Evening star., 1940-07-13

favored group,
but his friends
are still hoping David Lawrence.
to get Mr. Roosevelt to approve it.
Likewise, Justice Douglas name is
not on the list, but he, too, can be
added if circumstances require.
Instructions have gone forth from
the President that, if possible, a
contest is to be staged and if it can
be arranged especially for the benefit
of the radio audience, it is hoped
there will be two or three ballots
for the vice presidency so as to give
the appearance, at least, of an un-
bossed convention.
The truth is, Mr.. Roosevelt has
his preferences even among the
small list, but he will be expected
to let this out very tactfully so that
the larger delegations will at mo-
ment's notice swing behind the de-
sired nominee for the vice preSi-
dency The President is complete
master of the whole strategy where
by he is to be renominated for a
third term and of the manner of
choosing the second man on the
ticket.
Outwitted Isolationists.
The way in which Mr.. Roosevelt
has outwltted and outmaneuvered
the isolationist group in his own
party is an excellent example of his
political shrewdness if not of the
best way to allow routed opponents
to make a graceful retreat. Mr..
Roosevelts message to Congress, for
instance, in which he says he will
not send American troops to fight
In Europe's wars has been hailed by
Democratic isolationists as very sat
isfactory indeed. 1t has been said
that Mr.. Roosevelt has gone over
to their camp. The truth is the
President has done nothing of the
kind. He has made a declaration
which, now that virtually the whole
of Western Europe is dominated by
Herr Hitler and land warfare has
ceased. means nothing at all. No
body has been urging the sending
of troops to Europe these last few
weeks, so there is no injury to pro-
Ally sentiment In the East if the
President confirms an established
fact.
Nothing Said About Navy.
It will be noted that Mr.. Roose-
welt said nothing about possible
naval operations in the Atlantic or
the possible use of our Navy to
convoy ships bearing supplies to
Europe from this hemisphere. AS
a matter of fact, the proposed anti
war plank of the Democratic plat
form will not differ at all from the
Republican platform The Middle
West will continue to look toward
the utterances of the candidates to
determine which of the two by his
addresses implies possible involve
ment in war.
The Democratic convention may
not be colorless altogether, but the
things to be decided there have al
ready been decided. The President
already has dictated what is to go
into the platform, who is to be the
nominee of the convention and who
is to be second on the ticket. 1t is
to be a Roosevelt convention from
beginning to end.
This state of affairs has been
resented inside the party until
recently, but now that the President
has maintained his silence so long,
1t is realized that no other candidate
could be built up in the court of
public opinion overnight, so there is
no other political way out except for
the Democrats to select Mr.. Roose-
welt as standard bearer.
The Only Way.
At the Capitol, prominent Demo-
Gratis concede the third-term issue
will cut across party lines and that
the Democratic ticket will suffer
heavy defections, but by reason of
Mr.. Roosevelt's maneuvers, nothing
else could be done to put any one
in the field. The administration
has had majority of the delegates
pinned down for several months.
One by one the would-be contenders
have come to recognize the newt
able.
Public interest now centers on
what reasons,the President will give
for breaking the third-term pre-
cedent-for doing what Washington
and Jefferson refused to do and
what every President of the United
States since has refrained from
doing. PROFESSIONALLY, an effort
will be made to make it seem as if
Mr.. Roosevelt was drafted to run,
but the truth is his henchmen have
been operating for several months
among the delegations to the con-
vention and there is one man in
America-the chairman of the De-
mocratic National Committee-Who
can testify that it wasn't any fun
trying to be candidate when the
whole power of the administration
was used to divert delegates from
lining up for anybody else but the
head of the Government itself.
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