Evening star., 1934-07-02

Although President Roosevelt stu
diously attempted to divest his recent
radio talk to the country from any
tinge of partisanship. political lead
ers in both parties look upon it as
a campaign document of the first
magnitude, and a pretty adroit one.
Democratic candidates for Congress
are certain to use it as a new deal
platform on which to take their stand
for reelection. while Republicans
may be depended upon to tear into 1t
for opposition purposes. F. D. R. re-
Vealed, as of yore, his unique talent
for expressing himself vividly on the
air and for conveying the impression
that he is addressing individually each
single group of my friends" clus-
tered around receiving set some
where in the invisible States. Short
wave transmission is now a highly
perfected radio art, and should the
spirit or the necessity move the
President to indulge in the novelty Of
a transpacific broadcast from Homo
lulu, there would be no difficulty about
arranging such a hook-up, and little
doubt that reception in the United
States would be well-nigh perfect. But
probably high up on the list Of Roose-
velt vacation relaxations.
~ *
Mr.. Roosevelt is not embarking
upon a prolonged vacation because
his health needs rebuilding. He has
i,o in, y,1,x
cal or spiritual shape than he is to-
day, after sixteen months of rigorous
life and activities in the presidency.
Now and then tell-tale lines, which
spell overwork and responsibility,
creep into his physiogonomy, and
gray hairs and trace of badness are
more in evidence than they were in
March, 1888. But beyond these nor
NAL little changes in his exterior the
President remains the same robust,
buoyant person he was when he took
office. If Mr.. Roosevelt were asked
for the principal secret of his in
vincible well-being, he would attribute
it to his worry proof temperament
and unquenchable good humor. WASH
ington newspaper men and women
who see him regularly oftener than
any other group in Washington can
not recall a single occasion on which
he was not his merry, virile self. If
he were given to talking the lam
guage of T. R., the present President
Roosevelt would unquestionably con-
fess that he's having a bully" time
in the White House.
X X
There is no provision for any act
ing President of the United States
when the incumbent Is out of the
country, or otherwise away from
Washington, so the presidency during
the next two or three months will al
WAYS be Just where Mr. Roosevelt
happens to be. Executive functions
can be exercised by him alone. Mod
ern methods of communication, like
wireless and the airplane, will enable
him, no matter how far away from
the White House, to deal instantly
with affairs of state, however urgent.
In the remote contingency that his
emergency presence should be sud-
denly required at Washington, nobody
doubts that Mr.. Roosevelt would fly
to the Capital without hesitation. 1t
was exactly two years ago today that
he dramatically demonstrated his air.
mindedness by speeding to Chicago
by plane, to accept the Democratic
National Conventions nomination for
the presidency.
n X 4 X
When he said good-by to his tenn
porariiy farewell press conference last
Friday, President Roosevelt voiced the