Evening star., 1940-05-26


PHILADELPHIA, Pa-n President
Roosevelt Is carried on the tragic tide of
Europes war to third term in the White
House, no one will be sadder than Joseph
Newton Pew. tr. For six years he has
devoted most OF his time and a great
deal of his money to the single objective
Of removing Roosevelt and undoing the
New Deal.
And just as he had good reason to be-
lieve that 1t might be possible, circum-
stances beyond his control threatened to
make his work entirely futile. For a man
as earnest, as passionately sincere as Joe
Pew, there Is the making Of a major
tragedy in this. ~,
Unlike many politicians, Pew believes
his own stuff. When he says that Roose-
velt is destroying the American political
system and supplanting it with totali-
tartan dictatorship, it Is not mere CAM
paign rhetoric, but grim conviction.
But, then, Pew is no ordinary politician.
He is very wealthy oil man whose dour
temperament comes down from the Scot
tish covenanters who were his ancestors
To family and friends he has said re-
peatedly that II the New Deal is con-
tinued for another four years, it will be
the end Of him and all other men of
means and property. And the vice presi-
dent Of the $l50,000, 900 Sun Oil Co.,
family business, believes that, too.
Only the 10th Century.
In spite of the war headlines, in spite
Of the increasing possibility that Roose-
velt will be the Democratic candidate,
In spite Of the talk coming from con-
servatives and commentators who would
have a coalition Government formed
around the President, this crusader has
not cried Hold, enough!' It takes more
than that to stop Joe Pew. Recognizing
the new defense problems raised by the
course of the war, Pew nevertheless has
this to say:
THE Atlantic Ocean is to us today
what the English Channel was to Great
Britain in the 18th and 18th centuries,
in the days Of Drake and Nelson. We
shouldn't let Buck Rogers stampede us.
This is not the 21st century, it's the 20th."
Pew has argued American foreign pol
Icy with several Republican candidates,
including, over recent week end,
Wendell L. Willkie, who has more or
less openly approved Roosevelts course.
This week end meeting has more than
ordinary significance, since it is the first
time that the chief angel and the lead
ing dark horse of the G. o. P. have been
brought together. Discussing next
months convention, Pew says that the
smoke-dlled hotel room is "out.". He
looks forward to Is or 30 ballots-a real
fight in full view of the public. And in
such event it is possible, although Pew
does not say so, that the lightning may
strike compromise candidate such as
Willkie.
If it had not been for Roosevelt and
the New Deal, Pew today probably would
be just another fat cat, signing fairly
generous check at campaign time and
letting 1t 60 at that. Thanks to the
animus stirred by F. D. r., he is boss of
the chief Republican State in the Union,
controlling. within certain limits, Penn
sylvania's 70 delegates to the Republican
convention. 1t was Pew who brought the
State back to Republican control after
four years of Democratic rule. He made
Arthur H. James, the Bible-quoting
breaker boy Governor in 1888 He made
solemn Judge Robert E. Lamberton
Mayor of Philadelphia And for 40 he
has hoped to have something to say
about who would be President.
Father Courageous.
To understand Pew's attitude it is nee
essary to examine his past. A strong ele-
ment In his personality is his veneration
for his father and what his father stood
for. The elder Pew, says his son, was one
OF the few men in the world with 100 per
cent the courage of his convictions. He
was largely responsible for founding the
natural gas industry at time when
pioneer men in Pennsylvania looked on
the gas as dangerous nuisance. In his
native Pittsburgh he failed after re-
peated battles to get franchise to sell
natural gas to the city. Armed finally
with an opinion from the Supreme Court
Of the United States. he marched In, laid
his pipes and proceeded to established a
thriving business without benefit of
city charter.
Joseph Pew, ST., founded the Sun OIL
Co.. 1t was very largely family busi-
ness. j. Howard, his oldest son, is presi-
dent. And other Pews hold executive
positions in Pew-controlled companies
For the most part, expansion of the busi-
ness was financed out OF earnings. While
1t grew to heroic size 1t retained the