The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-11-29
ICKES PREDICTS
CHANCE IN 1910
FOR Third PARTY
Repetition of Seen
By Interior Chief

by HIlCIIUl OlIlCl
This is the first tnstnlment
of an eCcluSiUe interDieD NTH
Secretary of the interior IckeS
BY THEODORE HUNTLEY
That's a funny name for a
COW. isn't it?"
For a what?"
"A cow!"
Secretary of the Interior Har-
old L. Ickes pushed a green slip
of paper across the desk. The
name on it was "Financier-Some-
hing-Something." The slip was
a registration certificate, testi-
flying to "Financier's" aristo-
cratic lineage.
"Financier" is Jersey COW.
Don't GuernseyS give more
milk" the secretary was
asked.
Yes, but Jerseys give better
milk! A higher butter-fat
content"
PLENTY OF JOBS
So "Financier' has gone to
live on a 300-acre farm near Oh
ney, Md, to which Secretary
Ickes will someday retire-he
hopes-and to which he can go
now and raise corn or wander
in the woods when the going
gets too heavy as boss of the
Interior Department, the PWA,
the National Resources Commit
tee, the National Power Policy
Committee and the Oil Admin
Stration-to name some Of his
assignments.
Or between making speeches
on the state of the union or the
Nations political trends, or ans
wering Clifford Pinchot, a one
time close associate and bosom
friend.
Secretary Ickes sat in his of.
flee in the new Interior building
at the fa6; end of a day. The
lights glimmered in the park and
along the river as he talked.
SEES ANOTHER 1912
First he was asked to turn
his mind forward, to think of
Americas future. Where do we
go from here? He found a Bibli.
cal quotation to answer that:
"As the twig is bent, the tree
is inclined"
what about 1910? What do
you see in the Presidential pic
ture?"
His answer was prompt and in
cisive:
IF both political parties nomi-
nate Conservative candidates for
President in 1910 there may be
a repetition of 1912-but with a
much better chance that a
third-party ticket would be
elected.
Il say that realizing how diff
ficult it would be to organize a
third party, put a ticket in the
field, and get the names on the
ballot. 1t is particularly diff
cult to get the name of any new
party on a Presidential ballot.
But in all my time in public
life 1 have never known people
to be so much interested in pub
lie affairs-Seen so many Of
them who wanted to know
what Is going DIMINISHED on it."
KNOW THEIR MINDS
How do you get their reac-
tion?"
In every way. BY mail, per-
sonal contact, reading. And the
people know what they want.
The elections last year showed
this. With an overwhelming
preponderance Of the metropoli-
tan press violently opposed to
President Roosevelt, he received
the greatest popular and cleo
toral vote on record.
They talk of government
propaganda-of a political ma
chine. A political machine
couldn't have done that. Politi-
cal machines are submerged un.
less they go with the trend.
Take the result this year in New
York. President Roosevelt car.
ried New York by something like
1,125,00 Yet this year you
see LaGuardia, running as a Re
publican and Labor candidate
for mayor, sweeping everything
before him.
ISSUES HIT HOME
Personalities are important,
yes. But these victories were
more than a triumph of person
alities. They meant the people
approved the policies of the win
ming candidate"
Americans are taking a greater
interest than ever in public af-
fairs, Secretary Ickes thinks, be-
cause governmental policies hit
home-affecting the individual
and the life of the family in
ways they can understand.
In the early days of the
country's history" he went on,
food and shelter were not a
problem in the sense that they
are today. The average man
knew from day to day and week
to week where his next meal
was coming from.
KNOW THEIR PERIL