Evening star., 1940-06-28
WiNkie Quits UtiIitie!
Presidency Monday
To Start Campaign
Will Be Glad to See
Roosevelt, He Says;
Fovors Hatch Bill
BY J. A. OLEARY,
Star Staff rorrecnopd

PHILADELPHIA June 28.-Wen-
dell L. Willkie today told his first
press conference as Republican
nominee for President that he will
resign Monday as head of the Com
monwealth & Southern Corp. and
give his full time to a campaign to
bring back prosperity, adequate de-
fense and national unity.
Engaging in rapid repartee with
more than 100 interviewers, the
rugged, smiling Hoosier said, I'D be
delighted to see Franklin D. Roose-
velt,' when informed the President
had suggested he would welcome an
opportunity to discuss the serious
problems of the day with the Re-
publican nominee. Then Mr.. Willkie
added amid laughter:
Il think one should be courteous
to his predecessor.
President Willing to See Him.
When some one later asked if he
would give Mr.. Roosevelt any par
ticular advice on the world situa-
ton, if invited to Washington, Mr..
Willkie replied, About my going to
the White House, he's done most of
the taking"
Gn Washington President
Roosevelt said he is willing to
meet Mr. Willkie at any time for
discussion of foreign policy)
The Republican nominee urged
Congress to stay in session, not be-
cause of the campaign but in view
of the delicate world situation.
He also came out in strong ap-
proval of the Hatch clean politics
bill, still awaiting House action, and
said one of his first acts will be to
request the Republican National
Committee treasurer to announce
adherence to the spirit of the meas
ure. He said he hoped it will be-
come law.
Hopes for Small Gifts.
Il hope contributions to my cam
paign will be small and widely diff
fused" he continued. When pressed
to fix a maximum, he pointed out
the Hatch Act contains a $4,000
limit from any individual. "I hope
they will be smaller than that" he
said, because this is the peoples
movement"
The nominee declared his general
approval of the party platform, but
asked to be excused from discussing
specific questions for a few days,
when he expects to elaborate on the
issues of the campaign. He promised
the Republicans very aggressive"
and widespread campaign.
He refused to express a preference
for the vice presidential nomination,
saying he thought that a matter for
the convention.
When a questioner asked why he
thinks the people want him for
President, he smiled for a moment
OF reflection, then shot back:
Won't you permit me, as a presi-
dental nominee, some semblance of
No Brain Trust.
Are you going to have a brain
trust if you are elected?" some
one queried.
Such talk is myth, he responded,
adding: ut takes two things to
make a brain trust, brains ana
trust, and you've only had trust"
There are some differences be-
tween family budget and the
Nations budget, he said, but that
over a period of time both should
be balanced. He did not believe
the Government budget could be
balanced at once, but did say that
start should be made. Answering
another question, he said he re-
garded the Democratic platform of
1882 as "a very good one"
He gave May II as the date on
which he first took seriously the
idea of going after the nomination,
and said it grew out of an invita-
ton he received to address the Re-
publicans of Minnesota. Pressed
for further details, he said that
after debate he had about that
time with that well-known gladi-
ator, Harold l.. Ickes," he was asked
If he would address the Minneso-
tans.
When one interviewer nkened his
47-day victory to a blitzkrieg, he
said he did not see why it should
be called that. He said he would
call it a 47-day expression of the
people.