The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-11-02
(Bv Staff Writer)

lily 1ASSA"VAAA .4c
mistice Day or there3oou'o'
Washington is turning attention
to domestic politics again. me ne
extensive phase of the l94o
presidential campaign can be pre-
dicted with certainty. 1t will be
the day upon which the new Neu-
trality Law is sent by Congress
to the President for his signature:
The lid will be off and the field
wide open for the candidates LOT
the nominations of both parties
TO start their organizations IN
high gear. How much momentum
any of the leading aspirants OF
either party have gained as re-.
suit of the Neutrality discussion
is rather difficult to appralse.
If the general public accepts
the new law as finally enacted as
being the measure best calcutta
ted to keep the United States out
of war, then on the Democratic
side the edge will go to Presi-
dent Roosevelt, who is RESPONSE
BILE more than anyone else for the
Neutrality amendments.
Politically speaking, on the Re-
publican side the advantage Will
be rather with Senator Taft OF
Ohio. who has favored repeal OF
the arms embargo from the be-
ginning, than with Senator Van
denberg,. of Michigan, who has
vigorously opposed repeal.
Considered ShadOW-BOxing
The belief of most Washington
observers is that the general pub
lie has come around to acceptance
of what Washington analysts
have felt from the start of the
controversy, that neither repeal
nor retention of the embargo will
make the slightest practical dif-
ference if the nation really comes
face to face with the issue OF
the debates on this point are re-
participation in Europe's war. All
garded by realists here as so
much shadow-boxing.
Of considerably more impor-
lance, in the minds of the most
realistic observers, are the cash
and-carry" provisions, with their
accompanying restrictions upon
the freedom of movement OF
American ships on the high seas.
The amendments agreed upon by
the Senate committee relax those
restrictions materially, leaving
the whole Pacific Ocean and most
of the Atlantic open to American
shipping and trans-oceanlc ar
craft.
There will, however, doubtless
be sharp differences OF opinion as
tn the merits of the new law, not
all based on partisanship. There
fore there is a growing opinion
among political observers IN
Washington that the candidates
for the Presidential nominations
of the two great parties who will
have the best chance may well
be men who have not taken an
active part in the Neutrality pro-
gram or committed themselves to
SUPPORT of any phase of it.
Swing Toward Douglas
If we leave the President him
self out of consideration, which
more and more close scrutinizers
of public affairs are inclining to
do, the tendency is to believe that
the power of the Administration
will be thrown behind some De-
mocrat who has not been too
closely identified with the New
Deal. There is a feeling that Paul
v. McNutt is by no means SO
sure of Presidential support as
his friends believed him to be-
and that Frank Murphy, the At
torney-General, is out of the run
ming. Talk is swinging toward
Supreme Court Justice William
o. Douglas, formerly head of the
Securities and Exchange Commits
sion, as a likely candidate for the
Presidential accolade as the sue
cessor to Mr.. Roosevelt. This is
taken quite seriously in some
well-informed quarters, who dc
not believe the President will
seek a third term for himself.
It is pointed out that Justice
Douglas is much more likely tt
command the support OF anti
New Deal Democrats than any
body else who has been close tc
the White House in the past few
years, and that he has not hac
any part in the Neutrality discus.
sion.
That might create the interest.
ing situation of two former class
mates of Columbia University
Law School running against each
other for the Presidency; for or
the political dopesheets District
YryI II II