The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1939-05-04

i
for Edtcmd ]. Noble.
WASHINGTON.-It is not permit
ted to repeat anything said in a
speech made at Gridiron dinner,
though from time to time history
has actually been made by speeches
at the gatherings of that organiza-
ton. But there is no ban on the
comments of guests following the
dinner.
Consensus is that Sen. Robert A.
Taft did not do his presidential am
billions any good by his speech at
the recent dinner. As matter of
fact, one diner actually congratulate
ed Thomas z. Dewey on Taft's
speechl
Dewey, incidentally, who spoke at
the December Gridiron dinner, had
a much better break all around than
Taft. In the first place, President
Roosevelt did not reply to Dewey.
He did not really make a speech at
all, just few pleasant remarks at
the end of the dinner. After Taft's
speech, however, the President
made a real speech, which, accord
ing to comments of guests after
wards, was very good one.
In the case of Dewey the club
followed its customary practice of
having one speaker from each of
the major parties, but, the President
not wishing to make a regular talk,
James A. Farley had to carry the
load for the Democrats. Farley was
in tough spot He had to make a
speech to which the President would
listen, which meant that he had to
be very careful about what he said.
General opinion .afterward was
that Jim did not do himself justice,
which made Dewey's spot all the
more attractive.
1 A curious phase of all this is that
the President actually feels rather
friendly, personally, toward Taft,
and dislikes Dewey very much in
deed, yet as result of his own ac-
tons Dewey was helped and Taft
was hurt before gatherings of tire.
msndous political Importance.
Taffs Economic Tietrs -axau-
Anathema to New Dealers
! Roosevelt is so politically minded
that it is just possible he planned
il that way" Taft may be person
ally more agreeable to the New
Dealers than Dewey, but his eco
nomic views are anathema. 1t is
very obvious that most of the New
Dealers have been moving heaven
and earth to discredit the Ohio SEN
ator for months. Taft in the White
House, with a sympathetic congress,
is just the last thing the New Deal
ers would want to see. 1t might,
as they see it, bring about a re
action in their favor, which would
sweep them back into power four
years later, but they shiver at what
he would do to their social and eco
nomic reforms in the meantime.
Many of the tycoons present at
the Gridiron dinner were terribly
disappointed. They have been agree
ing with so much that Taft has been
saying, in his speeches, statements
and radio talks, that the Ohio sena-
tor had obtained considerable fol-
lowing for his candidacy in down
town New York. and in the financial
districts of most of the big cities
of the country.
They not only liked his views,
but his magnificent showing in Ohio
against New Deal Sen. Robert ].
Buckley.
But since the Gridiron dinner they
are remembering Alfred M. Landon,
whose views also they agreed with.
In fact they remember sadly the
points the Kansas governor made in
his 1896 speeches But they also
remember the deadly dullness of his
speeches-how he drove away votes
every time the radio carried his
voice. Which is not so good at the
moment for Mr.. Taft's chances.
T,oo Schools Of Thought
As to a European Var
President Roosevelt is being
sharply criticized for his warlike ut
terances, even attacked for gam
bling on getting this nation in
volved in casualty lists. But there
is school of thought, to which
many friends and many opponents
of the New Deal subscribe 100 per
cent, that the more certain Mr..
Roosevelt can make Hitler and Mus
solini that the United States will en-
ter the war on the side of Britain
and France, if and when war comes, |
the less chance there will be of
big European war.
Even more important, those hold |
ing this view believe that If the OBJ
posite is done-that is il Hitler and |
Mussolini can be convinced that the |
United States will remain neutral,
the probability of war is increased,
and the probability that the United
States will eventually be sucked into
il will become much greater.
The theory behind the support that |