Evening star., 1940-05-26
Pew Faces Bitter Defeat if War r
Puts Roosevelt Back in Saddle
Power in Pennsylvania Republican Party Burns
With Zeal to Sidetrack Alleged
Totalitarian Espouser
By Marquis ". ChiIds.

". Childs.
character Of family concern. That is
the way the present generation of Pews
looks on it-a family business built by
the care, the energy, the loyalty, the de-
votion of hard-working Americans. And
the New Deal, as Pew sees it, would de-
stroy all that.
He takes pardonable pride in the en-
ployment record OF the Sun companies.
The level Of employment of Sun Oil
through the depression was probably
steadier than that of any other COM
pany OF comparable size.. The average
wage, Pew says, is $4,000, and this is ex-
elusive Of the salaries of top executives.
"And they earn every penny Of IT," he
adds. We've found that every time we
raise wages, quality goes up and costs 60
down."
Disillusioned BY N. r. A.
Into this happy picture, just like the
villain IN an old-time melodrama, came
that man Roosevelt. Pew began, ac-
cording to his own confession, by falling
for him. He was quickly disillusioned,
however, by the effort under the N. r. A.
to restrict production in the oil indus
try. If there is anything that makes
the Pew blood boil, it is Government
regulation in general and Government
restriction of production in particular.
This marked the beginning of an oil
mans political education.
How much it has cost him to date no
one, probably not even Pew himself, can
say. The figure 100000 has been
printed, but this represents for the most
part direct contributions by members of
the Pew family. In variety. of other
ways Joe Pew has invested in the DO
litical future.
He has hired numerous experts to
coach him in both theoretical and prac-
tical politics. For example, he commits
stoned three historians to trace the
cycles of government in an effort to
throw some light on the direction in
which the New Deal might be LEADING.
Their report was pretty gloomy, Pew
says. 1t showed cyclic movement from
monarchial government through bloody
revolution to representative government,
to usurpation of power by dictator, who
in turn finally places the crown on his
own head.
Pondering this conclusion, Pew sent
two experts to Great Britain to study
the course of democracy there since the
general strike Of 1926. What they found
seems to indicate that the salvation of
Britain had been the party system.
British political parties, according to the
report to Pew, are far more firmly in
trenched than they are in the United
States and carry out much wider
range OF activity, particularly in the
neld OF education. If anything had
been necessary to convince Pew of the
virtue OF the two-party system in
America, this report did it.
Picked Skilled Aides.
Pew's money in large amounts hes,
gone for skilled practitioners in the vote
winning business. He completely revivi-
fed the Republican City Committee here
and put capable newspaper and publicity
men in key positions, as well as advanc-
ing his friend and candidate for the
United States Senate, Jay Cooke, to the
Craftsmanship. Finding the National
Committee offices in lamentable state,
he is said to have been responsible for
installing brisk younger men in impor-
tant positions there.
For the most part. Pew does not inter-
fere with his experts. Now and then,
however, he gets notions of his own,
occasionally to the great distress of men,
bers of his political general staff. Nor
does he interfere with Gov. James and
Mayor Lamberton. He let them know
that he wanted no political favors.
About Republican candidates who will
night 1t out for the nomination here,
beginning on June "a, Pew will say moth
ing. 1t is hardly secret that he dis
approves Of Dewey as an artificial, pub
icity-built candidate PENNSYLVANIA 3
delegation is expected to go for James
on early, complimentary ballots. After
that. according to current surmise, Pewis
delegates will vote for Senator Taft of
Ohio. Pew stresses that his primary in.
terest is not in individuals but in parties
and political philosophy:
"The burning issue OF the day is to
bring government back to the people.
Every one agrees to this in principle, but
every one makes a mental reservation
with respect to some pet idea of his own.
Just as nobody but the neighbors know
who deserves relief, nobody but the
neighbors know what is the answer to
SO per cent Of our problems. That's the
sum total of my political philosophy"