Evening star., 1939-05-15

Charles G. Ross. term tradition
will not only affect the coming cam
paign but will have a large and
abiding influence on the stream Of
history. The tremendous inpor-
tance of what Mr.. Roosevelt decides
to do is a measure of his power; it
may also be read as a measure Of
the comparative bankruptcy of the
leadership in both the old parties.
Eihter way you look at it, the
thought that so much significance
attaches to his "yes" or mo- is
little disturbing.
To return to the question itself:
The answer is that Mr.. Roosevelt's
intentions with regard to 1910 are
as complete mystery as ever; that
1t Is quite possible he himself does
not yet know whether he will seek
denomination.
Increasing Pressure.
The one certainty is that increas-
ing pressure is being brought upon
him to become candidate. So long
as the possibility of his running
remains open, this pressure will con-
tinue. Ardent followers of the
President, here and over the coun-
try. are seeking to drive home to
him the idea that he alone can save
the New Deal from being wrecked.
They are telling the President that
whatever his personal inclinations
may be, he owes it to the New Deal
and the country to run again. The
third-term tradition, they argue,
should not be allowed to prevail in
his mind against the emergency
which the New Deal faces.
Some Of this pressure comes from
men Of the highest motives, some of
it from off1ceholders who are inter-
ested primarily in saving their jobs.
Together they make up formidable
group. Only an unequivocal state
ment by the President that he is
not candidate, and would not take
the nomination If it were offered to
him, can cause them to give up their
efforts.
The war scare. Of course, plays into
their hands, and they have received
new argument in the disclosure,
in the recently published biography
of Carter Glass, that Woodrow Will
son wanted denomination in 1920
in order to forward his crusade for
the League of Nations.
Odds Heavily Against Him.
1t remains the view of this writer
that the President will not run again
in 1910, but the possibility that he
will do so cannot be dismissed.
Could Mr.. Roosevelt be elected
il he received the Democratic NOM
ination? The odds would be heavily
against him. Those who are saying
that he could overcome the tradi-
tional feeling against a third term
would do well to read an article in
the current issue of the Nation by
Oswald Garrison Willard. Though
Mr.. Willard very properly acquits
the President of ulterior political
motives in assailing the dictators,
he fears that if war comes, whether
we get into 1t or not, Mr.. Roose-
velt will be able to obtain the re-
nomination that some of his ad-
herents seek for him.
Mr.. Willard then says:
''Of course, If we should get into
war that mischievous statement of
Abraham Lincoln's about not swap
ping horses when crossing a stream
Would be worked overtime. I, my
self, can conceive of no situation in
which we should violate the third
term tradition, especially in these
times when we. too, are in danger
Of q dictator because Of the New
Deals inability to heal our ills and
put our 100000 unemployed to
work"
Mr.. Roosevelt could only win the
election with the undivided support
of liberal voters. That he would not
have such support. any more than
he had it in the fight over the Su-
preme Court, is clearly indicated,
think, by the statement Of Mr.. Viii
lard. No one will question the sim
cerity of Mr.. Wizards liberalism or
its militancy.