The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-20


 ing interest to the Washington ob- server are the contrasting systems of strategy being employed by the two major parties as they swing to- ward the stretch drive for the No- vember election.
 The republicans, in their "bulld- up," have stressed Landon'S coIn- mon sense, his canny spending, his ability to save pennies. They pie ture him as Q "horse-and-buggy," prairie-state, small town man, with his feet solidly on tho ground.
 This has carried considerable appeal. But the question rises: Is this enough to establish the gov- ernor in the popular mind as strong man, capable of meeting the emergencies and the heavy re- sponsibilities that would face him as occupant of the White HouseS
 The democrats are endeaVoring to convince the voters that the Kansan is not big enough for the job, that he lacks the experience and the Statesmanlike qualities which president should have, and the democratic strategians are doing everything possible to pro- mote the idea that they are run- ming Q superman against an op- ponent who has yet to provo hiin- self of presidential stature,
 
 Challenge to G. o. P.
 Landon and his advisers must meet this threat. And 1t is c cer- tainty that g. 0. D. strategists will be trying vigorously to do 30 from now on.
 Spirits of New Dealers, however, have been noticeably higher during August.
 Scouts sent out by Nhe demo- cratic high command return with reports that there is creeping sense' of doubt as to Landon'S ability to cope with the major na- tional and international problems which will beset the president who takes office on January 20, 1887.
 The New Dealers say this is at- tributable to two things:
 l. Landon's acceptance speech, which they contend was uninspir- ing In both content and delivery.
 2. The Spanish situation and the threat of European war, with the many complications that would face the United States. This fac- tor, says New Deal insiders, has alarmed some eastern conserva- tives who hate Roosevelt and wish they could feel sure that Landon would be strong enough to meet possible future world stresses and strains.
 See Hamilton as Slipping
 Further optimism is engendered by the democratic belief that Na- tional Chairman John D. M. Hamil- ton has not lived up to the reputa- ton he built at and after the Cleve- land convention.
 Roosevelt is not overlooking any bets along the line of whittling down Landon, as his Chautauqua speech proved. There he stressed by implication what he considers his superior qualifications for deal- Ing with wars perils, as these ex- cerpts give evidence:
 ". my own daily contacts with all manner of difilcult Situa- tons. say this as one who participated in many of the de- cisions of peace and war before, during, and after the World War; one who has travelled much. I have learned many lessons In the hard school of experience. I have seen war on land and on sea. have seen blood. Nover- thelcss-and speak from long expericnce--th effective mainte- nance of American neutrality de- pcnds today, as in the past, on the wisdom and the determination of whoever at the moment occupy the ofiices of president and secre- tary of state ."
 Build Up Roosevelt
 Roosevelt will appear constantly on the stage as 6 man Of action, oi wisdom, of experience, of great deeds. The idea will Do drilled Into the heads of the voters that they are being asked by the republicans to turn out c president who knows all the ropes and replace him with one who has yet to prove his ilt- ness to lead c great nation.
 This new "buildup" of Roose- velt, apparently the central point of democratic strategy from now on. is what the republicans must watch and combat. They can't de- pend merely on what their lead- CTS have said all along-that the country would vote "agalnSt" Roosevelt rather than flor" Lan- don.
 The best tip now is to watch the larger and more important polls, such as those of the American The akit,tfA Nf piii1iin nnininn and the