Evening star., 1939-12-30
Jackson Dinner
Bids 10 6. 0. P.
Puzzle Capital
Cummings Promises
Non-Portison Speech
By Roosevelt
BY J. A. O'LEARY.

An invitation extended with
White House approval to Repub-
lican leaders in Congress to be
honor guests at Democratic
Jackson Day dinner in a presiden-
tial campaign year took politically
minded Washington by surprise to-
day and started a wave of specu-
lation as to what it all means.
The situation became more un-
usual with the disclosure that the
Republicans not only were invited,
but were assured by former Attor-
ney General Cummings chairman
of the Jackson Day Committee for
the District of Columbia, that Presi-
dent Roosevelt's address will be
strictly partisan in character.
The invitations are known to
have been sent to Senate Minority
Leader McNary of Oregon, House
Minority Leader Martin of Massa-
chusetts, and to Senator Austin Of
Vermont, assistant minority leader
of the Senate.
Unusual" Cummings Notes
At the outset of the letter accom-
panying one of the invitations. Mr..
Cummings himself took note of the
fact that it is out of the ordinary to
invite the opposition to join in this
traditionally Democratic observance,
which customarily is the occasion
for rallying the loyal party follow
ers throughout the country, and
especially in campaign years. to
imbue them with the spirit Of vic
tory Mr. Cummings wrote:
ut may seem bit unusual to
send YOU the inclosed invitation to
attend, as an honored guest, the
Jackson Day banquet to be given
under auspices of the Jackson Dav
Dinner Committee at the Mayf1ower
Hotel, on January 8. 1910, but these
are unusual days. The President is.
of course, aware of this letter and
I am authorized to say that he not
only hopes that you will attend but
that his address on that occasion
will be strictly non-partisan in
character. Permit me to add my
own earnest wish that you will honor
us by your acceptance"
A non partisan speech would
preclude any discussion of the issues
of the approaching national CAM
paign, or of any hint by Mr.. Roose-
welt on the question uppermost in
the minds of all Democrats, namely,
whether he viii. seek a third term.
There has been no strong belief in
congressional circles that the Presi-
dent would answer this question as
early as January 8, just as Con-
gress is beginning to tackle his legis-
lative program for the session.
1t was reasonable to expect. how
ever, that the Jackson Day celebra-
ton could we'll have been the occa-
sion for the head of the party to
defend the New Deal record and
sound battle-cry to Democrats to
prepare for the 1910 campaign.
May Touch World Troubles.
Some political observers on
Capitol Hill ventured the guess
that if the Presidents address is
to be strictly non-partisan," he
may be planning to center his re-
marks around troubled world con-
ditions and the problems the in
ternational situation presents to
this country. Those who took this
view pointed out that such prob
lens could be discussed from a non-
partisan standpoint.
Thinking along the same line. 9TH
ers suggested the extending of the
invitation to the House and Senate
Republican leaders to break bread
with their political opponents may
be a part of the policy the Presi-
dent adopted at, the beginning of
the September special neutrality
session, of consulting with the
minority as we'll as the majority
leaders on questions growing out
of the war abroad.
1t is known that since the spe-
cial session ended the White House
has continued to keep the leader
ship of the minority advised on
important developments relating
to the maintenance of American
neutrality.
Acceptances PrOblematical.
IT. was not definitely known tn.
day whether the Republican lead
ers would accept the invitation.
They probably will decide soon,
however, since the invitation calls
for an acknowledgment. Regard
less of their decision, the incident
has given political circles through
out the National Capital a novel
topic of conversation for the next
10 days And if they should grace
the decision by their presence, it
would make the Jackson Day dim
ner of 1910 one to jot down in the
political history books.
If non-partisan atmosphere
should mark this Jackson Day
gathering in Washington, however;
it would have little significance
after January 8, for there are al-
ready ample signs on Capitol Hill
that, on domestic issues, the COM
ing session of Congress will be q
warm-up for the national campaign
that will get under way next sum-
mer