Evening star., 1940-06-16
Anxiety Of Public
Held Key 10, Shift
In Wilkes Favor
COP. Feels White House
Job Must Be Done
By Superexeeutive
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE.

pdlSu.
During those three months Mr..
Willkie has spoken in more than
half the States of the Union and
In every region. He has met prac-
tically all the sccedited leaders of
his party and has faced personally
in audiences probably 100000 per-
sons. BY word of mouth, through
the newspapers and over the radio
he has become familiar figure,
which means that the Republicans
of the country, and particularly the
independent Republicans, have
picture of how he looks physically
and what he stands for spiritually.
1t is the picture of a strong,
manly, intrepid citizen carrying just
that amount of political imperti-
nence which the American people
like. He has revealed this imperti-
nence by certain scorn for voters
in blocs. He has not gone out
after" labor or the Legion or the
Liberty League. In fact, he has
ignored all groups. Nor could he
under the circumstances make a
strong Republican partisan plea,
the circumstances being that he
was registered Democrat five years
ago and contributed $3.50 to Roose-
velt's election seven years ago and
has not tried to hide it.
Chases Independent Vote.
Wendell Willkie is the only cam
didate in the lot who is chasing the
liberal independent vote. The funny
part of it is that he is appealing
for the liberal independent vote,
carrying as handicap the kitchen
stove and the horse bloc, the same
being the uncomfortable fact that
he is president of the largest public
utility holding company in the
world. For all that handicap every
time public opinion is uncovered it
seems tc be moving toward Mr..
Willkie.
This drift to Willkie makes no
sense until one realizes first how
deeply disturbed the American peo-
pie are about the foreign situation
and, second, how Willkie fits the
picture of the times. AS for in
stance: 1t is obvious to Repub-
llcanS that we shall be spending
billions, many billions on defense
IN the next four years. 1t is ap-
parent that the White House JOB
must be done by a superexecutive.
The day for an agitator seems to
be passing.
A man who knows how to handle
administrative problems at this
hour naturally attracts the Ameri-
can people. A man who is not afraid
to spit in the eye of organized pres
sure groups-labor, the Legion and
the Liberty League, for instance-in
some way inspires confidence. That
easy-going, New Foundland dog
confidence and slouchy courage
which Willkie has exhibited. blurt-
ing out what he thinks in public
places, has started an echo in the
hearts of a people who are becom-
Ing rather surfeited with smart poll
tlcians and super -heterodyne
voice of the people
Dewey's Glamour in Lead.
In the last 10 months Thomas E.
Dewey with his glamour has taken
q definite lead; Senator Taft is run
ming second, with an obvious under
current of public support among the
leadership of the Republican party.
Senator Vandenbergs switch this
week on foreign policy, leaving the
isolationlstS and voting to supply
France and England with planes
and arms, has shattered his solid
support among the residuary lega-
tees Of Senator Borah in the coun-
try
No one of these three candidates
seems at this writing to be a fourth
ballot winner. Taft comes nearest
to that kind of candidate. Willkie
claims he will have 70 votes. Dew
eys friends are claiming between
400 and 500 first-ballot supporters
and a second-ballot victory. Taft's
organization claims around 300. The
Vandenberg hackers are not ex-
pectlng really more than 100 or so.
The formal announcement of
Willkie is news because he is run
ming as a fourth-ballot candidate,
frankly. and with challenging can
dor, claiming that he will not do
much on the first ballot He is the
dark horse of the deadlock who eX-
poets to win in the last quarter. Yet
he has probably more popular &C
claim at the moment than any of
the other candidates, and no dele
gates worth mentioning!
Delegates Do Business.
But, curiously enough. in Repub-
not worth much. The Southern dele
gates do the business and sell the
goods, often where popular acclaim
does the advertising. Probably Sena-
tor Taft has more of the Southern
delegates than any other candidate,
and only if Taft fails to gain on
the first three ballots can Willkie
hope 70 win. For the men who put
up the money for the Republican
campaign, money to buy badges,
to hire bands, to paint banners, to
buy barbecued meat and the grease
for the party machine in October,
would like to see Willkie win. But
it is obvious that they fear his po-
litical appeal in the convention is
uncertain.
But in the interval before the
convention the war in Europe will
name the Republican candidate. A
separate peace for France with Eng
land battling on defended chiefly by
the channel, would make it obvious
that naval and military defense
would be our only foreign policy,
and here Willkie may play his ace
The Republican convention might
see lin the rockets red glare and
the bombs bursting in air" the wis
dom of nominating the president of
the Commonwealth g. Southern, who
10 or dozen years ago was defend
ing labor in its struggle for civil
liberties And what camnaipn he