The Washington times., 1938-07-21
keenan, MAKES.
PLEA FOR DODD.
AT ALEXANDRIA.
New Deal 'ContaCter'
Raps Smith

A new deal bone was LnTOWn
to congressional Candidate Will
Ham e. Dodd in Alexandria last
night. It was tossed to him by
Joseph B. Keenan,, Assistant Attor-
ney General of the United States.
Mr.. keenan, is the New Deal
go-between at the Capitol when
Congress is in session. He is Mr..
Farley'S contact man." Daily, he
is seen in the office of the Secre-
tary Of the Senate, usually lunch
ing with a. little group of Sena-
tors. With them he discusses leg
islation, appointments and politics.
Last night, speaking under the
auspices of the Central Labor
Council of Alexandria, he stuck
to politics and the main dish, with
legislation on the side. He almost
forgot Mr.. Dodd, but did pay a
left-handed compliment to Repre-
sentative Howard w. Smith, run
ming against Dodd for the Demo
cratic congressional nomination
in the Eighth district. He said,
in effect, that Mr.. Smith was one
of a. little band of Democrats who
had joined with "Tory" Repubh-
cans to sabotage the Presidents
legislative program, including la
Dor measures.
THIRD TERM TALK
At the conclusion of an hours
speech in which he hadn't used
q note except the basso profundo
OF his natural delivery, he reached
into his breast pocket, produced a
typed manuscript, carefully
spread it before the microphone,
and then even more carefully read
it as his peroration. There had
been some talk of dictatorship,
which he denounced and deplored,
and of democracy, which he
praised as the thing which
brought him through the rain to
deliver before his audience of
last night the speech the Young
Democrats had refused to hear
q week or two before.
There is, much loose comment
today" he read, slowly, concern
ing candidates for the Presidency.
From time to time the question is
asked, will So-and7So seek office or
attempt to succeed himself? It
seems to me that most Of this is
thinking in reverse"
Then he proceeded to tell the
200 persons present, most of them
Dodd supporters, that it wasn't
the politicians or any individual
who elected Mr.. Roosevelt Presi-
dent In 1882 and 1896, but the
people, and that their choice was
made without coercion, as the
free expression of the voters.
PEOPLE TRUST HIM
1T is the politician who fears
Roosevelt" he concluded, mot the
people. The selfish and anti'So-
cial who view him with alarm. 1t
is not the youth or the aged who
have such feeling, for they love
him. At no time has he, raised
aloft the clenched fist of the
masses. He has proven to them
he has an understanding heart
and has not hesitated to grasp
with friendship the horny hand of
the toiler. He knows the people
of the country and they know
him."
What all this had to do with
Mr.. Dodd's candidacy for Con-
gress Mr.. Keenan, did not explain,
but his speech left the clear in
ference in the minds Of some Of
those who heard him that he
thinks public opinion might yet
force President Roosevelt into a
third term in the White House.
If intended as a trial balloon on
this question the balloon got 4
damp start, for it was raining out
side and the audience was a bit
clammy inside.
But they did applaud the Presi-
dents name, and also appeared to
agree with Mr.. Dodd, who followed
Mr.. Keenan,, when he said that
while Mr.. Smith might possibly be
a fine man personally, as Con-
gresham he vas a good eX-judge
and "ought TO be retired on all
counts