Nogales international., 1940-07-20
The Nomination OF Mr.. Wilkie

uC 1VOxUU1Ql1UN vi v11 w u2hkC
THE smoke-filled room of the Harry Daugherty pc
Ariod gave place in Philadelphia to an airconditio-
ed suite, and the twofer cigars of that rude political
day superseded by privately manufactured per-
fectors-but the principle of private selection Of
Republican Presidential nominee not seriously
infringed.
The necessities of the 1920 selection compelled
nothing more than the choice of who looked
like President and whose innOcuOus Senatorial
status offended nobody and who right geographic
ically Improvement in the calibre Of the recipient of
the honor was required this time. Hence Wendell
Willkie, the "Hoosier candidate" who can make
speeches as salty as those of General Hugh Johnson
Actually Mr. Willkie is as definitely New Yorker as
Wall Street or the House of Morgan.
Had District Attorney Dewey for example, turned
out to be the candidate he would have been the Mchl
gan candidate. To avoid the obvious linking of the
leading power magnate with his congeners Of the fl
nancial district it deemed wise to build him up
as far as possible from that belt So according to the
panegyric-singing newspaper columnsts ne is the
young man from the West who, triumphing over all
the political machines drove through to nomination.
According to Mr. Mark Sullivan typical of the group
the Republican National convention was unable to
resist the demand of the public. Actually the pubEc
as reflected by the primary voting in the various
States wanted Dewey Taft or Vandenberg The pub
lies interest seemed to be limited to the clamor OF the
galleries which filled through special issue
Of admission tickets shown by the confession OF
straton of interest to have been numerous tele
grams produced under the old Holding Company sys-
tenn, which the newspapers told us were Identical III
text even to grammatical errors.
The "People" Speak
Perhaps the most definite evidence of the solidarity
of the big industrialists behind Mr.. Wkie was the
active participation in his convention campaign OF
"Tom" Lamont one of the Morgan partners. However
equally significant was the maneuvering OF Joseph
N. Pew, Pennsylvania director of Republican con
science and District Angel of the minority party IL
nances Pew according to various newspaper reports,
held at least so Of the keystone States 72 delegates
for Senator Taft At various times during the voting
the sending Of these renforcements to the Taft forces
would have practically assured Tafts nomination,
but Pew held them solidy for. his Governor, James,
who had about as much chance for the nomination as
Adoph Hitler Yet Pew kept the solid delegation Vot-
ing for James through five ballots and on the sixth
turned them over bodily to Wilkie. AS Wall Street
goes so goes the President of the Sun O1l Company
and so it went at Philadelphia despite the circum
stance that the Tafers thought they had his pledge
to strive for their candidate This is he first time thai
the massed forces of Big Business named Of then
own people for the Presidency Hitherto they nave
been content to nominate politician they thOugh
could be handled, but they have moved in openly
The Platform and Senator McNary
They are not concerned with the circumstance tina
Willke is to platform that for s1ll1ness ma
no precedent 1t straddleS every question; 1t AVOID
every problem whether of foreign domestic nature
The stiffest isOlatiOnst could it easily a
the most extreme interventionast 1t would be equal
ly comfortable for New Dealer old reaction
ary The forces that put Willkie in the forefront
Republican activities care nothing about that. The
permitted to be named as his running mate emi
nent and respected Republican Senator who is rec
ord opposed to everything the Presidential cand
date has stood for. Senator McNary enthusiast
for the IVA and the power control it typified Wlki
fought the IVA with all the force at his command
which was perhaps natural for the president of tn
great Southern utility monopoly he had to defenC
Willle was a staunch Democrat until the big FEEDER;
Power organization locked horns with him. Ths
makes no difference to the massed corporation grou
Wilke was strdenty in favor Of the Hull reciprocit
enactments and in fact Of nearly all Of the Rooseve