Evening star., 1940-03-16

and Oregon G. Gould Lincoln.
and Georgia, If they have a primary
there. In New Hampshire, where
the primary was held last Tuesday,
a Garner delegate candidate or two
made the race against the Roosevelt
slate-which was backed by the
Democratic organization. His dele
gate candidates were showed under
but they polled one-third or more
as many votes as did the Roosevelt
delegates.
The Democratic State organiza-
tions, aided and abetted by the ma
tional organization, have lined up
for Roosevelt delegates in these pri-
mary States where the President has
been entered, Even in Ohio, where
the Presidents name will not off,
cially be on the ballot because he
has been unwilling to come out into
the open and say he would permit
the use Of his name, the organiza-
ton has fallen over itself to make
it clear that Mr.. Roosevelt is its first
choice and that the delegates elected
will be Roosevelt delegates.
Third Termers Accept Challenge.
The third-term supporters of Mr..
Roosevelt have accepted the Garner
challenge to let the voters have
voice in the selection of the dele
gates. The President himself, how
ever, has not accepted the challenge
in the sense that he has become
an out-and-out candidate for
third-term nomination. Officially,
he is not a candidate for re-
nomination.
The nomination, therefore, SEEM
ingly is seeking the President with
out his making the slightest effort
to obtain it. If 1t comes to him 1t
will come all unsolicited-a petit
ton from the members of his party
that he run again. If he does not
accept the nomination he will be
in position to go down in history
as the President who not only
served two terms in the White
House, but who might have had a
third-term nomination without even
stretching out his hand. And that,
in the opinion of some of his friends,
is what he will be glad to have
although they are not entirely sure
he will not in the end accept the
nomination.
However. in the face of this aloof-
ness on the part of the President
the third-term drive has been
manipulated by some of his most
intimate associates and particularly
by New Dealers who hold high office
under him. If he has not en-
couraged them, he at least has not
discouraged them-and Is not 60
ing to do so. Only yesterday dis
patches from California said, for
example, that the situation which
threatened the selection of a Roose-
welt delegation to the Democratic
National Convention from California
had been Strengthened by Secretary
Harold L. Iekes of the Interior De-
partment, who journeyed across the
continent to bring about this happy
condition.
Creased the Ways.
1t has been Mr.. 1ckes, Secretary
Wallace, Attorney General Robert
H. jackson, some of the lesser Of
f1cials of the New Deal administra-
ton and New Dealers in Congress
who lighted the third-term fires.
They did not spring up spontane-
ously. The ways we're creased until
the band wagon started rolling.
The bandwagon has been rolling
pretty smoothly on the whole
though here and there Is has met
resistance. There was, for example,
the case of Senator Honest Vic"
Donahey of Ohio. Mr.. Donahey,
despite the administration pressure,
declined to become a stalking horse
favorite son candidate for Roose-
welt in his State primary. Further
more, Mr.. Donahey declined to 60
on the Democratic ticket in Ohio
at all. Yesterday was the last day
for filing candidates in the Ohio
primary, which takes place May IA.
Mr.. Donahey turned a deaf ear to
the Presidents urging that he seek
denomination for the Senate or that
he run for Governor again. He
simply is not going to run. His
failure to do so will weaken the
Democratic ticket In Ohio, where
Donahey has long been known as
the greatest vote getter the party
has.
Mr.. Gamers persistence in op-
posing the President in the pri-
maries is another check to the
Roosevelt band wagon, although the
New Dealers take the position that
the band wagon will merely fiatten
Mr.. Garner. 1t may do so-but the
danger is that Mr.. Garner will
garner enough votes in the primary
contests to cause the sprouting OF
seeds Of doubt that the President
can be reelected even If he is nomi-
mated again.
Lehman Is Reported Miffed.
A curious story is coming out of
New York. Gov. Herbert Lehman,
1t Is reported, has been mif1ed be-