Evening star., 1940-07-21
The Bossed Convention
1t Wanted Roosevelt, But Resented Dictation
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To say this is not to say that the
delegates did not want Franklin D.
Roosevelt to be the party's standard
bearer for third consecutive time.
If all selfish political motives-jobs,
party success, etc.-could be set aside.
I believe the vast majority Of the in
dividual delegates would say sincerely
that they still would want Mr.. Roose-
welt to be the Democratic presidential
nominee and to continue after January
Is the Nations Chief Executive.
Taking them as American citizens
rather than as delegates to a party con.
vention, these were not the people who
have lost confidence In Mr.. Roosevelt.
Whether as a cross section Of American
citizenry they represent q majority or
a minority of the Nations voters Is an
other matter-to be determined In No.
vember.
But regardless of this fundamental de-
sire to renominate Mr.. Roosevelt, these
American citizens were not really happy
in their accomplishment of it.
Statement Fails to Lift Fog.
The basic reason can be found in
the manner in which they were for
an overly long time left cropping in a fog
OF uncertainty about what Mr.. Roose-
velt himself intended to do, a fog that
was not dspelled cleanly by the
Tuesday night statement OF Senator
Barkley that the President had no de
sire or purpose to continue in the ONCE
OF President, to be a candidate for that
ONCE or to be nominated by the con-
vention for that Office"
A substantial majority of them, repre-
senting at least TOO nominating votes,
had come to Chicago pledged to vote
for Mr.. Roosevelt-a fact known as well
to him as to them. 1t was easy to observe
IN the few days Immediately preceding
his declaration OF Tuesday night that
this majority felt the need of some clear
cut expression from the White House,
the sooner the better.
They would have liked to know before
they were crowded into the convention
hall that Mr.. Roosevelt would make the
race If they called hin-or that he felt
the weight of tradition and circum-
stances too heavy for him to make this
historic effort. Their reaction quite
probably would have been more spon-
taneous-perhaps genuine draft that
would indeed have given the convention
proceedings more invigorating taste.
Instead. they had to await interpreta.
uonS and timetable instructions from
an air-conditioned version Of a smoke.
filled room.
Troubled Over Farley.
They were disturbed, too, at the stories
OF personal rift between Mr.. Roosevelt
and Jim Farley. For seven years, and
longer, these citizens had taken their
political instructions from the big New
Yorker-the man who knew everybody's
first name, who always had time for a
grin and q handshake. In q choice be.
tween the two for the presidential nomi-
nation they might favor Mr.. Roosevelt,
but they hated the idea of any GOODNESS
between two men who have been some-
thing like twin heroes to the Democratic
rank and file.
Those undercurrents we're easily dis
cernible around the hotel Hobbies, at
the bars, at delegation caucuses and
everywhere that the little shot" poll
ticians gathered to talk.
They reached the lake-front Black.
stone Hotel suite of Harry Hopkins,
Secretary of Commerce and White House
liaison man at Chicago, early enough.
so that a relatively sudden decision was
made by the planners for a nomination
Wednesday night instead of Thursday,
as originally scheduled
Meanwhile, there were other mani
festations of irritation and lack of
harmony.
Through three full days the Platform
Committee wrangled with scores of wit
nesses and within itself over a pro-
nouncement on foreign policy. Then of
q sudden, there was named a drafting
subcommittee that quite obviously was
weighted against the essence of the ad-
ministration's policy toward events in
Europe.
This weighing had the expected re-
oA'o VA VA AA6AAS AOA CAA q 4O4 CASll pldllk
which definitely circumscribes either
material or moral Intervention of the
United States in affairs outside the
Western Hemisphere. Although party
platforms had never proved binding in
struments, when set against such
background there is significance in
words which is not lost either upon
this Nations voters or upon the policy
makers of other parts of the world.
Changes Commitment.
Seemingly. then, MIR. Roosevelt or
whoever might run in his place was
being committed to conduct of foreign
affairs somewhat different from that of
recent months, an Interpretation hardly
disproved by events of Wednesday.
For nearly seven hours on that day