Evening star., 1939-09-21

New Deal battling, whether they be
Republicans or conservative Demo-
Gratis. almost invariably appraise the
present situation in terms of the pos
sible continuation of Mr. Roosevelt
In power
On the face of it, if the trend of
events in the special session tends to
add to the Presidents strength in a
political sense, his opposition is re-
luctant to participate in any moves
contributing toward that end. The
Republican members are divided be-
cause many of them feel that, ir-
respective of whether the proposed
repeal of the embargo hurts or helps
Mr.. Roosevelt, the Nations interest
demands return to international
law, while other Republicans feel
that public sentiment throughout the
country can better be modified on
the basis of retaining the present
embargo.
With some members it isn't mat
ter of like or dislike of the present
administration at all, but what will
the political effect be of a repeal or
retention of the embargo. The propa-
ganda from both sides Is beginning
to increase in intensity and the mail
and telegramS are accumulating It
looks as if the Congress is going to
be subjected to pressure unlike any
In recent years.
. New Dealers Views.
Looked at from the standpoint of
New Dealers, there is no concealing
the fact that some of them, while
saying nothing publicly and MAIN
tanning discreet silence, feel never
theless that in war emergency the
chances of drafting the President
for a third-term nomination are
:. better than if the European war had
not broken out The President him.
self has been anxious to avoid any
impression of seeking to benefit po-
litically. He asked Messrs Landon
and Knox, Republican standard
bearers in the last election, to join
his conferences so as to demonstrate
that he had no political motive
But there are many Republicans
who are saying that the President
can remove all possible suspicion as
to his political motives by announc-
ing now that he will not accept a
third-tern nomination. This, Mr..
Roosevelt may feel, is not the time
to make such statement. Until
the war broke out, it was generally
believed that Mr.. Roosevelt would
remain silent until early in 1910, and
there is no reason to suppose he has
changed his mind.
Because of the widespread coating
of politics that has been given to
the war developments as they affect
the Presidents political future, there
is recurrence of the talk heard sew
eral months ago among Republicans
that Mr.. Roosevelt was deliberately
trying to drag America into war so
he could win a third term.
World-War Experience.
Among those who watched the
trend of politics in the years 1914 to
1920, it is argued that those who
accuse Mr.. Roosevelt of wanting
get third term do not realize that
q national presidential campaign
was won in 1916-in the middle of
the neutrality period-by a slogan,
"He kept us out of war" Also, when
Mr.. Wilson asked for a Democratic
Congress in 1918 while America was
at war, and two years later asked
for support for the Democratic
presidential candidate, he was de-
feated both times by a vote which
was in no small part due to resent
ment over American participation
In the war
If it be asserted that Mr.. Roose-
welt might benefit politically out of
the emergency, there is more chance
of seeing such an assertion demon
strated if America keeps out of war
than If America goes in. This theory
will be disputed, of course, but it
represents the true view of those
closest to the administration. They
are hoping for a prolonged period
OF peace and are praying that no
circumstances will arise to force
America into war. They feel their
political future would be enhanced
by a peace rather than a war pro-
gram. And once the neutrality law
is revised, it will be apparent that
this is the direction in which the
: administration will move.