Evening star., 1938-09-28
POL!TC|ANSY|EL
TO WAR MENACE
Pennsylvania and New York
Voters Pay Little Mind
to Elections.
~ the Associated Press,

~ ssSG ASBOCl&Leo IreSS.
ALBANY, N. Y, Sept. 2S.-The
danger signals burning in Europe
appear to have blinded the voters Of
Pennsylvania and New York to the
antics of politicians.
On trains, in hotels, on the streets,
In restaurants, all talk runs to the
European crisis.
The clamor of Republicans, the
claims of Democrats for electoral
support which might help them along
toward new power in the two key
States Of the East in November are
al but lost in the tumult.
In many cases even the politicians
forget to talk of politics. They ask
for the latest speculation on war news.
They forget to give sales talks for
: their own candidates and the issues
Of their party and speak Of the posi-
bility Of war or the hopes for peace.
Model For Politicians.
Pennsylvania has gone in for fervent
PSAAeASo AVA AAoAAy yCoAos AJOlIlS OuCSlOC
politicians have thought of it as q
state to aspire to when they learned
the art. The Republican and Demo-
cratic State Committees do things in
style there.
The Republican State Committee
lives in big brick building overlook
ing the Susquehanna River at Harris
burg. Some of the plush that remains
from the once prosperous days of
Republicanism in Pennsylvania is
still to be found in its lobby. An oil
painting of Matthew Stanley Quay
stands in one corner. A campaign
poster Of James ]. Davis is in the other.
In the rooms back of these are
piles OF campaign posters and litera-
~ture that have been manufactured
for the primaries. Yet, prominently
displayed on the desks of officials are
late editions of newspapers. The
headlines that catch the eye are about
Adolph Hitler and Czechoslovakia and
what the rest Of the world is doing
to keep them apart. That is the first
thing that officials there ask about.
Listen to Hitler.
The Democratic State Committee
has six-story Office building in the
middle Of the Harrisburg business
district. Workers stream in and out
OF its doors by the score. Orders
, that reach precinct and county work.
ers all over the State 60 out from
there. A constant hum of acticvity
nils the place. Yet officials put aside
appointments while they listen to
q speech by Adolf Hitler in language
that they do not understand. They
turn from it to ask:
What does it mean?"
In New York the Republicans and
Democrats are arranging for State
conventions. Both parties are drawing
the slate Of candidates that they will
pit against each other in the No.
venber wrestle for power. Two seats
IN the United States Senate, a gov
ernorship and numerous State ofices
are wrapped in the convention bundle.
1t Is President Roosevelt's home
state. Control of its electoral votes
y vital for any candidate who would
win the presidency. Very few since
George Washington's first election
. have moved into the White House
without the consent Of New York.
The party which runs the State and
which holds power here during the
next two years should have an edge
when 1910 comes. The administra-
ton is greatly interested in the out
come here this fall.
War News Fills Papers.
In ordinary times the conversation
OF men and women on the street and
elsewhere in New York City and In
Albany would turn to the Republican
Convention at Saratoga Springs today
and the Democratic meeting at Roch-
ester tomorrow. New Workers like their
politics, too.
But in New York q man reads the
war news with . worried frown. A
man asks q friend on the street:
What is Chamberlain going to do7"
A woman looks at the headlines on
news stands, shakes her head and hur-
ries on. Seven columns of the papers
are given to war news. The conven-
tions barely find place in the middle
of the page. A few papers in the
State failed to find room on their
front pages q few days ago for pri-
mary results.
A Democratic politician asks:
Don't you think war in Europe
would strengthen Mr.. Roosevelt's hand
If he wants a third term2 Chancinp