Evening star., 1939-09-25

the opposite ef- -
feet to start
presidential pol David Lawrence.
itics going in full swing inside the
Democratic party at time when
Mr.. Roosevelt is making supreme
effort for unity.
To ask, furthermore, that the
President declare himself against q
third term at the present time means
merely that a number of people
suspect he is being guided by polit-
ical motives in his national policies.
But it is also true that in the Repub-
lican camp in the United States
Senate are several and in the Demo-
cratic camp are some who have been
mentioned prominently for the
presidency. Some of these candi-
dates are opposed to the admins
tration's neutrality program.
There is, in other words, on the
Presidents side of the argument
about a third-term statement at this
time belief that political motives
can as well be attributed to some
of the men who are about to attempt
to frustrate his program in Congress.
Election Stand Uncertain.
II it be assumed that Mr.. Roose-
velt has third-term ambitions, as
many people have now been assum-
ing for the last three years or more,
then it must also be assumed that
passage of the neutrality revision
program is going to be of political
benefit to the President and not to
the many Republicans who are
going to support him. In order to
appraise political benefits, more
over, it is necessary to decide
whether a presidential candidate
can better win an election in 1910
on NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
policy or on a war-making policy.
The principal difficulty on the
Republican side-and while it prob
ably has never been shared by for
mer Gov. Landon, he has taken
cognizance Of it's that a consid-
cradle number of anti Roosevelt
folks throughout the country are
obsessed with the notion that Mr..
Roosevelt somehow will drag Amer
lea into war just to enable himself
to be reelected for a third term.
This belief is based on the premise
that in an election year America
would not change horses in mid
stream" If war were on.
Nothing could irk a man who had
reached the eminence of President
Of the United States more than an
accusation to the effect that he
would allow hundreds Of thousands
Of citizens to go to their death just
10 crafty his political ambition.
And If there were one thing calcu-
lated to make Franklin Roosevelt
avoid any announcement now of his
decision not to be a candidate for
1910 it would be refusal to yield to
the opportunities of his opponents
for a statement based on such sus-
picions.
Leaves Opening for Attack.
It is true that the President has
left himself open to unfair attack
because the New Dealers have in
the past failed to refrain from
wounding the sensibilities of their
opponents by all sorts of innuendoes
and bitterness. 1t is also true that
when members Of the Presidents
own cabinet publish magazine ar
ticles urging a third term the pub
lie is bound to assume that such
cabinet officers are acting with the
acquiescence. If not encouragement,
of the President himself. Mr.. Roose-
velt has not said one word to any,
body who has ever discussed the
1910 situation with him that would
Indicate his acceptance of third
term nomination.
There are good reasons, as former
Gov. Landon disclosed in his pub
lished interview of last week, for a
President, as leader of his party, to
try to avoid committing himself too
early about his own succession, but
such reasons, as Mr.. Landon says,
are superseded by the nature of the
crisis facing the country interna-
tionally. Unquestionably, Mr.. Roose-
welt to date has been influenced by
exactly the first point of view out
lined by Mr.. Landon, namely, that
silence by President keeps the
party from splitting apart prema-
turely on candidates., thus confus-
Ing and perhaps defeating an ad-
ministration's final program of leg
islation in Congress.
Timing Believed Chosen.
There is reason to believe Mr..
Roosevelt had selected time for his
announcement of unwillingness to
be a third-term nominee. This Is
gathered from the fact that earlier
this year, when he was asked di-
rect question about a third term in
1910, he is reported to have re-
marked that this was not yet 1910.
Also, the third term tradition is
taken to mean by various admins
tration advocates of another term
for Mr.. Roosevelt that no President
should himself seek Office for third
term but that the Democratic party
and the country must decide
whether or not to draft . President
tor such q nomination.
In any event. a pronouncement
from the President that he "does
not choose to run" may be def
nitely expected and 1t would not be
surprising If the language were
Identical with that quoted from
President Coolidge's announcement
In August, 1927. It will not come,
however, In the midst of the neu-
trality controversy If only for the
very good reason that Mr.. Roose-
welt would be conceding to his bit
terest opponents a charge which he
bitterly resents; namely, that he is
actuated by political motives in ask
Ing politics to be adjourned and in
inviting Republicans and Demo-
Gratis TO act together on a policy of
neutrality revision.
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