Evening star., 1939-09-30

The recent message to Congress.
Actually there is little chance that
politics will be adjourned. Indeed,
political combat will be resumed at
an early date-just as soon as the
neutrality debate is out of the way.
The Republicans who helped to pre-
vent discussion by the Senate on
the neutrality law last summer
really did their party disservice.
for had the question been disposed
OF then, there would have been no
occasion for the new emergency"
which has arisen in party circles.
Now. however, the Republicans
are divided on the issue of an arms
embargo repeal and some of them
want to act quickly and get rid of
the issue while others are really in
favor OF prolonging the fight and
1nvoluntarily giving Mr.. Roosevelt
and his associates an opportunity to
win a victory.
From a strictly partisan point of
view. the Republicans are being
handicapped by the quietus put on
party politics just now. For the Re-
publicans are the - as to make the
attack. The administration would
prefer an adjournment of politics as
long as possible. In these nine
months prior to a national cam
paign. the heaviest barrage of politi-
cal bombardment are usually let
loose. The Republican headquarters
here has been all set to 20 and now.
at the critical moment for gathering
strength and particularly campaign
funds, the leader of the Democratic
party has suggested so effectively
that politics be sidetracked as to
make it difficult for active cam
paigning to be resumed.
When Name Calling Can Start.
Mr.. Roosevelts appeal for non
partisanship on the embargo issue
was a recognition of the widespread
insistence that he allegedly wanted
TO make political capital out of the
war emergency. But once the neu-
trality question has been acted upon.
there Is no reason why Chairman
Hamilton and Chairman Farley
should not start calling names and
attributing motives once more. In
deed, 1t has seemed long time since
anybody around here has mention
ed the Importance Of balanced
budget" or the need for return to
'the American ways. It would
seem like return to normalcy to
have those issues raised again.
Inside the Democratic party, the
situation Is no different from that
which prevails among the Repub-
licans. The would be candidates
for the 1910 presidential nomination
on the Democratic ticket have been
stif1ed, too. They cannot get going
either. For when the President
says politics must be adjourned" he
means among his own followers
as well. Thus 1t is no casual occur
renee which finds Secretary Ickes
abandoning his debate with Gen.
Hugh johnson on the third term
issue. This would have been an
event Of a very instructive nature,
not merely to politicians, but to those
Of us who watch on the sidelines
the ups and downs of the third term
thermometer.
War Stiles Political Talk.
There is always danger that in
period of political somnolence i'm
portant candidates. will be over
looked. It seems a long time ago
that Democrats were busying them
selves on Capitol Hill and elsewhere
with the boom of Vice President
Garner. But it is very hard to get
delegates or to talk politics when
there is war on and when a
minority have handed the spotlight
70 Mr.. Roosevelt on an issue which
happens to be dividing party lines
more effectively than any radical
versus conservative cleavages have
ever done.
The truce in politics which now
causes the political horsemen of
both parties to champ at the hit
probably will not last beyond the
month Of October. 1t may be
shortened cosiderably by the Repub-
licans. They can help to reduce
the hours of debate and expedite
the legislation after everybody has
had chance to be heard.
Tactics of delay will only inter-
fere with the progress of several
candidates. in both Republican and
Democratic parties, and, incident
ally, work to the benefit of the in
cumbent administration. For the
longer public attention is diverted
from the domestic issues, which
were developing until this month
q decided anti-administration trend,
the more pleased the administra-
ton will be.
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