealOn Dealon On the Wane I believe it can safely be said as asa asa a n fact recognized by most able political political po po- po students that the 1938 elections elections elections elec elec- with the attendant increase in Republican strength in the house and senate together with the evident evident evi evi- evident dent trend of thinking throughout the country that there is a widespread widespread widespread wide wide- spread movement away from the New Deal philosophy of government How far it has gone or how far it may yet go bow how much the personal popularity of President Roosevelt has waned or how much it may yet fluctuate and how vigorously Mr Roosevelt is opposed within his own party are arc factors yet to be evalu evalu- But that evaluation has begun begun be be- gun hence the activity within the Democratic ranks The fact that there is a trend away from the New Deal philosophy not not all of those policies but a n avery very gr great at many of them them them-is is the factor factor factor fac fac- tor that is causing Democrats New Net Dealers as well as anti to scramble around There e is more under cover maneuvering for tor delegates to the Democratic national national na convention going on right now not than I have bave witnessed thus far i in n advance during any of the last seven seven seven sev sev- I en preliminary battles The faction n of the Democratic party that may I be roughly delineated as headed b by y Vice President Garner Sen Pat Pal Harrison of ot Mississippi and Senator Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor Byrd of Virginia Virginia the the old liners liner s appears determined to rid the party party party par par- ty of radical leadership The group grout which has stood by President Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt New velt-New New Dealers through thick an and c thin thin thin-is is overlooking no opportunity Y to keep the Democratic label pinned pine d upon their faction G. G O. O P. P Has Tactical Advantage Within the Republican ranks there then c are undoubtedly more of those waiting waiting waiting wait wait- ing to see which way the cat wi will ll jump lump than there are among th the e Democrats The Republicans however however however how how- ever have one distinct advantage they can attack anything and every ery thing the New Deal administration a ahas has done They do not need to d dc de e fend anything which is the handicap handi hand i cap that burdens each faction of th the e Democrats to a greater or less e ex x tent Mor Moreover over the Republicans are n not of burdened with the will ill of any on onman one onman e man to which they must give co con con- That is to say neither er former President Hoover nor Go Goy Gov v All Alf Landon the nominees in 19 1932 32 and 1936 respectively will or ca can n have as much voice in selection 01 of the next candidate as Mr Roosevelt Roosevel eft ordinarily would have In mak making m g the Democratic choice This con condi condi- di Won lOll springs from the fact that as Pr President Pr Mr Roosevelt retains ti tit t tiler ul r leadership of ot his party Mess rs Hoover and Landon havI having g taken a licking In turn ne need d not be accepted accept ed by jy the rank and file me of the party orby or orby orby by Republican as having having hav- hav ing ng any greater rights than others And by the same token the Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt leadership complicates the I Democratic picture Since he has stated with great frequency and with an emphasis that cannot be denied that hat there Is no turning back he can be he regarded as determined to insist upon selection of a Democratic Democrat- Democrat ic c candidate either candidate either himself himsel or someone else else next next year who folio will push the New Deal forward And nd that hat position boys and girls is what the he old line faction of the party seem determined now to overturn As a matter of cold fact it appears from all of the information available to tome tome tome me that Mr Roosevelt's determination tion ion on this point is really the fundamental fundamental fun fun- basis for the current canyon can can- yon ran between the New Dealers and the he old liners Again none can fore fore- foretell tell ell how far it will go but it can be said without equivocation that i if that schism continues up to the 1940 nominating Ung conventions the 1924 convention fight between William Gibbs McAdoo and Al AI Smith will appear as a tea party This bitterness bitterness bitterness bitter bitter- ness can be just as deep seated as that Small G. G O. O P. P Machines demand Recognition It should not be overlooked however however how how- ever that there is pulling hair in prospect on the Republican side as well It extends down to the grassroots grass grassroots grassroots roots because of individual thinking that has been taking place This condition results through lack of a federal political machine Dozens of small machines have been wagging wagging waging wag wag- ging ing their own tails for so long longhat that hat they now are demanding recognition rec rec- recognition from the brass hats at the top op F Further since there ther is a growing belief that the Republican presidential ial nomination in 1940 is worth something something that that is that the Republicans Republicans have a chance after eight years of political drouth there drouth-there there is an extraordinary crop of favorite sons coming forward Concerning the prospective campaign campaign campaign cam cam- Itself itsel there again is that uncertainty uncertainty uncertainty un un- certainty about about Mr Roosevelt's personal personal personal per per- popularity about the prestige he has or will be able to lend to the mantle bearer of the Democratic party There is likewise the question ques ques- tion lon as to how much of the New Deal ought to be discarded and how much ought to to be kept and it is not an easy decision tomake There is for instance no question ques ques- question tion in my mind but that voters everywhere are getting disgusted with too much government I donot do donot donot not mean to infer that they are unan- unan But the evidence cumulates that the federal government is engaging en en- aging in too many functions that it t is invading private rights too far that its general scope is beyond what government was designed to be and that hat more and more people are saying saying say say- ing there ought to be some laws repealed rather than that there ought to be a law lav Government Spending Causes Dissatisfaction Another obvious sentiment shows a rather amazing dissatisfaction with continuation of government spending and LInd the creation of added debt With this of course is coupled coupled coupled cou cou- pled the general fear of added taxes It t is quite widespread this feeling that some gloomy years are ahead While the money money flowed as free as water there the was no lack of takers A change appears to have taken place however and from all quarters quarters guar guar- tens one hears expressions or or ques questions bons as to how bow high the taxes will have to be to pay payoff off even a part of the debt A third thing that stands out whenever wherever wherever when when- ever political leaders talk over the campaign problems is the matter of unemployment which of course includes in- in includes includes in in- the question of whether government government gov gov- government would not be serving better better bet bet- ter if it omitted attempt attempts attempts' to reform reform reform re form business It sifts silts down to some of the basic New Deal policies policies poli poll cies ties and say what you will it Is a ared ared red hot subject It remains as ns n a fact that there were 10 or 12 million unemployed unemployed un employed when Mr Roosevelt tool took office and there are at nt least 10 million mil ml- lion now Voters are asking therefore therefore therefore there there- fore whether and and how long such a LI situation can continue without a col col- lapse All of these questions it iss is is to be noted strike very close to every voter in one way or another It likewise comes within the range of at thought that the man who is elected next year year man man because no woman is yet included in the list will list will have havea a a tough time satisfying even a man mama majority ma ma- of the people Just as a rail fence guess or maybe it Is a hunch anyway I believe the next President dent will be good for only one term He will not be popular after four years As a further guess I have an idea that the candidate who willbe will be elected next year will be the theman theman man mesa who paints th the picture of at gloom about the situation Released by Western Newspaper Union |