Evening star., 1939-04-16
Third Term Talk
Heightenedby by
Nicholson
Believes Roosevelt
Will Return Only
IF He Has To
By G. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
Roosevelt third-term talk reared
Its head again in the Capital yes
terday. Interpreters were quick to
see possibilities" in statement by
Charles Nicholson, director of pub
licity for the Democratic National
Committee, which said:
II believe that he president
Roosevelt would not take it IAN
other term in the White House, un-
less he had to-
Mr. Michelson's statement was
contained in his weekly column,
"Dispelling the Fog" which he has
just revived after silence of sew
eral months. He devoted most of
it to a discussion of presidential
candidates-although he named no
Democrat except the President.
The Democrats who have been
prominently mentioned for the NOM
ination. Mr.. Nicholson said, ARE
men familiar with the problems of
government. They are Senators Of
considerable service, Governors Of
States, Congressman of eminence
and distinction in the Lower House,
members of the cabinet or other ad-
ministrative experience.
President Not Included.
VI do not include in this list" Mr..
Nicholson continued, "the Presi-
dent himself, for so far, to the best
of my knowledge, he has discussed
the matter of third candidacy with
nobody. My guess has been, and
continues to be, that he has not the
slightest desire to go in for four
years more of the terrific effort and
tremendous task that confronts the
next President. In other words I
believe that he would not take 1t
unless he had to-"
That, observers said last night, Is
Just what makes the situation puz-
zling. Who, they ask, is to deter
mine whether the President has
to" take a nomination for third
term?
Mr.. Michelson's comment was
considered also in connection with
the Presidents own speech Friday at
Mount Vernon, in which he discussed
the hard decision which George
Washington had to make when,
after eight years of Revolutionary
War service, he was called on to be
the first President of the United
States. Observers and some men,
bers of Congress were quick to say
Mr.. Roosevelt seemed to imply that
he himself would yield to an i'm
perative call to service-and run for
a third term-particularly If this
country should find itself at war.
G. o. P. Lacks Candidate.
Mr.. Nicholson, speaking of the
activity on the Republican side, de-
clared the G. o. P. lacked candidates
for the presidency who had had ex-
perience in dealing with either ma
tional or international affairs. He
mentioned two exceptions-one, for
mer President Hoover and the other
Senator Vandenberg OF Michigan.
The latter's BOOM" he said, zap
pears to have been definitely eclipsec
by the rising of new stars In the
G. o. P. armament. We come to
Mr.. Dewey of New York, whose sole
venture into the field of political
administration lies in being defeated
for the governorship in his State last
year.
Now there is nothing in the Con-
stitution that says that man whose
i,,r &c
a prosecutor of criminal cases is not
eligible for the presidency, but If his
own State did not consider him good
enough to be Governor, it might
seem likely deduction that his
party at large might not think him
worthy or capable of being the kind
of a President that We are going
to need during the next four years
Then there is young Mr.. Taft OF
Ohio. new-fedged Senator who
never held any public off1ce-eXcept
as a member of the State Legisla-
ture-and whose main qualifications
appears to be that he is a son of q
former President. knowledge OF
government, in this country, at least
is not hereditary"
The Democratic publicity director
who has helped the party through
two successful campaigns, seems to
be outlining the theory of Demo-
cratic attack in 1910.
Republicans Make Reply.
In Republican quarters, the
comment was made that Mr.. Mich
elson's statement indicated whole
some dislike to the idea that the
Republicans would nominate either
Mr.. Dewey or Senator Taft-and
that the Democratic high command
would greatly prefer some other
Republican opponent.
One Republican suggested that
while the Roosevelt Democrats call
frequently for new blood" in gov
ernmental position-and have it
they object seriously to the Repub-
1icans trying bit of new blood, too
Nearly all of the principal presi-
dental possibilities" both Repub-
lican and Democratic, were in
Washington last night, attending
the Gridiron Club dinner.
The G. O. P. Rejoinder.
Franklyn Waltman, director OF
publicity for the Republican Ma
tional Committee and author of q
weekly column, Looking Forward >
issued a statement last night well
coming Mr.. Nicholson and his re-
newed "Dispelling the Fog" Mr.
Waltman suggested that his Demo-
cratic opponent in the world of pub
licity and political propaganda had
delayed so long because of the
disrupted condition of his party"