The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-07-12

QucSUlOu WllSIllOl' iC WOAAN
the greatest political enigm
Roosevelt seemed to enjoy tn
He once admitted that his fam
lily had accused him of receiving
an unholy satisfaction out OF the
deepening mystery surrounding the
possibilities for his political future.
Hundreds of thousands of words
were written on the third term pos
sibility during the final years OF
his second administration. In
creasing pressure developed from
political leaders and political
"fence- busters" the press and his
friends for an answer to the third
term riddle. But Mr.. Roosevelt
maintained his silence, and serenely
appeared to have subordinated the
answer to other more pressing
questions.
Other Candidates Obscured
Despite his silence, President
Roosevelt's personality, his acknow-
lodged genius for vote getting"
and his power to captivate the i'm
agination of the millions who final
" decide elections, made him a
figure so dominant in the 1910 pre-
conventional presidential race that
other candidates of his own party
were obscured Not even his clos
est political associates could speak
with authority for his plans, and
those who attempted to make au-
thoritative predictions usually found
their premises demolished shortly
by some remark dropped by Mr..
Roosevelt at a press conference.
Third term issues had been
raised before in American history.
But 1t is doubtful If the question
ever became so vital an issue in
presidential politics as 1t did in
the winter and spring of 1910.
Virtually every other Democratic
presidential possibility subordinated
his own candidacy on the condition
that Mr.. Roosevelt would not seek
reelection. OF this group only Vice
President John N. Garner made 1t
clear that he was a candidate re-
CARELESS of Mr.. Roosevelt's plans.
Center of G. 0. p. Attacks
The situation was reflected in
the ranks of Republicans. The
president, his administration and
his policies became the target for
every presidential possibility IN Re-
publican ranks, since Mr.. Roosevelts
domination of presidential prospects
in his own party made others too
shadoWy for effective attacks.
During the year preceding the
Democratic convention, reporters
repeatedly attempted to break
through Mr.. Roosevelt's silence in
press conferences. At first, he in
structed questioners on this sub
ject to don Ounce caps" Later,
he told reporters seeking to divine
his intentions from a dedicatory
speech that they were funny as
a crutch." In the fall of 1889,
seated in his automobile at Warm
Springs, Ga, he admitted to re-
porters that his family had told
him he was deriving unholy de-
light over keeping up the riddle.
Finally, at press conference IN
the study of his Hyde Park, N. Y,
home, his tone grew sterner.
Speaking in measured tones, he
said he was growing weary of con-
slant questioning from newsmen
on the subject, and that continual
ton of such interminable ques-
tioning would make newsmen look
ridiculous and immature. Any
announcement of his intentions,
the president said, would be made
at time and a place of his own
choosing, and not at a time or
place chosen by newspapers.
No Comment on Primaries
When his name was entered in
primaries in Illinois, Nebraska,
New Hampshire and other states,
he still maintained his silence
Even when returns from early
primaries of 1910 began to roll in,
he continued his policy of studied
indifference. Returning to Wash
ington from Hyde Park on April 8
while voters in Illinois and Ne
braska were rolling up huge votes
for his name in primaries, he said
that European events then in
progress tended to put such
things as primaries and politics
into lolita eclipse.
Washington political leaders,
sympathetic TO the president. at
tempting to analyze his activities,
attributed his course OF silence
to a double premise: ID a burning
desire TO perpetuate the liberal
policies OF New Deal Democracy In
the administration beginning Jan.
20. l94l; and (0 q conviction that
removal OF himself from the list
OF presidential policies might have
an eneryating effect on his for
eign policy In q world engaged In
n spreading war.
The Democratic party which
Mr.. Roosevelt headed at the be-
ginning OF 1910 had undergone q
drastic change from that which
triumphantly indicted him into
Offlc0 In March. ff33. Party wounds