Evening star., 1936-09-20
ATTITUDE OF ROOSEVELT
PUT LANDON ION SPOT'
Presidents Adroit Moves Made s'Hard
Hitting" Speeches By Kansan Appear
Out of Place, Sullivan Says.

But 1t was most important to Mr..
Roosevelt that Gov. Landon should not
believe the charge-or should seem not
TO believe itsessss,
z When President Roosevelt invited
Gov. Landon to that Des Moines con.
ference, and when Gov. Landon &C.
cepted, and when the two greeted
each other with gracious smiles and
made amiable remarks about each
other and ate chicken dinner to-
gether-after all that happened, and
happened in the presence of crowds
and cameras, it became difficult for
Gov. Landon to make any very seri-
GUS charges. Gov. Landon played the
role that was staged for him. Think
ing, naturally enough, that the test
of his part in the affair would be the
cordiality with which he accepted
Mr.. Roosevelt's invitation and the
urbanity with which he carried him.
self-thinking that, Gov. Landon acted
toward Mr. Roosevelt with the great.
est amenity. Gov. Landon could not
possibly act that way-so the public
was bound to think-if Gov. Landon
really believed that Mr.. Roosevelt was
a dangerous man in the presidency.
Mr.. Roosevelt. by bringing about
that meeting, put the presidential con.
test on about the same basis as q
friendly tennis match. He made tho
contest seem one between friendly
enemies-Alphonse and CASTOR graz
ciously bowling to each other: AFTER
you, monsieur; mo, no, monsieur,
after you" Almost it seemed as II
the campaign was so unimportant
that the two contenders might decide
it by a friendly throw of dice. The
campaign was made to seem rather
less heated than any ordinary contest
between a Democratic candidate and
Republican one, an ordinary CAM
paign between an "in" and an ambi.
tious "out." And If Mr.. Roosevelt
could reduce this campaign to merely
that ne would have an enormous ad.
vantage. In time when rising pros.
perity favors the President in Office,
and when, also, the difference be-
tween Republicans and Democrats has
largely disappeared-in such q condi-
ton the "in" has the odds greatly
in his favor.
Called Master Politician.
About all this, many reflections are
pertinent. The art of politics, when
played by a master, has esoteric
reaches beyond the comprehension Of
the public-and Mr.. Roosevelt is .
master beyond any one America has
seen in this generation. Played by
an adept, an excellent way for q
President to run for reelection, Is
first to spike your opponents larger
guns and then go about the country
making speeches-carefully announced
as ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS about
"an errand of tusbandry," and
speeches with psalmodic religious
favor. about green pastures" and
still waters" It makes your opponent
seem like q rude boy throwing peb.
bles against the windows Of o prayer
meeting.
It Is all quite legitimate. So far
as presidential campaign Is ike .
game-and inevitably 1t includes that
aspect-the contender who Is most
adroit commands admiration for his
skill. The game in recent years in.
cludes, in increasing degree, the art
of creating mass-moods, and whoever
Is most expert at that has a material
start In the race. For the early part
OF the campaign, at least, Mr.. Roose-
welt created the sort of national mood
which thinks about such peaceful
beatitudes as green pastures and Still
waters. To what extent Mr.. Roose-
welt may have accomplished this by
conscious strategy, no one can say.
No one can tell surely what goes on
in any other mans mind. But,
whether by conscious design. or un-
conscious instinct, or even by accident
of circumstances, Mr.. Roosevelt gave
to the early part of the campaign
an atmosphere which made it difficult
for Gov. Landon to fight him very
hard.
am not sure about the value Of
"Oh, Susannah!" as the Landon cam.
pdISu song. II Is an agreeable lllC-
but decidedly it Is not q fighting
song. No one will ever mistake "Oh,
Susannahl" for the "Marseillaise." In
one way, "Oh, Susannah!" fits the
Republican position in the campaign.
It makes one think of going away
from disagreeable conditions, starting
OF joyously toward a happier place.
But if this campaign is q fight the
Republicans should have fighting
song. The Republican bandmasters
might keep "Oh. Susannahl" as their
theme song. but vary the program
occasionally with Battle Hymn Of
the Republic" and Rally Round the
Flag"
(Copyrisht, 1885,,