Evening star., 1940-05-25
The Political Mill
Coalition Cabinet Idea Completely Out
Whether or Not Knox Was Invited to Join

being candidate for reelection. It
is perfectly true the President may
not become candidate. may decline
to run for a third term. But there
has been no suggestion from the
White House that that will be his
position. Everything that has hap
pened recently, including the elec-
tion OF enough Roosevelt pledged
delegates to the Democratic National
Convention to renominate the Presi-
dent, has pointed to his running.
Republicans Still Hopeful.
The President is to make an ad-
dress to the people over the radio to-
morrow night-dealing. it is ex-
pected, with the program Of national
defense. He has an opportunity
If he wiShes-to make q statement
regarding the third term program.
Unless the prophets are entirely
wrong, however, the President will
continue to say nothing about his
own political plans.
Republican candidates for the
presidential nomination have by no
means given up fighting for the
honor of being the G. O. P. stand
ard bearer. The prospect Of are
nomination of President Roosevelt,
even with the war situation as it
Is. has not daunted them. They
are still actively engaged in a search
for delegates to the Republican Ma
tional Convention. Republican
leaders generally, although they ad-
init that the war abroad Is having
political repercussions in this coun-
try, insist that the Democratic NOM
inee, whoever he may be, can be
defeated at the polls next Novem-
ber.
Thomas E. Dewey, New York dis
trict attorney, continued this week
to pick up delegates to the ma
tional convention instructed to vote
for him He won the New Jersey
delegation-32 in number-being the
only Republican entered in the pres
idential preferential primary. Wen
dell Willkie. head of the Common
wealth & Southern Power Co.. re-
ceived several thousand write in
votes iR the New Jersey primary
but he ran so far behind Dewey
that 1t was not a race at all. Mr..
Wilkes chief support for the Re-
publican nomination comes from
New York City and those residents
of New Jersey who have their places
of business in the metropolis. These
friends had been active in stirring
up a "write-in vote" campaign for
Willkie in the Jersey primary.
Dewey Gathering Votes.
Mr.. Dewey had instructed for him
the four delegates at large chosen
this week by the Kentucky Repub-
lican State Convention and also q
number of the district delegates
from the Blue Grass State. Ken
tucky had been regarded as happy
hunting ground for Senator Taft
of Ohio, who is seeking also the
presidential nomination. In Penn
sylvania the final tabulation OF the
votes written in for Republican
presidential choice showed Dewey
with about $1,000 "write-ins." Sec
ond to him was Pennsylvania ia
vorite son candidate, Gov. James,
with about 5000 votes. 1t looks as
though Mr.. Dewey has the popular
support of rank-and-file Repub-
icanS-war or no war-even if he
has not yet won the support of the
so-called political leaders of the
G.. o. P.
Mr.. Landon and Representative
Joseph w. Martin. jr., of Massa-
chusetts, Republican leader of the
House, continue to work together
Together they may well determine
the nomination for President at the
national convention. for they will
control bloc of 100 to $50 delegates,
in all probability. Should they place
the finger on Mr.. Dewey or Senator
Taft or Senator Vandenberg Of
Michigan they might easily put their
candidate across. If they have
made up their minds which way
they will jump they have kept their
own counsel.
It is suspected that Mr.. Landon,
who was himself the party nominee
for President in 1886, would prefer
to see Representative Martin picked
for presidential candidate. If the
convention should be tied up-dead-
locked for an appreciable number of
ballots-he might have his wish, for
Martin is now regarded as the most
formidable of the so-called dark
horse candidates for the nomination
The question is whether these gen.
tlemen believe 1t would be practical