The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-05-19
Roosevelt Not Issue
 h Penn. Primaries
John L. Lewis Seems to Have Been Made Target; Farley Calls Statement of Hamilton Incident
 Bitterly Rebukes q. 0. P. Leader

and possibly other states were point ing back toward Republican control. Loss of Pennsylvania, won by Dem ocrats in 1894 for the. first time since the Civil war, would be a serious blow to the new deal and well might prove a determining fac- tor in the critical struggle of 1940.
 The If" in that judgment center ed on President Roosevelt, on his ability and that of National Chair man James A. Farley to heal bleed- ing party wounds. It depends even more, possibly on reaction of Mo- vember voters to candidates based on and backed by the presidents personal leadership.
 Roosevelt Not Issue
 MT. Roosevelt was not the issue in Tuesdays Democratic primary. The issue there, in large part, was the Committee for Industrial Organiza- tion and John L. Lewis. And to that issue the voters gave answer by re- pudiating the chief CIO candi- date, Thomas A. Kennedy, who ran for governor.
 To.orrow, political eyes turn to Oregon. There, full contingent re- moved from Pennsylvania strife and storm, lines have been drawn with tacit, if not open, White House consent in the Democratic guberna- torial primary. Gov. Charles H. Martin opposes Henry Hess, state legislator, and others of renomina- tion. This will test on a new battle ground the division of Democratic forces which, in the south, brought victories to new deal senators Lis ter Hill of Alabama and Claude Pepper of Florida.
 In some respects the Oregon con- test is a more direct barometer of White House influence. MT. Roose- welt has reiterated that he is not participating in party primaries. Prior to that reiteration, however, White House Secretary stephen T. Early formally and repudiated an alleged remark of the president to Martin that you and make a good pair"
 Hess, Martin Scrap
 Shortly thereafter Elton Watkins, emissary of Hess, emerged from the presidents office in company with Secretary of Interior Harold L.. Ickes. Watkins said that from his talk with the president, he was certain Hess is the man new dealers should nominate and Ickes released a letter attacking Martins power record and praising Hess.
 Because of these circumstances, victory for Martin over Hess would be interpretated as 8 direct rebuf to the president.
 Oregon's primary is but one in a lengthening series in which White House influence, correctly or not, is regarded as involved.
 The shadow of the crucial Ken lucky contest, where Senate Ma jority Leader Alben w. Barkley, bearing a presidential letter of en- dorsement, faces the challenge of rambunctious Gov. A. B. (Happy) Chandler, fell across the Pennsyl- vania primary in an exchange of statements between National Com- mittee Chairman Farley and Repub- lican John D. M. Hamilton.
 Hamilton's Charges
 Hamilton suggested that Farley's last-minute endorsement of Ken nedy in Pennsylvania was part of a deal with CIO chairman Lewis, in return for which Lewis would throw his influence to Barkley in the Ken lucky primary.
 Because of Farley's endorsement of Kennedy, Hamilton called the Pennsyvania result a "well-deserved rebuke to the president and MT. Farley" and added: T have no doubt that Kentuckians will resent Mr. Farley placing them on the po- litical auction block in the same manner that Pennsylvapians did"
 Farley, having already issued a statement on the Pennsylvania pri- mary-an appeal fer party harmony in order that the Democrats might win in NOyember-~.rcleased a special retort to Hamilton, charging him with giving currency to g. deliberate falsehood."
 Farley Repulses Him
 The Hamilton statement, said Farley, "is going beyond what is de- cent. I lay no claim to any great wisdom but certainly I would not be idiot enough to enter into such a deal. There is not word of truth in that story"
 Both Hamilton and former Gov Ali M. Landon of Kansas, Republi- can presidential nominee in 1886 saw in the larger aggregate of Re- publican than Democratic primary votes in Pennsylvania an augury of of g.o.p. success in November. Landon called the vote "very en- couraging." He said he believed 1t "assured a party victory in Novem. ber." Hamilton said that flor the new deal and all its radical and crock brain allies, the Pennsylvania reStIltS c0nStitfite the handWritinp