The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1940-06-27
Blocking A Truce
Washington.


Some of our most eminent and pat
riotic publicists are again calling fol-
an absolute truce" in politics. Only
by nonpartisan cooperation among the
leaders of the two parties, it is ar
gued, can our national effort to arm
ourselves be effectively made or the
emergency which grows graver as the
German menace grows greater, be
dealt with intelligently.
***
Nearly everybody will agree with
that. Nearly everybody will concede
that this is no time for personal or
party politics; that it is time when,
in the national interests, public men
should put aside personal ambition,
rise above the normal political level
and help achieve an essential national
unity on all matters of foreign policy
and home defense. Without that sort
of unity, certain obvious steps neces-
sary to our elemental safety cannot
be taken.
That is the argument, and it is
sound enough. Moreover, it is ad-
mirable and right to urge an "abso-
lutte truce" in politics. But it is not
realistic to ignore the outstanding OBJ
stacle in the way. And it is not help
full to be vague about what is going
on. For example, it seems like evad-
ing the basic fact not to proclaim
that in any political truce the initia-
tive must be taken and the example
set by the party in power. That seems
too clear to argue. Of course, when
you say "the party in power" these
days you mean Mr.. Roosevelt.
These being the indisputable facts,
why do those who now cry for an
absolute truce" not point out that
the thing which more than all else
stands in the way is the scheme of the
White House politicians to put Mr..
Roosevelt over for third term and
Mr.. Roosevelt's encouragement of the
scheme? Why do they not point out
that these New Deal strategists are
calculatingly using the emergency to
further their plans and crush out all
opposition to the third nomination?
Why not tell the people the fact that
back of the Presidential handling of
our foreign problems his highly APP
proved aides are busy handling do
mestic politics with the idea of keep
ing him in his job and themselves in
theirs?
Why not tell them that this by no
means is being done without Mr..
Roosevelt's knowledge or approval;
that while civilization is crashing
abroad he has found time to discuss
the details of the Democratic con-
vention, possibly candidates for the
Vice-Presidency and who ought to be
the temporary chairman? Why not
point out that his conferences with the
machine bosses Of Chicago and New
York and his appointment of Mr..
Cromwell as Minister to Canada right
after the unsavory New Jersey boss,
Mr.. Hague, had come out for third
term, was done with full knowledge
that Mr.. Hague intended to nominate
Mr.. Cromwell for the Senate? And
that that is susceptible of but one in
depreciation?
At this moment members of his
Brain Trust are engaged on their pre-
liminary platform work and devising
ideas to make the draft" seem con-
vincing. The more blatant among the
jobholders-Mr. Ickes, for example
Extensively insist that our democrat
ic processes might as well be sus-
pended and no election held at all. This
is the sort of thing that is going on
in New Deal circles in Washington,
and every posted person knows it. I'm
der the circumstances, it seems unre-
alistic to call for an absolute truce
in politics without calling on Mr..
Roosevelt to renounce his third-term
ambitions and put stop to the parti-
san political activity of his most init
mate friends.
1t seems, too, that it migst be per-
tinent and helpful if those who want
an absolute truce would point out
that, with foreign dictators threaten
ing the existence of the democracies,
this is particularly not the time to
undermine the oldest American polit-
ical tradition, established many years
ago by men who desired to avert
tendency toward dictatorship. Nor is
it time to foster the utterly I'M
democratic theory of the Indispensable
Man. Rather, it is the finest oppor-
tunity presented in $50 years to re-
affirm that great tradition and thus
strengthen the American system.
Up to now the Republicans have
shown no disposition to play politics