Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-29

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argues that Roosevelt was not really
reelected, that If you subtract from
his total vote the areas which were
Overwhelmingly for him and SUBJ
tract the Ignorant vote" from the
remainder, F. D. r. would not have
won-so there is no sense on the
part of the New Dealers In pre-
tending that the election means
anything.
People do not think or argue in
this manner unless they are angry,
they are not angry unless they are
frightened, and they are not fright
ened unless they feel personally in
secure. Since a woman's social Sc
curity depends primarily upon the
efforts of her husband, she is doubly
sensitive to the forces which make
his livelihood seem precarious.
To diminish bitterness in this
country-and in particular to di-
minish the political bitterness which
might make the organization of the
22,000,000 Willkie voters potential
threat to national unity-it is inn
portant that the Roosevelt admins
tration should proceed to organize
security inside this country as the
preliminary to any and all forms
of national defense
Poisons Public Life.
This sense of insecurity is the
greatest danger that America has
ever faced. 1t pervades every social
and economic group, it affects whole
regions and industries, it produces
panicky thinking and insensate
stubbornness. and poisons our whole
public life. Mr. Roosevelt's greatest
achievement to date is that through
relief policies and social legislation
he has built up sense of security
in the broad masses of our farm and
industrial population. His greatest
failure has been to check the growth
of insecurity among the white-collar,
business and professional groups
the mice people" who had commits
ted themselves to the maintenance
of the status quo and who worship
Billkin, the god of things as they are.
Through a variety of spending
programs, including naturally the
big rearmament effort, business and
indutrial activity has been main
tanned and in many lines profits
and prosperity outrank the records
of 1929. But the second American
dream-the belief that every Amer
lean boy could legitimately hope to
become a millionaire has gone
glimmering and with it has gone the
sense of security Of millions OF
decent, kindly citizens who never
imagined that they would or could
become millionaires. The problem
is, therefore, to give these citizens
new sense of opportunity. Of being
useful and necessary, a new goal.
Here I think We could we'll afford
to take a tip from the British.
England has never hesitated to do
what was necessary in the way OF
social legislation Or to debate and
even appropriate large classes OF
nrivileoed citizens. At the same
time, however, ENGLAND has chung
tenaciously to the old. the dear and
the traditional and has never as
sumed to liquidate the conservative
institutions or the adversaries Of
progressive policies. There is equally
no reason-political or moral-why
we should not foster and encourage
all those things which promote
sense of social security among those
who are the temporary opponents
Of national reform. So long as they
are not permitted to interfere with
or to prevent reform, the whols
Nation will be enriched by their
contentment and can welcome their
criticism.
Should Consider Wishes.
We need not relegate to the attic
or the hayloft the worn old furni-
ture of our national life, In order
to renovate the parlor We need
not force grandma to join the union
or compel her to punch the time
clock, if 1t is a simple matter Of
preventing her from running the
family business. We can love her
and coddle her, without either sub
hitting to her will or imposing our
will on the old lady. AS a matter
of fact. If we consult grandma on
many important issues, we find that
her advice is shrewd and her views;
worth considering
So it seems to me that the New
Dealers, in the hour of their tri-
umph, at the moment they have
received their real mandate. should
carefully consider the interests and
susceptibilities If those millions OF
their fellow-Americans who today
are confused, angry, frightened and
bitter at the thought that they no