Evening star., 1940-10-04
Present Signs Point
To Roosevelt Victory
In Washington
6. o. P. Plans Push in
Campaign Close to
Put WiIIkie Over
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,


SEATTLE, Wash, Oct. 4.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt is an odds-on favorite
today to carry this State. Indeed,
the professional gamblers will give
you 2 to l odds that Roosevelt
will defeat Willkie handily. The
Democratic high command, how
ever, has heard of Republican
swing in Washington and is plan
ming to put its best foot forward
here. Vice Presidential Candidate
Henry A. Wallace has been beating
the bushes this week. seeking to
convince the Washington farmers
that. if they know which side their
bread is buttered on, they will hang
on to the New Deal adminlstra-
ton. Ed" Flynn, the new Demo-
cratic National Chairman, flew here
Yesterday, stopping on his way at
Spokane. to stir the organization to
further efforts, and the administra-
tons hatchet man, Secretary~Har-
old l.. Ickes, is on his way to crack
down on Mr.. Willkie, who recently
said that if he were elected Presl-
dent. he would appoint a real
Westerner" to head the Interior De-
partment-
The Republican strategy has been
to make a drive in the last few
weeks of the campaign. bringing
their strength to its highest point
the week of election. That's the
plan of campaign here. Some OF
the Republicans were bit dashed
because Mr.. Willkie did not stir his
audiences in Washington to higher
pitch of enthusiasm. However, ne
drew bigger crowds in Seattle and
Spokane than any other presidential
candidate and he was listened 10
with interest, if not with howls OF
delight
Mr.. Willkie has been suffering,
since the period of his nomination
at the Republican National Con-
vention in Philadelphia, from
tremendous ballyhoo that he was
a miracle man." The crowds that
came to see him here and at other
places on the Pacific Coast ex-
pected him to make omeletS With
out breaking eggs. They found him
an earnest, powerful personality
but without the glamorous voice
of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Many
of them were disappointed. They
expected the Republican nominee
to pick a rabbit out Of his hat every
time he made an appearance.
So, many of the 10000 people who
turned out to hear him speak IN
Seattle went away slightly disap-
pointed. Furthermore, they hoped
he would say more about Grand
Coulee and Bonneville dams-Whlch
mean so much to the people OF this
State. Instead, he talked about
Jobs for labor He talked OF the
great power projects in Portland
and Spokane.
The New Dealers, after Mr.. Will
kie was nominated, opened up on
him in a big way as power mag
nate, opposed to public ownership
and operation of power plants. They
all but said he would halt work
on the Grand Coulee dam If he
we're elected and painted him as
the candidate of big business.
Favored Use Of Projects.
In his discussion Of Grand Coulee
and Bonneville, Mr.. Willkle said
he favored the completion and use
of these great projects and that
the people should decide whether
the power was to be distributed
through public or private agencies.
For many of the voters, that set
tied the matter-although the New
Dealers insisted he should be more
specific. Mr.. Wallace has been tear
ing into Mr.. Willkie as friend
of the public utility interests and
a foe of publicly owned utilities. Mr..
Ickes is hurrying here to paint the
candidate in even blacker terms.
! This State has been the benefici-
airy of hundreds upon hundreds Of
millions of dollars. expended here
| for the Grand Coulee Dam and
other projects. Millions more are
being expended, too, for national
defense in the construction Of air
craft and of improved naval facih-
ties and ships The New Dealers, re-
viewing all this and counting. too,
on the support of labor, which has
been radical, to say the least, have
felt extremely confident of carry
ing the State in November. Ad-
mittedly, however, there has been
swing to the right and away from
the left in Washington in the last
year or two.
In 1882 the Republicans polled
only 81 per cent of the total vote
cast. Two years later they had
only 36 per cent, and in 1896 the
Republican candidates were down
to 81 per cent, with SO per cent
| for the DemocrAt9. But IN 1888