Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-08-31
The Political Mill
Wallace Seen as Failing to Deceive Voters
On Innuendo Thot Hitler Wants WIIkie

sought to make of the present cam
paign a contest between Roosevelt
and Hitler-not Roosevelt and Will
kie. 1t says:
ITO Mr.. Wallace the present cam
paign is not struggle between two
Americans of fine abilities. It Is o
conflict between ideas-democracy
as represented by Roosevelt and
Nazi-ism as offered to the world by
Hitler. Never throughout the ad-
dress does he deviate from this line. +"
That, Of course, is just what Mr..
Wallace wants the voters to believe.
Presumably he will have his answer
from the Republican candidates,
although 1t does not seem likely
that any American would really
believe that Mr.. Willkie or the Re-
publicans who have backed to the
limit the plans for increased mill
tary and naval strength to oppose
Hitler when and If 1t becomes nee
essary. are friends of the Nazi
leader.
The passage by the Senate of the
draft bill was accomplished by a
vote OF almost two to one-58 to 81.
Party lines were disregarded In this
voting. 1t took the Senate weeks
TO dispose of this measure-which
is vitality needed for the national de-
tense. The House is ready to 90
forward with the measure and is
expected to act within a week.
The House bill, reported to that
body, differs IN some important as
poets from the Senate measure. II
the House accepts the bill as it
comes from the Military Affairs
Committee, it will probably be nec-
essary to send the bill to confer.
ence-meaning further DELAY.
The sentiment of the country is
clearly, Overwhelmingly in favor of
the adoption of military draft and
training measure to meet the needs
OF national defense, notwithstand-
ing the assertions of some of its
senatorial opponents. It is expected
that the House will pass the bill by
as large a majority, proportionarely,
as did the Senate. President
Roosevelt's support of prompt ac-
ton providing for the draft. plus
that OF Mr.. Willkie, takes the meas
ure out OF the realm of partisan
politics.
Industrial Power Decried.
Mr.. Willkie has attacked promptly
and strenuously the Overton-Rus-
sell amendment to the draft bill,
adopted by the Senate. This amend
ment would authorize the President
to take over industry for national
defense in time of peace. The Re-
publican nominees contention is
that this would give the President
absolute economic rule of the ccun-
try, a personal rule that would be
similar to Hitler's in Germany. The
House committee has not included
such an amendment in its draft bill,
but no doubt efforts will be made to
have 1t included.
President Roosevelt has mad no
luck in his efforts to purge" the
Senate. His latest attempt was to
dislodge Senator Hiram johnson Of
California. who like Senator's whom
the President sought in the past to
defeat for denomination or re-elec-
ton was one of his supporters when
he was first elected. The President
recently insisted that Senator John
son was no longer liberal" Sena-
tor johnson. however, won the Re-
publican, Democratic and the Pro-
gressive nominations for the Senate
in the California primary last Tues
day. This is tantamounr. the ex-
perts say, to reelection In Novem-
Der.
Senator johnson has been a
strong opponent of some of the
Presidents pet measures in the last
few years. His success in the pri-
maries this week raises a question
as to the Presidents continued hold
on the voters of the State of Call
fornia. He carried that State with
overwhelming pluralities in 1882 ard
1886.