The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1936-09-25

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Spade-men being named names
than has happened in a good many
previous years. When this stage is
reached it invariably means that
party workers as we'll as party lead
ers are thoroughly imbued with the
sense OF battle and il means further
that no phase of either party poll
cy or personal affairs of the candi-
dates themselves escapes the atten-
ton of the opposition.
That probably is the reason why
MIR. Roosevelt lately has found him
self being "kidded" to a greater exs-
tent than usually occurs about his
'non-political" visits to various sec
tions of the country. The oppor
tunity has not yet come for Cover
nor Landon, the Republican NOM
lnee. to be made the butt of such
Jokes or the subject of such per-
Sonal attacks, but undoubtedly il
Will arrive long before November 3.
10 refer again to the Presidents
"non-political' trips, the CORE
spondents here have been having a
great deal of fun about the Presi-
dents determination to learn first
hand about the flood areas of Penn
sylvania and New England and the
drouth areas of the middle west
ern plains.
This is significant. 1t shows an
important change of attitude on the
part of the Washington observers
who seldom find themselves in a
position where they can tell every
thing they know. It is significant
also from this standpoint that it
shows MIR. Roosevelt to have lost
the loyalty of great number of
those writer's. Time was when 95
per cent of the Washington CORE
spondents were with Mr.. Roosevelt
on everything he said or did and
when they found vulnerable spots or
weaknesses in his statements or ac-
tions they were inclined to overlook
them. Such is not the case now.
however, and think it may be
added with candor that the Prcsi-
dents programs and policies, his
speeches and statements in press
conferences are examined with ut
most scrutiny.
From the Democratic standpoint.
this Is distr essing. From the Re-
publican standpoint, it is a highly
valuable change in circumstance
The reason is that as long as the
President had completely friend
ly press" he did not need to be SO
careful nor did he ever need to fear
that interpretations would be placed
upon his statements or his actions,
other than the Interpretation which
he desired. 1t takes no stretch of
the imagination to realize forthwith
that any time he says or does any
thing to which exception can be taxi
en-, some of those correspondents
will point out the other possibilities.
find generally speaking that the
writing corps doubted that the Pres
ident's Pennsylvania and New Eng
land visits were based solely on his
desire to know what the federal gov
eminent should do to prevent
floods. One correspondent was so
extremely frank as to write in his
metropolitan newspaper that Mr..
Roosevelt foreSaW not flood of wa
ter but flood of Republican votes.
OF course, this is an exaggerated
position for any unbiased writer to
take, but there were any number
of those correspondents who laugh
ingly inquired why it was so urgent
ly necessary for the President to
visit the flood areas at this time
considering that there was no Con-
gress in session and no definite pro-
vision for the framing OF flood re-
lief plans.
Now as to the Presidents visit
to the drouth stricken area: The
drouth was pres
Learned ent in the dust
Little bowl" as the bril-
liant young strate-
gists of the New Deal organization
have named the middle western
plains. There can be no doubt like
wise that relief was needed and that
thorough-going understanding of
the situation by those responsible in
Washington should be obtained
Yet, / believe it was the consensus
of the writer's accompanying the
President on that WhirlWind tour of
Tile uuSL SJOIInS LIldL NlT. roosevelt
personally gained no knowledge of
conditions that was not already
available to him in reports from
his subordinates. Indeed, l am told
on very good authority that re-
lief Representatives who had gone
into the drouth area already had
written their reports to the Presi-
dent and made their recommends
tons concerning policies to deal
with that relief situation before he
left Washington on that trip.
1t must be quite obvious, how
ever, that Mr.. Roosevelt desired to
see conditions about which so much
was being written in the newspa-
pers. / think he cannot be blamed
for desiring the opportunity to wit
ness things as they actually we're be-
fore the rains came; but some of
his speeches from the rear end of
his special train evidenced some
thing more than q hint that he de-
sired to see not only the drouth
stricken area but the voters who
live there.