Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1940-09-05
revealed to CHE. IS by the aulnln-
iStration.

revealed to coAs. IS by the auInIn.
istration.
Franklin Roosevelt and Wendell
Willkie on the same platform-at
the same time-answering each 9TH
erI Can you imagine it? Yes, but
you don't expect it, and neither
does anyone else. But it was a good
idea, and would be even better Il
there were any chance Of FDR's tax
ing WilIlkie up on his challenge.
But the facts are that President
Roosevelt does not want any part
Of a debate with Willlkie on ANY
issue. Least Of all, curiously enough,
on the electric power issue which
Roosevelt thas made 80 important,
and which he hopes will prove q
great handicap to Willlkie.
The truth is that the New Dealers
are just a little bit shell-shocked
whenever they think Of ANY debate
with Willlkie since that time the then
Commonwealth & Southern president
polished off Robert H. Jackson In
a debate on the New Deal, before
the Town Han in New York city.
To appreciate this, one must know
what the New Dealers in general.
and Roosevelt in particular. think Of
Jackson. Even FDR thinks jackson
Is the second best statesman In the
world today, and there are a good
many New Dealers reasonable
enough to think that jackson Is real
~ No. l.
So when Willkie virtually knocked
the No. champion (certainly after
FDR HIMSELF Of the New Dealers
into a cooked hat in a public de-
bate, and on issues not so dissimilar
from those to be argued in this cam.
paign. the impression was pretty
nearly indelible. Certainly it is still
clearly legible. And it says: Don't
let Willkie get you into a debate
even if you name the judges. He'll
steal 'em from you"
Remember how timid Dave Linen-
thai was when Willkie offered to let
the SEC itself referee his company's
dispute with iva? And there are
New Dealers who think Dave was
gypped when Willlkie virtually let
Lilienthal himself referee the nego-
tiationsl
But even If FDR were willing to
debate with Willkie on other SUBJ
jects, he would not debate with him
on the public ownership thesis. Not
this fall! There are several signs
that the New Dealers do not want
any more referenda on that subject,
particularly in politically strategic
locations.
For instance, there is San Fran
cisco. The city has given a good
many indications Of getting fed up
on the New Deals public power
ideas. Back in 1918, congress ap-
proved the Hetch Hetchy project,
with a proviso that never should this
power be distributed by privately
owned agencies. San Francisco paid
no attention to this. 1t sold the
power to the old private company,
took a nice profit on the sale, and
let the company sell to its citizens.
Honest Harold Ickes has tried
again and again to break this up,
but every time the San Francisco
voters roll UP a huge majority
against being delivered from the
power minions. So-it might be just
a little bit dangerous to have San
Francisco think that public owner
ship was the paramount issue!
California's % electoral votes
should be ''in the bag for FDR.
All forecasters are so conceding. But
stop a minute. DR.. Townsend, the
idol Of the ham and eggers, has
come out for Willlsiel And it makes
San Francisco important