| Show i f f. f f r aw N Na a BE EN Washington D. D C. C 1 r SPHINX ROOSEVELT Franklin Roosevelt will go down downin in history as the thc greatest keeper of ofa a n secret in American politics For more than two years scores o or of r friends Democratic leaders newsmen newsmen news news- f men and others tried their hand at worming from him some hint on the ther r third term question None succeeded succeed succeed- ed cd until the Democratic convention was only a week weck away away and and this one Jim Farley in turn sealed his own lips Except for Farley there wasn't a at t person on earth who could say he had heard from Roosevelt himself what he planned to do rJ There were many to whom he said that he did not want to run There were some to whom he voiced a preference for Secretary of State Cordell Hull as his successor But there was no one including members members mem mem- bers hers of his family to whom the President gave the slightest clue whether he would run again Illustrative of the complete mystery mystery mystery mys mys- tery even within the inner council was the fact that Secretary Morgen- Morgen thau did not believe the President would be a candidate while Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Hopkins was confident that he I would Both had to admit that t Roosevelt had said nothing and that I their opinions were based wholly on deductions I Last week Sen Sherman Minton I I New Deal whip and State Chairman Chairman Chairman Chair Chair- man Bays of Indiana tried to penetrate penetrate penetrate pene pene- the silence Both are members members members mem mem- I bers of the Hoosier convention delegation delegation delegation dele dele- gation and strong third As they were leaving after a White WhiteHouse House call they said We Ve hope hopewell hopewell well we'll have the privilege Mr 1 President President President dent of voting for you at Chicago Roosevelt smiled broadly and replied replied replied re re- re- re plied Im sure well we'll have a ticket that will win Possibly the secret of how Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- f velt kept his secret so well and so long was that he didn't know himself him him- self what he was going to do Significant was a remark he made to a Midwesterner 1 following the nomination of Wendell Vendell Willkie Wilkie The visitor expressed the view that Willkie's Will Will- kies kie's candidacy made it necessary for the President to run again There isn't anyone who can lick him but you Mr President the caller said I 1 think what happened in Philadelphia makes it imperative that you run I am sure you dont don't want to no man who has undergone the ordeal you have for eight years would want any more of it But its it's not a case any more of your In my opinion the choice is no longer yours t The President paused as if thinking thinking think- think r ing then said quietly as if to himself him- him t t. t self This decision will be the most momentous in my life FOREIGN AFFAIRS PLANK II I For the Democratic platform r makers like the Republicans the biggest headache was the foreign aft affairs af at- t fairs plank The same bellicose forces isolationist isolationist isolationist isola isola- and anti which made life miserable for the Philadelphia platform platform platform plat plat- form writers gave the deep blues to the Democrats In fact the rival camps among the Democrats were even more troublesome The Republicans while they squabbled hotly among themselves behind closed doors were too conscious conscious conscious con con- of party interest to kick up an open ruckus On the final showdown showdown showdown show show- down the boys worked out a compromise compromise compromise com com- promise that gave each side a sop The result was rather ambiguous but it left the door open for the Republican Republican Republican Re Re- publican candidate to move whichever whichever whichever which which- ever way he wanted But the prima donna Democratic factions were insisting on the whole hog or nothing Senator Burt Wheeler Wheel Wheel- er backed by the glowering John L. L Lewis is demanding an unequivocal unequivocal unequivocal ocal isolationist war no-war declaration declaration declaration declara declara- tion and threatens to head a third- third party ticket if he doesn't get his way isolationists Anti-isolationists foremost among them Roosevelt himself are flatly against such a plank At the same time they were acutely aware of the powerful peace sentiment in inthe inthe inthe the country and they know they've got to watch their step CONVENTION NOTES The Chicago convention literally dripped with vice presidential can can- With more than a score t I already in the field Iowa's genial domed bald-domed Senator Herring tossed J his hat in the ring One Washington Washing Washing- I I ton correspondent at Chicago at atI attended attended at- at tended the convention in a dual ca ca- Tall tempered mellow-tempered Bascom Bascom Bas- Bas com cpm Timmons covered the convention convention convention conven conven- tion as a newsman and also acted as the national committeeman proxy of his close friend and fellow Tex Texan Vice President Jack Garner r f GO ROUND GO I The post office department and census bureau will handle the dei details de de- de- de i 1 tails of registering the estimated Aliens in the U. U S S S. to begin September 1 The justice department department department depart depart- ment which now has control of alien regulation plans an extensive educational educational educational edu edu- program in Americanism for resident foreigners I In line for G. G 0 O. O P P. P floor leader I should Sen Charles McNary become become become be be- come vice president is Vermont's able Warren Austin present assistant assistant assistant assist assist- ant floor chief I |
