Evening star., 1940-01-21
Democrats
Continued From First Page.)

1or the PRESIDENT 10 run Dy the
Democratic National Committee.
It is easily conceivable that an
interjection of the third term issue
in the deliberations of the commit
tee would lead to an acrimonious
debate. What some OF the leaders
are praying for is more or less
cut and dried meeting of the Ma
tional Committee attending strict
1y to the business before it-flxing
the time and place for the national
convention and appointing the nee
esSary committees to make all the
arrangements.
If those leaders who prefer to
have the National Committee meet
ing pass of quietly have the sup
port of the President himself, they
very likely will get away with it. A
New Deal Senator, not a member
of the committee, said yesterday that
the committee is made up Of men
and women trained in the organiza-
ton and not likely to start anything
that would be opposed by the Presi-
dent or by Chairman Farley.
Embarrassing for Many.
Voting on q third-term resolution
would be embarrassing for lot of
the members of the National Com
mittee, among them Frank McHale
Of Indiana, manager of the cam
paign of Federal Security Admin
istration Paul v. McNutt for the
presidential nomination. Mr.. Nc
Mutt has said he would support q
denomination of the President if he
should be candidate. But that
would not ease the situation for Mr.
McHale if resolution were offered
and he had to act on it. Nor would
the committee members from Texas
and several other States which have
presidential possibilities be any
more comfortable.
The third term draft brigade,
which has been extremely active in
recent days is the real problem. For
example, suppose committee men,
Der from Pennsylvania, Ohio or
Florida, where the Democratic lead
ers have already committed them
selves to q third term for the Presi-
dent, should rise and present the
views of those leaders to the Ma
tional Committee. The fat would
be in the fire.
If the National Committee should
leap the bounds and adopt a third
term resolution, President Roosevelt
would be on the spot. It might be
difhcult for him to ignore entirely
the action of his party's national
organization. If he did, the third
term movement would be greatly
encouraged.
Keyn0ter Not to Be Picked.
Selection of the keynote speaker
and temporary chairman-they are
one and the same-and of perma-
nent chairman, will not be tackled
by the National Committee. The
Committee on Arrangements will be
entrusted with the job of picking
the keynoter, and the convention
itself will elect a permanent chair
man. It may be April or later
before these officers will be tenta-
lively selected.
With prospects of a real struggle
In the National Convention-wheth-
er the President Is to seek q
third term or not-unusual con-
sideration is likely to be given to
picking the convention ~chairmen.
Both sides to the third term issue,
among the Democrats, will endeavor
to have some say in the matter. The
once of chairman is extremely i'm
portant in a hotly contested con-
vention struggle. Rulings by the
chair have proved of great moment
in Democratic National Conventions
Of the past.
The keynoter and temporary
chairman Is in a. position to strike
quite . blow. The name of Robert
H. Jackson, newly appointed Attor-
ney General, is being put forward
in some quarters for the place of
keynoter. Mr.. Jackson is an ardent
New Dealer. Furthermore, he has
been prominently mentioned as a
possible nominee either for Presi-
dent or Vice President. As key
noter, he might sell himself to the
convention in big way. Whether
the keynoting job should 60 to a
member Of the cabinet is a question
that has been raised. But 1t does
not seem q real bar to such a
selection.
BUnes May BE Considered.
The choice Of Mr.. Jackson would
probably be opposed by some Of the
Democratic leaders-but would be
approved undoubtedly by the New
Dealers. Others whose names may
be considered for keynoter and
temporary chairman are Senators