Evening star., 1940-08-11

eyes of the Nation will be focused on the
little town of Elwood, Ind, next week
when Wendell L. Willkie, one of the
most colorful figures to enter the polit-
ical arena in a century, unfolds the
platform on which he will ask the
American people to elect him President.
True, he has been warming up for
a mouth on the Western Plains, drop
ping here and there hint of the pro-
gram he will offer, but at Elwood next
Saturday he will outline for the first
time the principles on which he will
make his stand against President Roose-
velt's third-term bid
His formal speech of acceptance will
be awaited with unusual interest by all
politically minded Americans because,
while Mr. Willkie is nominally the can
didate of the Republican Convention,
he is driving in this race a three-horse
chariot.
In one shaft stands the regular Re-
publican party worker, who has been
over the course in many other races.
Beside this seasoned entry is a new
conner, lacking in experience, but tug
ging at the bit and rarin' to go, with
the enthusiasm of a crusader-the in
dependent Willkie Club member.
The Third Horse Democratic.
And, beside these two, a third horse
Is entering the harness-the erstwhile
Democrat who disagrees with New Deal
philosophy, or balks at breaking the
third-term precedent. The pulling
power of this entry remains a question
mark as they stand at the post, out
for whatever it is worth, it must be
counted as starter.
Naturally, it will require steady
hand and careful driver to guide the
reins behind this team that finds itself
suddenly drawn together by rapid
chain of circumstances which few stu
dents of politics would have forecast
when the Republican Convention as
sembled seven weeks ago.
But associates of Mr.. Willkie, who have
watched him take hold since the Re-
publican delegates placed the reins in
his hands the night of June 27, feel
confident he is equal to the task. Even
If he does not cross the finish line in
front, all signs point to race that will
be going strong down the october home
stretch.
Another fact that already has become
apparent is that Mr. Willkie is going
to be the chief strategist and pace
setter. Like the enthusiastic members
of the Willkie clubs, who did so much
to bring about his unexpected nominal
ton, their champion is, technically
speaking, political novice, in the sense
that this is his first try for any impor-
tant public Office.
Fellow Amateurs" Hit.
Walking into a Willkie Club luncheon
In Des Moines, Iowa, few days ago.
he greeted them as fellow amateurs"
and got big hand.
But, in practical operation, he looks
like anything but an amateur. When
he stands in front of a crowd arms
extended above a sturdy frame, waving
his straw hat and radiating confidence,
he outshines the veterans of many po-
1itical battles who introduce him.
And when he speaks his resonant
voice carries conviction. There is no
faltering for the next word. He knows
what he wants to say and says it
without manuscript. There no doubt
will be times during the campaign such
as the acceptance ceremony, when he
will want to follow a carefully worded
text. But close observers are predicting
that more often than not he will speak
extemporaneously, with more telling
effect.
Only three months ago Wendell L..
Willkie was hardly up to the role of a
dark horse in the Republican prelim-
inaries. He says himself that he did
not begin to make try for the nomina-
tion until May IL, when he was invited
to address a Republican meeting in
Minnesota. Today his campaign ad-
visers are even speculating on the
possibility of trying to bring such States
as Texas and Oklahoma into his column
Of course, their hopes in these and
other normally Democratic States rest
largely on the theory that substantial
number of Democrats will bolt against
third term. With the campaign not
actually under way, any speculation
along that line can have little real
foundation yet.
But the mere fact that such upsets
are being considered is an indication of
the spirit in which the Willkie campaign