Evening star., 1938-07-18
SENATORIAL FIGHT
BEGINS IN AUGUST
Democrats in Nine States
Face Bitter Battles to
Gain Nomination.
By the Associated Press


A glance at the political calendar
for the remainder of July and August
throws light on the reasons that
prompted President Roosevelt in fixing
the schedule for his Western tour and
his return, via the South, to Wash
ington.
Primary campaigning has reached
smother lull, which is destined to con-
tinue throughout this month. The
battle will be on again with increased
yigor in August. Eight Democratic
Senators, in addition to administra-
tion-favored Alben Barkley of Ken
tlcky. will receive the voters verdicts
that month on their bids for renomina-
ton.
During the remainder of July, how
ever, only State matchmaking and
the selection of House nominees in
Montana and Texas are on the pro-
gram. The President could not have
found anywhere else on the years
political docket like period of two
weeks or so in which to do his fishing
at sea instead Of in Democratic
waters.
In August, Democrats in Kansas, Mis-
souri, Tennessee. Kentucky. Arkansas,
Idaho, Ohio, California and South
Carolina ballot on senatorial nominees.
The records of incumbents for that
LOYALTY to the objectiveS of his ad-
fninistration, for which President
Roosevelt has called as party leader.
vary greatly. They range from Sena-
Tor Barkley's 100 per cent plus New
Oealism to the stand of Senator
sCotton Ed" Smith of South Carolina,
who is meeting charges of New Deal
Eisloyalty by saying he had voted with
the administration when it was right
and against it when it was wrong.
Kentucky Is High Point.
The high point of August's sena-
3orial primaries will come, of course,
IN Kentucky on the 9Th. Mr.. Roose-
Selt assured that months ago by max
Ing it clear, from the outset of the
contest between Senator Barkley and
Gov. Chandler, that he was in Senator
sBarkleys corner.
: Rightly or wrongly, Senator Bark
1ey's success or failure to obtain
denomination will be set down gen.
orally as victory or defeat for Mr..
Roosevelt. Echoes Of the Kentucky
primaries will certainly be heard
throughout the later party contests
that crowd the political calendar for
August. September and October. This
Is risk the President took unhesltat-
,ingly, The outcome could mean as
much to him one way or the other as
did the Florida primary curtain
raiser.
Y Shortly before Kentucky voters
record their verdict, however, Missouri
Democrats will pick their senatorial
nominee, apparently without benefit
of Roosevelt advice. Regardless OF
how Senator Bennett Champ Clark is
rated by administration yardsticks, his
road to denomination seems as un-
scbstructed as the way toward poten-
1ial presidential nomination boom OF
'his own in le4O.
1t may turn out that Missouri
Democrats will do more on August
2. to shape up an impending party
clash in the national convention OF
1910. than. will their Kentucky col
leagues. That, at least, is the Judg-
ment Of some veterans Of the WASH
tngton press gallery, who have watch
ed the career and tactics OF the
Senator son of a Missouri Democratic
party stalwart, who came within sight
of being President instead OF Wood
row Wilson during the World War
years.
More Than Mere GuesswOrk.
Their speculation over what the
near future may hold for Senator
Clark, if he again sweeps his State
In November, has more than mere
p1lesswork behind it. 1t springs from
the fact that his name has been
mentioned frequently in congressional
cloakroom gossip, since the break oe-
tween President Roosevelt and an ele-
ment OF his party came to the sur
face In the court bill fight last year.
His obvious political assets place him
among those who would be available
In 1910 If talk of an organized eHort
to recapture the party from Ne"
Deal domination comes to anything
IN fact.
Bennett Clark has a name long as
sociated with traditional Democratic
party methods of reconciling widely
differing political PHILOSOPHERS and sec
tional interests behind national
ticket. He comes from border State,
linking the South and Middle West
He will just have turned so when the
1910 campaign starts. A brilliant war
record in France has been topped since
the war by Senator Clark's devotion in
the Senate to measures he declares
necessary to keep the Nation at peace.
He headed the little group overseas
that conceived and organized the
American Legion, and he has been
national commander of that organi-
cation.
Authority on Procedure.
The Missouran is a recognized au-
tifority on parliamentary procedure
and House and Senate rules and prece-
dents. His political experience in
Washington began in his boyhood. He
bitterly fought some Roosevelt meas
ures, including the court bill, but as
stoutly championed others. He is hard
to place exactly in casting up liberal
versus conservative balance.
There is not doubt in Washington
press gallery circles that Bennett
Clark is aiming toward the White
House. His denomination and re-
election to the Senate would be long
step on the road, at least to considera-
ton as harmony" candidate by an
anti-New Deal party bloc which seems
In the making.