Evening star., 1940-10-30

Roosevelt wa
ready to send David Lawrence.
Congress home and why the amorti-
cation problem was left unsolved
thus delaying new defense plants.
Mr.. Willkie could very easily point
30 Democrats like Senators Wheeler
of Montana, Clark of Missouri and
others who have cast their votes
against preparedness from time to
time as an evidence of the failure OF
Mr.. Roosevelt's leadership.
But the truth is that no President
can successfully control his own
party unless he has public opinion
with him. Mr.. Roosevelt knew more
than any other man in the United
States that our defenses were weak
Though he encountered isolationist
and pacifiSt sentiment and was in
f1uenced thereby, this is no excuse
for what happened after the Munich
conference in September, 1888, when
the President was warned of the fate
that faced France and Britain due
to inadequate modern defenses.
1t has often been argued that II
Mr.. Roosevelt had demanded an in
crease in our defense of substantial
. proportions. it would have been 'un-
popular" But, on the other hand
what difference did it make if it
was unpopular?
Wilson'S Course Cited.
Mr.. Roosevelt had nothing to lose
BY carrying the case to the people
and convincing them that opponents
In Congress were frustrating his
proposals. Woodrow Wilson, under
somewhat similar circumstances in
1915 and 1916, carried the case to
the country. 1t was unpopular then,
too, to argue preparedness even
though war had broken out in
Europe in 1914. But Mr.. Wilson
made tour of the country to aWak-
en- public opinion, and while he
met cool audiences here and there,
he made his record clear and it was
effective ultimately in increasing
our military and naval forces.
Mr.. Roosevelt could easily have
compelled the building of a larger
Army. Navy and Air Force even
as late as 1888 if he had cared to
make an issue of it with the people.
But instead he wasted valuable
time in 1887 with the effort to get
through Congress a bill to enlarge
the Supreme Court and in 1888 with
the purge" campaign. Even in the
summer of 1889 when the question
of the repeal of the arms embargo
was before Congress, it was a de-
termined band of Democrats as
well as Republican isolationists who
threatened to filibuster If he pressed
the question. Instead Of fighting
il out then and there, Mr.. Roose-
velt surrendered and let Congress
adjourn. 1t was fatal error.
It is q strange commentary on Mr
Roosevelt's alleged leadership IN
Congress that he has always man
aged to get through certain must y
legislation on Democratic issues,
but he has singularly failed to lead
his own party on national defense
and foreign questions. AS long as
the Democrats had a majority OF
both houses of Congress, and TINS
has been the case for nearly eight
years, it is no excuse TO plane Vhe
minority party.
Public Opinion Guides Congress
Public opinion can influence Con-
gress and it is public opinion Whlch
gives Presidents their legitimate
power over the national legislators
1t is being argued, for instance
that Mr. Willkie. if elected, will not
control the members Of the Repub-
Ican party, especially those who
have not favored the building up OF
national defense. But Senators ano
Representatives are beholden tc
public opinion. AS soon as Mr.
Willkie is elected he becomes the
leader of his party. The hesltanl
members of Congress, seeing which
wav the wind is blowing, alWay;
begin to respect and follow the
leadership of a newly elected Pres
ident.
A significant example of this habit
of catching public opinion Is being
given during this very campaign as
it relates 10 the behavior OF Demo
cratic members Of Congress up fol
reelection this year. Many OF then
are not mentioning Mr.. Roosevelt
or campaigning for him, but are
straddling. This is in contrast tt
1896 and 1884 when the Democratic
candidates for Congress were hang
ing on to Mr.. Roosevelt's coattail;
for support. 1t is apparent that th'
Democratic candidates think there
is a swing in 1910 away from Mr.
Roosevelt and they will be alert, i
Mr.. Willkie is elected, to follow
what they conceive to be public
opinion approving of Mr.. Willkie
The voters themselves decide thi
question of leadership and contro
over Congress.
The President could have forcet
the defense issue If he had cared u
take the risks. But his advisers toll
him it was politically unwise. Ye
as events turned out it would hav