Evening star., 1939-11-17
Domestic Problem
Campaign Theme
Writer Repeats Business and
Legal Experience Wanted in
Equipment of New President

To the Editor Of The Sta.:
The neutrality bill has been passed,
signed by the President, is now in full
force and effect, and it is the ardent
wish of all good Americans that it will
serve its purpose of keeping us out Of
the European war. Its proponents say
that it will, while those opposed are in
doubt The gratifying thing to all is
that it was debated as a nonpartisan
matter
At times during the long, drawn-out
discussion in the Senate and the short
but hotly contested fight in the House,
it appeared to the casual observer that
1t might develop into party fight.
| The climax came in the closing hour
in the House, when Representative
James Wadsworth of New York,
staunch, conservative Republican, took
the floor, and in forcible and straight
he-shoulder extemporaneous talk,
urged unequivocally that everybody get
behind President Roosevelt in the crisis
and support the administrations policy.
Mr.. WadSWorths magnificent display
of genuine craftsmanship raising HIM
self above all party jealousies, was easily
the outstanding high light of the whole
| debate, although, in the Senate several
Republican members, including Senator
Robert Taft, an outstanding aspirant
| for the presidential nomination in 1910,
| and Senator Austin, the assistant minor
ity leader, had spoken in support of
| the administrations bill. When Mr..
| Wadsworth completed his speech he was
| enthusiastically applauded by both sides
| of the House.
| 1t is needless to say that if the new
neutrality bill works as it is intended
and this country is kept out of this
| great war, when the conventions are
| held next June. both parties will be
| found square-toed behind the measure
in their platforms. However, irrespective
of what the status of this country may
be in regard to the war next summer,
the most jittery person may be assured
| that the leaders of both parties will be
in accord in taking every precaution
possible to keep us out of war. On the
other hand, If perchance anything hap
pens that makes it impossible for us
to remain out of the trouble such as
an invasion, etc, you will find again,
both parties in harmony.
In other words, the European war will
not be factor in the 1910 campaign for
the presidency This campaign should
be fought out strictly on our own domes-
tic problems, and, goodness knows, we
have enough of them to solve For the
have been in sad plight. When Mr..
Hoover seemed unable to cope with the
| dilemma, the voters elected Mr.. Roose-
| welt to try his hand and, although in
| 1886 Mr.. Roosevelt's administration was
still f1oundering around trying to solve
our great depression, the voters gener-
ously voted to give Mr.. Roosevelt another
four years trial, but, up to the present,
about the only thing that has been ac-
complished is to increase our national
| debt to a most alarming figure, almost to
a point of Straining our national credit;
and there still are out of employment
almost as many people as there were
| following the 1929 crash. With so many
out of work, and a constant drain on
our national Treasury, the administra-
ton has been hard put to find new
! sources of national income. In conse-
quence. all types of business have suf-
fered. The farmers, even with the help
given them by the Government, are but
little, if any, better off. Investors have
| lost confidence.
A recent letter in your columns signed
Socrates Thompson" takes issue with
one of the undersigned's recent articles,
wherein the importance of selecting a
businessman for the presidency in 1910
was emphasized Mr.. Thompson sug-
gests that. if it be advisable to select a
businessman, that such selection be
made from one of list of great leaders
in the business world: Henry Ford, John
D. Rockefeller, Homer Sibley, Charles
Pew, etc. No one questions the abilities
of any Of these gentlemen, but the i'm
portant position of President of the
United States needs special attainmentS.
In former letters, the writer pointed out
the need of our President to have wide
experience as lawyer familiarity with
our Federal court practices and decisions
and an intimate knowledge of the in
tricate functions of our various Govern
ment agencies and departments To sum-
marize, the kind of man needed for
President is successful businessman,
an able, experienced lawyer and one
familiar with the operation of our Gov-
ernment machinery.
Mr. Thompson further critcizes some
of the names mentioned by the writer as
possible nominees, but excepts the
name of Representative Wadsworth.
The writer assumes that Mr.. Thompson
is also satisfied with Commissioner
Charles H. March of the Federal Trade
Commission. He brands the others as
professional politicians and states that
he believes Mr. Roosevelt should be re-
elected.
The writer firmly believes that this
country now would be well over its great
and costly depression, and practically all
of the unemployed would long since have
been put back into gainful employment
if the administration had resorted to
sound and ll-established business
methods in the conduct of Government
affairs.
The great masses Of voters prefer
their President to be good, successful