Evening star., 1939-05-19

wants to be re-
nominated, the David Lawrence.
Democratic chieftains will support
him in that desire.
1t was in some respects the only
statement the chairman of the
Democratic National Committee
could make and remain in his
present post. New Dealers here
aboutS who have feared that MIR.
Farley cherished ambitions for the
presidency and was touring the
country to advance his own politi-
cal fortunes have hinted that he
ought to give up the chairmanShip.
Mr.. Farley counters with the most
loyal kind of doctrine, something
to which the most ardent New
Dealer cannot possibly object.
1t is not simply astute strategy,
however, which prompts the Post
master General to put himself on
the shelf, so to speak, till Mr. Roose-
welt announces his plans for 1910,
but common sense. Clearly, if Mr.
Roosevelt wants to run on his own
record, who in the party could deny
him the chance merely on the
third-term issue? Every Democrat
knows that tradition or unwritten
interpretations of the Constitution
have been thrust aside by the New
Deal eXponents as hardly a safe
guide in troublous terms of ma
tional emergency, and hence there
Is nothing about the third-term
tradition which could possibly be
objectionable, for instance, to those
Democrats, including Mr.. Farley
by the way, who stood stanchly
by the President when the latter
wanted to add six justices to the
Supreme Court because of a dis
like of the decisions of a majority
of the members of the then exist
ing Supreme Court.
Mr.. Farley's Strategy.
Also, what position would it leave
any candidate who wanted to be
the beneficiary of the Roosevelt
strength if he allowed himself to
be quoted as against a third term
for Presidents? Mr.. Farley's strategy
naturally must be to defend the
Roosevelt administration as beyond
reproach, and the moment he does
that he must concede that, when
ever the man who is the admins
tration makes up his mind to ask
for third term to fulfill his pro-
gram. there can be no convincing
objection offered by a loyal party
leader against such a decision.
1t will be noted that Mr.. Farley
said pointedly that he was not
making any suggestions to the other
possible candidates for the Demo-
cratic presidential nomination. Let
them butt their heads against the
third term tradition openly or 9TH
erwise, and let them become known
as Roosevelt candidates, and
then, Mr.. Farley opines, these can
didates will discover the nominal
ton has been made impossible for
them. 1t needs only to be recalled
that the age-old tWo-thirds rule has
been abolished now in Democratic
conventions through the Roosevelt
al ICY 11lllNCI1kC, anu IlCllIC ~ ldhCO
81 per cent of the delegates to
block a nomination instead of "a
per cent, as used to be the case
Mr. Roosevelt and his followers can
block a nomination easily.
Mr.. Farley has served the Presi-
dent faithfully. If Mr.. Roosevelt
does not intend to run, the Post
master General wants presidential
support. The stories that Vice PreSi-
dent Garner and Postmaster Cen
eral Farley are allied would not
seem to be logical, though it is
not improbable that they have some
sort of understanding. Mr.. Garner
for some time past has been rep
resented as not altogether in agree
ment with Roosevelt policies and
as inclined to be bit more con-
servative than Mr.. Roosevelt. 1t
Is not known what Mr. Farley's
views are on vital public questions,
but it is safe bet he would not
be as radical as the New Dealers;
indeed, they are in the habit of
linking him to the independent con-
servative Democrats.
No One Knows Plans.
1t has been contended in these
dispatches that Mr.. Roosevelt has
sufficient strength in his own party
to get a third term nomination.
Nobody, not even the members of
his personal or official family, know
his plans, and to this might be
added that the President probably
doesn't know them himself. He
does know that in politics it is most
unwise to make any commitments
for too long time in advance, and
there is no urgent reason why he
should say anything or do anything
till 1910 arrives. Maybe in Janu-
airy, 1910, he will make known his
feelings, or maybe he will say moth
ing at all and leave it to the Demo-
cratic party to decide whether he
wants the strongest vote getter in
the party today or somebody else
who can't get as many votes.
If the Democratic party situation
next year is very bad, the draft
Roosevelt" idea will tend to become
stronger on the theory that he alone
can stand on the record made and
defend it most vigorously. Mean
time the presidential candidates.
of the other Democrats must suffer,
which perhaps causes Mr.. Roosevelt
Il