Evening star., 1940-10-08
California 6. 0. P.
As Of Today, Sees
Roosevelt Victory
Porty Nevertheless Hopes
To Shift zoo, 900 to
100000 Votes
By G.. GOULD LINCOLN,

San FTanclScO-tne representatives
of the Southern and Northern sec
tions Of State-admit, if you promise
not to quote them. that this State is
President Roosevelt's today by from
100000 to 100000. Democratic lead
ers in the State place the President
probable margin of victory at 100000
plus-and their claims are for No
venaber S, election day. Professional
gamblers are willing to bet even
money that Roosevelt will carry the
State by 100000, and will give the
same even money he carries San
Francisco by $4,000
This looks like a gloomy picture
for the G.. o. p. The Republicans,
however, speak confidently of being
able. bv the time the election takes
place, to shift two or three hundred
thousand voters now placed in the
Roosevelt column to Wendell L.
Willkie. 1t seems incredible they
will be able to work such trans
formation-but you can't tell them
that.
Basis of the Republican confidence
is found in the revamped G.. o. P.
State organization. Until a compar-
atively short time ago, it had been
covered with coat of rust. 1t
creaked in every joint. But now
under it's youthful State chairman
TON" Kuchel, who is just 80 years
old, the Republicans claim they are
going places. The Wilkie drive in
this State, they say, is real youth
movement.
G. o. P. Controls Senate.
They claim that they have cut
deeply into the Young Democrats
and that many of them are on Will
kies band wagon Mr.. Kuchel is a
lawyer and a member of the As
sembly-the California House of
Representatives. The Assembly is
Democratic by small margin,
while the State Senate is controlled
by Republicans. The new State
chairman, headed by the Republl-
can group in the Legislature, active
ly fought Gov Olson and his spend
Ing program. and with the aid OF
some of the Democrats, cleaned out
some of the commitments.
All factions of the Republican par
ty are now working together, the
Republican leaders insist. They add
that Is not so with the Democrats,
and point to the Gov. Olson faction
and the unpopularity Of the Govern
or, against whom recall petition is
now being circulated. Gov. Olson
is clinging as tightly as he can to
the President, much to the embar-
rassment of a number of the Demo-
cratic leaders In order to give the
Democratic campaign different
"front," National Committee head
Quarters has been set up in the st.
Francis Hotel in San Francisco with
former Gov. Miller of Wyoming in
charge, assisted by Oscar L. Chap
man, who has been Assistant Secre-
tary Of the Interior.
Democratic Registrations Higher.
Four years ago President Roose-
velt led ALI M. Landon, his Republi-
can opponent, in California by $780,
600. In 1882, the President carried
the State over former President
Herbert Hoover, Californian, by
4770OO votes Today the Democratic
registration in the State is approx
mately 100000 greater than is the
Republican registration. 1t would
take political upheaval Of tre-
mendous proportions to put the G.
o. P. in the lead here on November
5.
The Republicans say, however
that the President has lost lot OF
ground since 1886; they dispute
claims that labor is solidly for him,
they claim that the majority of the
farmers, of whom there are a large
number in California, are for
Willkie and McNary, and they count
also on factional troubles in the
Democratic party.
SO far as registration figures are
concerned, the G. o. P. leaders IN
sist they really mean little in this
State. They point to the fact that
when Roosevelt carried California
in 1882 the registration was then
practically two to one Republican.
However, if the registration this
wear had swung to the Republican
party there would have been loud
shouts of JOY from Republican
leaders.
Have NOts" Favor Roosevelt.
The two great factors working for
the President here are the con-
tinued belief of the have nots" and
those other persons who suffered
from the depression of 1929 and the
ensuing years that Mr.. Roosevelt is
their friend, and the war situation
abroad. In the final analysis, 1t Is
their confidence that the President
has the devotion of the great mass
of low-income and relief groups
which gives the Democratic leaders
and New Dealers reason for claim
ing the State by large margin.
One of the most intelligent and
earnest supporters of the President
in the State, however, placed his
estimate of the Roosevelt victory
over Mr.. Willkie as low as 246,0 900
He frankly admitted that there had
been desertions from the Roosevelt
ranks and he added that the tough
est spot for the New Dealers was
to be found out on the farms and
the ranges of California. He eX-
planned that the farmers in this
State grow a variety of crops which
have not benefited under the gen.
eral terms of the A. A. A. and that
these farmers had before the Roose-
welt administration, while the Re-
publicans were Is control, formed
strong cooperative groups and SC
had been able to protect themselves
Even the cotton farmers OF the
State did not receive the quotas
which they believed they were en-
titled to.
There is a considerable group OF
voters of Italian blood in the State
80 per cent of whom been voting
Democratic in the past. which now
seems lost in large part to Roose-