Evening star., 1932-02-04
The Political Mill
By G. Could Lincoln.

lin D. Roosevelt on the League of Ma
tions issue has stirred the souls Of the
pro-leaguers and the risibilities of the
anti-leaguers. His recantation Of his
former advocacy Of the entry of the
United States Into the League Of Ma
tions will make him some enemies
among the standpat advocates of the
League. But it Is obvious that nc
candidate for President, Democrat or
of any other political faith, who de-
manded the entry of the United States
into the League Of Nations would stand
a ghost of show either of the presi-
Dental nomination or of the presiden-
tial election. 1t was obvious that
sooner or later, any Democrat who be-
comes his party's presidential nominee
this year would be compelled TO take
a stand on the League issue, particu-
larly If in the past he had supported
in any way the proposal that the
United States become a member Of the
League. The Republicans would see
to that. 1t matters very little, there
fore whether Mr. Roosevelt took the
lean now or whether he had postponed
saving ANYTHING about the League un-
til after he had been nominated. AS
it is. he Is accused of walking out on
the League, which he defended as a
vice presidential candidate In 1920, In
order to obtain the Democratic nomi-
nation. II he had waited until after
he was nominated he would have been
, accused by the same people of recant-
ing his former faith In order to win
the election.
Newton D. Baker OF Ohio, who dedi-
Gated himself to the cause of the League
not SO many years ago. the other day
came out with a statement while he
continued personally to believe in the
League. he did not propose and would
not take the United States into the
League right now. While his statement
4 also reused the indignation Of some of
the ardent pro-Leaguers, they now look
on Baker as an angel of light as COM
pared to Gov. Roosevelt, who hae turn
ed back f1atly upon the League and all
its works Unless in the future Mr..
Baker measures up to the standard Of
! Gov Roosevelt in opposition to entry
into the League, he will be the target
of the anti-Leaguers, If he becomes a
serious contender for either the nomi-
nation for President or election TO that
Office.
The New York Times editorially
scores Gov. Roosevelt for his an
nolfnced opposition to the League. That
newspaper faypred strongly American
adherence to the League and has
favored cooperation of the United
|
occasions. 1t has attacked the "isola-
| tionists" In this country. The Times
says in It's editorial TT will be gen.
orally regretted. we think that Gov
Roosevelt should have been so plainly
swayed by political motives in this pub
lie recantation" Generally speaking
it is admitted by every one that pub
lie man has right to change his mind
and his position on any given subject
II he becomes convinced that his earlier
position was in error, or If circum-
stances have arisen which make the
| change of position advisable ! the in
terests of the public. But WI at public
man has ever yet announced 4 change
of mind on an important sub ect who
has not been accused of SEEK politi-
cal advantage? Those who con inue to
| favor his earlier position always zee in
a change by their former champion a
deal with the enemy Sc Gov. Roose-
velt viii be SO accused.
Entry into the League of Nations by
this country has not been serious is
sue, it is true, in this country since the
general election Of 1920, when it was
buried under an avalanche of votes.
But efforts to get the United States
into the werld Court, called the
League court" by the irreconctlables
of the Senate. not only have met with
serious opposition, but have brought
about the defeat Of senatorial aspirants
at the polls. An outstanding case was
that of the late Senator William B.
Mckinley of Illinois. who. when he
voted for American adherence to TIE
court, admitted to some of his COL
leagues that he was sealing his polit-
ical death warrant. At least Gov
Roosevelt's recantation OF the League,
for whatever reason, has not been half
hearted or equivocal. He has announced
himself fatty against American ad-
herence.
Senator James j. Davis of Pennsyl-
vania apparently has found it neces-
sary TO announce his stand on another
prohibition He is up for renomina-
ton this year and the primaries ir
Pennsylvania take place in May. II
had been strongly intimated to him
by the powers that be in Republican
politics in Philadelphia that unless he
ran as wet ne would have a hard
time Representative James M. Beck
made a statement some time ago in
Sisting that wet should be nominated
by the Republicans for the Senate, ano
suggesting that the man who really
should make the race was William S
Ware, the Philadelphia boss, himself
who was denied seat in the Senate
after the election of 1925 because oi
heavy expenditures of money. A couple
of years ago Mr.. Davis, while still
Secretary of Labor in the Hoover cab
met, ran for the senatorial nomina.
ton and won against former Senator
joe Grundy and the candidate of the
wringing vets among the Republicans
of Pennsylvania. Senator Davis al
that time contented himself with sup
port of the enforcement of the prohi.
bition law. He won han(sy in the
three -cornered race, and later was
elected by a big vote to the Senate. But
now it seems Mr.. Davis has found il
necessary to clarity his stand on the
liquor issue. He has adopted the So
called Morrow plan" announced by
the late Senator Dwight w. Morrow Of
New Jersey, for a return of the liolloY
control to the States, but has gone
even farther, saying that he woulo
favor light wines and beer until the
Constitution can be amended. He's a
wet from now on and If he Is renomi-
mated and reelected the drys will have
lost seat In the Senate which they
claimed after the 1880 election.
|
The Governor Of PENNSYLVANIA. r;if-
ford Pinchot. Is suspected of havinc
senatorial ambitions. If in any wav il
could be arranged so that three-cor-
nered race for the Republican sena
torial nomination would materialize
some Of the politicians believe that tn,
| Pennsylvania Governor would get into
the fracas. He may, anyway. But II
Gov. Pinchot, who espouses the dry
cause ardently. finds that Senator Davis
! Is To be ODDOSed nv another ,rat ~