The Wilmington morning star., 1940-07-24
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK

WASHINGTON, July 2s.-The ways of demo-
cracy, like the ways of the heather Chinee,
are often strange-but somehow they are
mighty ~effective-or should I just say potent.
It was the methods of democracy that made
it possible for Wendell L. Willkie, with his
short-term campaign, to be nominated at Phi
delphia. It was those same methods which
formed the foreign policy plank in the Demo-
cratic platform.
Convention delegates and even politicians in
office cannot stand the pressure from back
home. The most effective lobby or pressure
group in the country today is that which bores
from within a congressman's own district with
a flood of kilograms, letters and phone calls
to urge or demand some particular piece of
LEGISLATION or the nomination of some particu-
lar candidate.
KNOW WHAT THEY WANT
Twice in the last few weeks, I have seen
this thing at work. In Philadelphia, delegates
were stunned by the overwhelming verbal and
written demand for the nomination OF Willkie.
His opponents insist that it was a fictitious
thing that it existed only because of a
planned campaign to snow the delegates under
with cries from the hinterlands. I wouldn't
know. I'm no detective. But whatever its
source, it's effect was immensely successful.
In Chicago the same thing happened. Let me
say right now that I am not even limiting that
the Democratic party was committed to fight
ing on any front but our own. But if there
WERE any ~so-called 'war-mongers' with any
influence when the Chicago convention assem-
bled they were beaten down and out by the
very same thing that picked Willkie, a demand
from the hinterlands that we stay out OF any
foreign wars.
It isn't within my province Of passing along
the inside facts to say whether I think this
good or bad. Like a whole lot Of readers, 1
don't know. But I do know that an active por-
ton of the vociferous public demanded a stay
out-of-war declaration from the Democrats and
that they got it in no uncertain terms.
NO ARGUMENT
Taking their cue from the Presidents state
ment a few days before they went into action,
the Democratic platform committee wrote into
their commitments that we would never send
any of our boys abroad to fight in foreign wars;
that we. as a people, would consecrate our
selves to principles of peace and the pursuit OF
friendly relations among all peoples.
There are two amazing and, I think, inter-
esting things about this plank in the platform.
In the first place, put there by popular demand
as democracy understands it, it commits the
narty to the very same thing that Republicans
wrote into their platform: The Republican
narty is firmly opposed to involving this nation.
in foreign war. The Republican party stanos
for Americanism, preparedness and peace.
In the second pldC0-u OOul
to their party platforms-foreign policy cannot
he even a minor issue in this campaign. AND
foreign policy is this only major issue which
politicians here have considered the nuo ana
nerve center of the campaign. Radical changes
in the foreign situation could change that con.
dition, but there is very little lnd1catlon now
that those changes will leone before Novem-
Der.
Therefore,, as a result of the strange ways
of democracy, any serious campaign conten-
ton on the most vital question OF the DAY
whether we should take an aggressive or de-
fensive attitude toward the forces which seem
to be becoming dominant in the world) Will
not be. cannot be, Importantly debated.
Anparently the active, ; ie~tter-writing, tele-
eran.sending, telephone-calling portion OF the
American people don't want any part OF any
foreign war-an both parties and both candl-
dates have needed that demand and laid their
lines accordingly.