Evening star., 1939-12-07
Dewey Probes Ills
OF Farm Following
Campaign Speech
Republican Nomination
Candidate Hits
New Deal 'Defeutism'
Nv the Associated Pres

MlNNEfA1ol4O, ACSs AAoAAAe@o
E. Dewey probed down to the roots
of the farm problem today, seek
ing facts and suggestions to use
in his drive for the Republican pres
idential nomination.
He opened his campaign last night
with blast at New Deal defeat
ISM" and today continued it with
conference with dozen OF the
States top-ranking farmers and
farm organization leaders.
The New York district attorney
announced he was eager for facts
and well primed with questions
about agriculture's troubles. He
hinted at the trend his investiga-
ton would take yesterday when he
mentioned the drought and South
ern competition with Northern dairy
interests as two important questions,
agreeing with suggestion that he
had come right to headquarters in
his trailing of farm troubles.
YES" he said. 1.-The farm prob
lem is pretty acute out here
Reaction Awaited.
His inquiry into the farm question
conceded with spotlighting OF the
problem by Secretary of Agriculture
Wallace and Senator Wheeler, DEM
ocrat, of Montana, who came here
to address farmers union conven-
ton in the st. Paul Auditorium to-
night.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Dewey and his
advisers awaited the reprecussions
from his keynote speech last night,
when he declared that Govern
ment hostility, repressive taxation
and economic quackery" have stif1ed
American enterprise.
In effect, he told 5000 cheering
people who crowded the municipal
auditorium, the New Deal philoso-
ply is that there is nothing left to
do All that remains is to divide
up what we got from the Indians. "
In his debut as national candi-
date, Mr.. Dewey spoke calmly, as
though arguing with a jury, only oc-
casionally raising his voice as he
denounced the Democratic admins
tration's policies.
Introduced by Stassen.
He was introduced by Minnesota S
youthful Republican Governor, Har-
old E. Stassen as "a man who has
successfully stormed the deepest in
trenchments of corruption and
greed, a man whose spectacular
demonstration of the qualities of
courage, of integrity and of vigorous
ability has brought his name to the
lips of the people of the Nation as
one of the great leaders of our Re-
publican party and of the entire
citizenry.'
The auditorium was jammed full
half an hour before Mr.. Dewey be-
gan to talk, and hundreds of persons
were turned away at the doors
Mayor George E. Leach called the
rally "the biggest preconvention
meeting in the history of our State. u
Mr. Dewey's speech outlined no
concrete program of relief for cur
rent problems, this being in accord
ance with his announcement on his
arrival that he was coming to Min
nesota seeking information about
Northwest farm and business trou-
bles on which to base such a pro-
gram.
Assails New Deal Outlook.
Mr.. Dewey asserted the whole
outlook" of the New Deal is that
''the new plants, the new adventures
the new industries, are unnecessary
and even possibly undesirable"
There is nothing left to do," he
added. "All that remains is te
divide up what we got from the
Indians. Such is the theory of the
New Deal administration. Such is
its practice With this philosophy
I totally and absolutely disagree"
While thus attacking the Roose-
velt administration generally, Mr.
Dewey said at one point he believed
1t had sincerely attempted" to full
fill it's social obligations. He added
however that this is only half the
Job" saying:
THE other half is to maintain
to encourage the economic system
which supports the Government
and makes performance of social
obligations possible"
Grave Problems Ahead.
At the outset, he said the coun-
try has grave problems in agricul-
ture, in labor, in business, in un-
employment, in finance
Tonight he went on, II am not
going to attempt to state solutions
of those specific problems. Our diff
ficulties must be dealt with as a
whole. wish to discuss the thing
we must first get clear in our minds
If We are to be successful in dealing
with any of those problems.
First of all. we must make up
our minds whether we believe in the
continued growth of this country
or whether we believe we have
reached our economic limit.
"* Our greatest national
enemy is defeatism. We have Re-
publicans who do not think that our
party can win through. We have
Republicans and Democrats who dc
not think that our country can wir
through. We have Europeans ano
Americans who do not think that
civilization can win through. I an
not ashamed to confess the abiding
faith that our party, our country
and the world will win through"
Must Rout Defeatism.
He declared, then, that every.
thing depends" on the solution o1
what he had termed the crisis o.
faith" adding:
If here we can rout defeatism
II here We can regain courage anc
unbounded activity, if here we car
unite industry and agriculture anc
labor for an invincible America
then, and only then, can we con.
tribute to the peace of all the