Evening star., 1939-05-21
Democrats Are Split
Over RooseveIt's
3d-Term Chance
Most Believe He Can
Win Nomination, But
Differ on Election
Bv G. GOULD LINCOLN.

A canvass of leading Democrats
in Washington, made in the light
of a recent recrudescence of Roose-
veit third-term talk. shows that:
/. A majority of those questioned
believe President Roosevelt can win
denomination next year if he de-
sires. That goes for New Deal
and anti-New Deal Democrats
alike
,. On the question of President
Roosevelt's reelection, New Deal
Democrats and the anti-NeW Deal
Democrats split. The former says
he could be elected for a third
term. The anti-New Deal Demo-
Gratis are emphatic in their asser-
ton that he could not be elected.
3. There is strong sentiment
among conservative Democrats, in
the event the Democratic National
Convention next year renominated
Mr.. Roosevelt, to place in the field
an independent, regular" demo-
cratic ticket.
No one knows definitely whether
the President will permit himself
TO become a candidate for a third
term. All inquiries along that
line the President merely laughs
of-for the present. But there is
more and more persistent demand
from New Dealers that he run.
They insist that because of his
strong personal following, he could
overthrow the third-term tradition,
established by George Washington
and continued by succeeding Presi-
dents
No Other Candidate Approved.
The New Dealers also point to
the fact each New Deal possibility
for the presidential nomination who
has been trotted out up to date has
fguratively speaking been given
the gate. They do not believe, some
Of them, that the President would
ever consent to nomination of an
anti-New Deal Democrat.
They are lukeWarm to a compro-
mise candidate. Furthermore, the;
foresee desperate fight in the con-
vention if the doors are thrown
wide open to all comers. In such
pass, the convention might turn,
they believe, to Mr.. Roosevelt again
The Presidents recently an
nounced trip, which is to take hil.
to the Pacific Coast, has given
impetus to speculations over a third
term effort. And yet the presiden-
tial trip, as Sc far disclosed, does
not show up as a political affair
with many speeches at strategic
points.
Although the actual date is still
to be announced, it is planned ten
tatively for Mr.. Roosevelt to leave
Washington about June 15-after
the visit of the English King and
Queen. He goes first to North
Carolina to speak at the dedication
OF Great Smokes Park and then to
San Francisco, where he will speak
at the Golden Gate Exposition
Later he may 60 to Seattle to visit
his daughter, Mrs. John Boettiger,
and even to Alaska for a brief trip
He is expected to be back in WASH
ington, however, sometime during
the first week in July.
The Prospects.
A trip does not necessarily, how
ever, have to have the earmarks of
political expedition to be political
The President doubtless will get
the views of Democratic leaders in
the West and be in position to
sound out sentiment.
One thing the President mas
dinned into the ears of Democrats
ever since the first of the year
they must nominate liberal, New
Deal candidate for President in
1910. He is to address the National
Retailers Forum tomorrow and he
may take that opportunity once
again to demand New Deal leader
ship.
If the President fatty declines
the opportunities of his New Deal
adherents, it is obvious that he will
seek the nomination of one of his
liberal friends, Secretaries Hopkins
and Wallace, Solicitor General Jack
son, or perhaps Justice Douglas of
the Supreme Court, although it is
not credible that the President ele-
waited him to the Supreme bench
just to make a presidential can
didate out of him.
Failing to nominate a first choice,
the President would then consider,
it is said, the selection OF one Of the
potentialities not exactly within the
(see THIRD TERM, Page A-lo)