Show HUGH S JOHNSON jour U sf WUA WU A A VISIT WITH WILLKIE COLORADO SPRINGS it puts j columnist on a spot to be aby iby a presidential candidate to chis his the columnists views on pub ilia lie questions to be taken or as the candidate sees fit it is spot because a newspaper mans ito Is to take not give opinions to use what he can glean to the public in this reversal of roles 1 I cant be talking about mr air Will views as disclosed in two long ses here because h he e has to absolutely fair to the press and means no favorites or exclusive interviews ter views I 1 cant tor for another reason which is that lie he is my aad and talks in as complete aas as a man would indulge in with own brother the net result from a mans viewpoint of a mile airplane hop to interview mr Is just like taking a dish of to a luxurious banquet or being invited to dig freely in a diamond mine with a pair of eyebrow tweezers its a spot but his colorado springs setting on the toenails of the at pikes peak is one of the most pleasant and beautiful spots on gods footstool so I 1 think I 1 can survive the mental anguish it is telling no tales to say from observation here and elsewhere that mr willkie is surely continuing the process of selling himself on sight little mary diary pickford who had lunch with us went away in raptures she has marvelously preserved her stature in public respect and adoration and otherwise she is going to be a help if enough potential crusaders like mary can meet mr willkie in such circumstances his lack of an old fashioned political organization wont count for so much there is no question of his appeal and political it in personal contacts whether it is with single individuals divi duals or in crowds he has all that it takes what remains to be seen is what he can do on the radio and the content of his speeches the republican platform was so indefinite that mr willkie will have to chart the party course almost it is some chore the republicans were leading at this stage of the 1936 campaign but from the very day of mr landoas Lan dons undistinguished opener at west middlesex they started on a toboggan slide that left them two states mr landoas Lon Lan dons theme was the new deal is perfect but I 1 can deal it better that left no issue save one of personalities As between mr roosevelt and mr landon that was just no contest there will be a contest in in that field this time some people say that in his engaging exterior mr willkie is just another roosevelt nothing could be further from the aruth truth the only point of similarity IS is that they are both pleasant gentlemen mr Roosevel ts charm is that of a cultured actor mr will kies is far more roughshod and homely I 1 believe that most people will regard it as more genuine but he is going to need more than that he will have to make issues far more clear cl earthan than they are today and convince people that his is the right side one handicap of mr landon was that col frank knox and ogden mills were speaking with him but not the same language mr willkie may have a similar problem mr hoover is is going to make at least two speeches he is a thoughtful experienced and respected american but mr hoovers speeches represent mr hoovers doctrine and nothing else whatever they will be attempts riot not to sell willkie but to sell the present edition of which may be something as different as knox nox and mills from alfred landon that would be one great handicap and there are many others however mr Will kies life habit has been overcoming seemingly impossible handicaps like getting a democrat nominated on a republican ticket none of these new ones compares with that lets wait and see traina TRAINING PILOTS PILOTS unconfirmed stories about the germans sending partly trained boys to attack in nights flights relying on only one or two ships equipped with modern instruments and piloted by really trained leaders may be true they also may explain the astonishing british claims of bringing down three or four german ships for every one they lose that is too expensive a policy and we certainly do not want to risk cities ships convoys not to mention young lives and costly planes on that kind of training the civil aeronautics administration is exerting great efforts to get some interest and primary training into young men by subsidizing older pilots to train them at so much a head for eight hours with dual control then the kid goes up UD solo after that he has 22 hours altogether 30 he supposed to be a pilot but to have had his primary training worth will the army and navy entrust its expensive military ships to these boys almost certainly no |