Evening star., 1940-09-08
By g. GOULD LINCOLN.


The 1910 presidential campaign
takes on new life this week, with
the Maine election tomorrow, Presi-
dent Roosevelt scheduled to deliver
an address to the international
Teamsters Union here Wednesday,
and Wendell L. Willkie, Republican
presidential nominee, leaving In
diana Thursday to begin his first
campaign swing across the country.
Reports that the Willkie campaign
has begged down" were discounted
yesterday by Chairman Martin of
the Republican National Committee.
at looks like propaganda to me, :"
commented the Republican leader,
who returned recently from the
West confident that Mr.. Willkie
had strong support in that section.
Mr.. Martin admitted there had
been comparatively little surface ac-
tivity in the Republican campaign
in recent weeks.
There was high peak of interest
in the willkie candidacy during the
Philadelphia convention and i'm
mediately thereafter" Mr.. Martin
said. 1T Is impossible to remain
On such a peak for four months.
I am certain, however, that when
Maine speaks through It's voters
Monday and when Mr.. Willkie be-
gins his actual campaigning the
Willkie drive will go forward sue
cessfully through election day in
November"
Larger Vote Predicted.
Mr.. Martin predicted the Republi-
cans in Maine would roll up larger
votes for their candidates for Gov-
ernor, Senator and Representatives
in tomorrow's election than they
did In 1886. Senator White of
Maine, who went into the State to
deliver a radio address a week ago,
also predicted decisive Republican
victories. From other sources, 1t
was reported the Republicans were
so far in the lead in Maine that the
figures given were almost unbe-
lieveable."
The Maine campaign has been
comparatively quiet, with few
speakers other than the actual can
didates going into the State. Dur
ing the week just closed, however.
the Democrats sent Federal Secur-
ity Administrator McNutt and SEN
ator Wagner of New York into the
State to plead with the voters for
big Democratic turnout.
Both Mr.. McNutt and Senator
Wagner emphasized that the cleo
tion campaign this year is being
conducted against a background of
unprecedented world events.
Cry of National Unity.
The Democratic campaign-not
only in Maine, but throughout the
country generally-is based on the
need of national unity with Pres
ident Roosevelt at the Government
helm. Just as in 1882 when the
mestic crisis, so today they are
making the most of an interna-
tional crisis.
A greatly increased Republican
vote in Maine-despite the fact that
Maine went strongly Republican in
l936-would be hailed by Republican
leaders as significant-and dis
counted by the Democrats on the
ground that Republican victory in
the Pine Tree State meant nothing
in the national election picture four
years ago.
There seems no reason to doubt,
however, that Sumner Sewall, the
Republican nominee for Governor,
will be elected in Maine tomorrow,
that Representative Brewster, Re-
publican, will be elected Senator
over former Gov. Brann, his DEM
ocratic opponent, or that the entire
House delegation of three will go
to the Republicans.
Campaign Given Boost.
President RooSevelt's campaign
for reelection received a consider
able boost when he announced last
week the consummation of the trade
which gave to the United States
important naval bases in British
possessions in the Atlantic. The
criticism of his exchange of so
American over-age destroyers for
these bases, without first obtaining
specific authority from Congress,
has made little headway. The Pres
ident's boldness in dealing with this
important matter quickly has been
highly praised.
Mr.. Willkie, on the other hand,
appears to lose ground because of
his attack on the Overton-Russen
amendment to the draft bill calling
for conscription of industrial plants
which failed to produce for national
defense. The Democrats have been
quick to attribute to Mr.. Willkie
a desire to help big business, of
which he has recently been a rep
resentative. To more impartial OBJ
servers it has appeared that Mr..
Willkie was not the logical man to
launch an attack on the plan to
conscript industrial plants, even If
his criticism were justified. The fact
that Mr.. Willkie has made a sub
sequent statement favoring a differ
ent plan for taking over industrial
plants has not altered the situation
much.
Martin Confident of New York.
As the campaign progresses, how
ever, these matters which seem Of
great importance at the moment
may be dimmed by other issues.
Representative Martin insists that
the three things which are working
strongly for Mr.. Willkie are opposi-
ton to a third term for any Presi-
dent, opposition to President Roose-
velt's administration of domestic
affairs, and opposition to American
entry into the European war.
He Is confident, he said, that New
York will wind up in the Willkie
column. This is true also, he added,
Of such pivotal States as Pennsyl-
Dl