Evening star., 1940-02-18
Says Roosevelt Con
Win Nomination
By O,oen L. Scott.

nomination of successor If in the end
he decides definitely not to take it him
self.
Opponents Of the President are stopped
In their tracks. The conservative wing
Of the party thought that it could out
maneuver Mr.. Roosevelt with Vice Presi-
dent John Garner as q candidate. Mr..
Garner is getting nowhere with the task
Of gathering delegates who are to deter
mine the party's nominees. His persist
ence under the circumstances is inter-
esting, but not vital to the outcome OF
the maneuvers now being made. It is
entirely probable that If the President
would announce firmly that he would
not seek the nomination, then the Vice
President would himself withdraw.
But the Presidents real intention seems
increasingly clear. It is an intention
that has been held for the past two years.
That intention Is to make certain that
the machinery Of the Democratic party
does not fall to the conservatives Of the
party in 1910. The attempted purge" Of
1898 was q reflection Of the Presidents
firm intent. The drive now under way
to gather "uninstructed" delegates to the
Democratic National Convention is more
Of the same reflection.
Those uninstructed delegations taking
shape In State after State are friendly to
Mr.. Roosevelt. It is entirely possible that
his delegate strength on that basis Is
near majority today. Almost certainly
it will be far above majority the way
events now are moving.
This means that nobody can stop
President Roosevelt from third nomi-
nation II he wants 1t. But what the
President doesn't know is whether the
present swing means that he is going to
be able to pick successor II he does not
want the nomination for himself No
body knows the answer to that. II the
world is in turmoil during July or early
August probably nobody will need to
know.
The President, II able to have his way
and If determined to step aside, probably
would like to name as his successor Rob-
ert H. Jackson, Attorney General. Mr..
Jackson has about everything that q
an attractive personality, youthful vigor,
executive ability, good radio voice. as
good or better understanding of the eco
nomic and political problems confront
ing the country than any other prospec-
tive candidate. Yet the Attorney Gen.
eral. like another potential candidate
with manv of the same qualities-Henry
oil af An~3
not catch on with the practical politi-
clans of the party.
There is grave doubt whether President
Roosevelt could switch his strength in .
national convention to Attorney General
Jackson. There isn't much doubt about
an intention to try that switch If the
irrevocable decision turns out to be
against third term.
The trouble with Mr.. jackson, from
the politicians viewpoint, is that he Is
too fortnight and too firmly on record
on too many controversial issues. II the
politicians and businessmen only knew
it, the Attorney Generals philosophy is
fundamentally conservative-that Of .
believer in old-fashioned competition as
the regulator Of the economic system.
But businessmen. without knowing 1t, are
fundamentally radical by seeking in
every way to avoid competition, thereby
making necessary the eventual use of
more Government regulation.
At any rate, Mr.. Roosevelt would have
great difaculty selling his party on Mr..
Jackson. He might have less difficulty
selling the party on another young and
able Democrat-Justice William o.
Douglas. Mr.. Douglas has about him
many Of those rugged qualities Of the
West that appeal to the politician with
a Job of selling to do with masses of
voters. At Il, this Supreme Court jus
tice is still three years older than the
Republican party's Thomas Dewey and
he has far more worldly experience back
of him. While the viewpoint Of Justice
Douglas is pretty close to that of Attor-
ney General jackson the conservatives
Of the party like him and businessmen
are not frightened by his name.
1t is entirely possible thatff Mr.. Roose-
welt really tried he could put over Justice
Douglas where he could not put over
Attorney General Jackson.
Yet the easiest task Of all from the
Presidents point Of view would be to
turn his strength to Cordell Hull, Secre-
tary of State. The question is whether
Mr.. Roosevelt wants to make that turn.
If he did he would strike a compromise
that would appeal to James Farley and
Vice President Garner and the conserva-
tive groups in the party. Mr.. Hull could
ride to the nomination with ease. But
If President Roosevelt wanted that out
come there would be little reason for him
to play the tight sort Of game that he is
playing. If is obvious that he Is out for
other stakes.
xx4
And it is obvious that Mr.. Roosevelt, to
date, has completely outsmarted his op-
ponents within the party.
War in Europe has enabled the Presi-
dent to shift attention from shortcom-
ings of some of his domestic policies. He
now is able to depend upon war orders
to prime the pump Of industry instead Of
having to 60 to Congress for approval Of
another spending program to reverse the
present setback in industry. With war
1t is easy to avoid an expression Of po-
litical intention on the ground that cir
cumstances may in the end make neces-
sary q third term. War, too, permits q
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