Evening star., 1940-02-16

S~es W. nss' lnUO tQelr Cdlcu.
lations. Pin almost any of them
down to cases, and you'll find there
are other men on the Democratic
list OF eligibles to whom he would
rather see the party turn for its
nominee. The fact is, as it appears
TO this writer after talks with Re-
publicans in Congress and with
party captains gathered here for the
G. o. p. National Committee meet
ing, that Roosevelt is the most
feared prospect of them all.
If Roosevelt were really regarded
as easy prey, the Republicans. it
would seem, woulds view with de-
light every evidence Of growing
strength in the drive for the Presi-
dents renomination Their reaction
Or at least that of the party
spokesmen at Westinghouse Just
the contrary. 1t is plain to be seen.
whatever whistling may be done to
Keep up courage, that they don't
IKE the idea of facing Roosevelt
again. even with the third-term
handicap upon him. They are ter
ribly afraid, in their bones. that thev
can't Lick him. They would 90 into
the campaign with greater conf
oence against any other candidate
Hull or McNutt or Wheeler or any
one else-whom the Democrats
might name.
Quake With Challenge.
What Is set down here is wholly
without reference to the merits or
dement's Of the third term idea. n
is simply an attempt to state the
political realities as the writer sees
them. The Republicans are in
creasingly fearful Gas are many
anti -third-termers among the Dem
ocratO that Roosevelt will be the
nominee, and when they say, Bring
MN on it's like some pueiustic
hopeful shouting that he's going to
make Z bum" out of Joe Louis
They quake-most of them-when
they say 1t.
What of the other Democratic
possibilities? The Republicans, I
oelieve, would go into the fight
against any one of them with senu-
Inc confidence of victory. They
point to the election results of 1924
as evidence of conservative trend.
they say the Negro vote is fallinv
away from the Democrats; they
doubt that Roosevelt can transfer
his strength to any other candi-
GATE; they emphasize the liabilities
OF each OF the candidates. (There
are plenty Of liabilities on the other
SIDE. too. but that Is another story.)
Garner, apparently, is the man
they fear least. They say he COULDN'T
hope to carry New York. Hull's age
Is seen as a severe handicap: Far
ley's Catholicism would be counted
upon to hurt him in q presidential
race: McNutt, justly or otherwise.
would be attacked as a political
adventurer" and on other counts.
wheeler, with his labor strength.
would be q most uncertain guam
tity. There are some Republicans
who profess to fear him next to
Roosevelt; others who say that the.
John L. Lewis tag on him would
be fatal.
All these Democrats, in short.
have liabilities, which the Repub-
leans have been preparing to ex-
ploit as the occasion might demand.
Realists Troubled.
Now they see themselves con.
fronted with the possibility of an
entirely different kind Of campaign,
and the realists among them don't
like the prospect.
Is the anti-third- term sentiment
IN the country sufficiently strong
TO put down a don't t-change-horses
appeal, In these turbulent times.
on behalf Of q man with the vote
getting powers Of Roosevelt
That's the question, In q nut
shell. that is troubling the dreams
Of the Republicans. In normal cir
cumstances, they would welcome tte
chance to 60 to the country against
. presidential third term, but ia
the present state of affairs. thev'd
rather wage the campaign on moro
conventional lines, against q more
conventional candidate,