Evening star., 1935-05-12

Among the liberal Republicans, Col.
Frank Knox, publisher of the Chicago
Daily News; Senator Vandenberg Of
Michigan, Senator Nye and Senator
Borah attract the most attention. The
names of Col. Knox aud Senator
Vandenberg are mentioned more often
and more favorably than those of
Senators Nye and Borah. I have
heard that certain Republican liberals
believe the Republican party can most
easily succeed if it nominates South
ern Democrat and these speak of Sem
ator Byrd of Virginia as possibility.
Their explanation is that anti-Roose-
welt strength will be greatest in the
South.
G. o. P. Not Hopeless.
No matter whether a Republican is
a conservative or liberal, he is no
longer hopeless. Last year he was
without hope. Now he believes that
in spite of the five billion dollar
campaign fund, his party has q
chance.
To the left of Mr.. Roosevelt are
many of his former supporters and
every braud of radical.
Foremost among the prospective
candidates of the left is Huey Long.
1t is only in New York and Washing
ton that the kingfsh's horse-play is
accepted as characterizing the man.
In New Orleans he is taken seriously
because it is dangerous to forget that
he can play as many roles as George
Arliss and remain the same KlngflSh.
I found him astute, keen. full OF
minute knowledge of the politics OF
different parts Of the country, and
perilously vindictive.
Huey Long has two objectives: First,
to dominate the cotton South; second,
to see Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated
in 1886 He will probably succeed in
dominating the South politically be-
cause he is the smartest politician IN
that part of the country. There are
no limits to which he will not go to
avenge what he regards as double
cross by the President and Postmaster
General Farley. I do not believe that
Huey Long wants or expects to be
President. He does want Mr. Roose-
welt out of the White House.
Father Coughlin is not allied to
Huey Long and is not supporting him
for the presidency. 1t is generally
believed that his favorite for that
office is Senator Wheeler of Montana.
He also plays with Senator Thomas
of Oklahoma and Senator Nye.
Father Coughlin unquestionably has
tried to control the Roosevelt admin
istration through mass pressure. He
has been repelled, more gently than
Huey Long, but none the less posi-
lively.
Coughlin Powerful Foe.
Father Coughlin is a greater menace
to President Roosevelt than Huey
Long because the priest, born in
Canada, cannot run for President him.
self. He therefore has his large. fol-
lowing to offer. to some ambitious
Senator who thinks he has chance.
The bait is juicy because the mathe-
matical calculation of his strength is
based on fan mail and fan contribu-
tions. No one has really had access to
the mailing list and it has not been
analyzed statistically. For instance,
is a man a Coughlin fan who has
written for copy of speech?
At any rate political observers
everywhere admit that Coughlin has
a large following Of undetermined mil
lions. No one attempts to speculate
on how long he can hold that follow
ing or how long he will be permitted
to remain in politics. But any present
calculation must include him as a
tremendous factor in the waning OF
Roosevelt popularity.
Upton Sinclair has been reported i'll
in Santa Barbara hospital and out
of politics. This Is untrue. Sinclair
continues E. P. I. c. activity in Cali
fornia E. P. I. c. and the utopians
and the disappointed Townsendites
cut a big swath in California and
Washington and it is more than prob
able, from my observations, that they
will have a national ticket in the
field and that they will cut into the
Roosevelt and the Socialist vote.
Sinclair, like Long and Coughlin,
complains of his treatment by Mr..
Roosevelt. The Hyde Park conversa-
tions and the "Call-Me-Jim" rela-
tions with Farley and the subsequent
withdrawal of support have made an
unfortunate impression on him, to
say the least. Sinclair may not run
for President, but E. P. I. c. will run
some candidate.
Communist Gains.
1t is important to note here that
for the first time since the Com
munist party existed in the United
States, it has an able organizer as
secretary. Earl Browder was for a
period in China and I had ample
opportunities to observe his work
there. Under the most trying cir
cumstances, he managed to hold to-
gether and even increase the strength
of an illegal party of men and women
whose language he could not speak.
Browder is now rebuilding the Com
munist party in the United States
and he shows more ability than the
noisy agitators one usually associates
with the Reds. Everywhere, I found
evidence of Browder's organizing
capacity.
The Communists are further reduc-
ing Norman Thomas Socialist vote,
but they are increasing their own
following among on-Communists
who are weary of what they term
Mr.. Roosevelt's and Mr.. Thomas
lukewarm Socialism.
This is a tightly summarized state
ment of observations made during the
last seven months of constant travel.
From them it is possible to reach these
basic conclusions:
/. President Roosevelt still has q
tremendous hold on the popular
imagination which he is beginning to
loSe-and the down movement Is
gaining rapidly.
2. Speculation as to q possible Sue
cessor would seem to indicate that
it is no longer universally conceded
that his election is sure.
8. His most virile opponents today
supported him in 1882 and in some
instances even for the nomination.
4. Some of his opponents are person.
ally so vindictive that their an
tagonism takes on the characteristics
of holy crusade against him.
S. The Republicans can hold the
$4,000, 900 residual votes that Mr.,