The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-04-18

WASHINGTON. - me t"o
phases of greatest political IN
terest in Washington at this stage
of the Presidential campaign
might be called the Draft Roose-
velt'' movement and the stop
Dewey" movement.
The politicians Of both parties
are divided, in. each case. Inc
Draft Roosevelt. movement is To-
cused entirely in Washington
and is being conducted by Admi-
nistration officials, most of whom
stand to lose their jobs if any De-
mocrat except Mr.. Roosevelt, or
any Republican at all, becomes
the tenant of .the White House
next January. !
It is led by the Secretary OF the
Interior, Mr.. Harold Ickes, who
was Republican until President
Roosevelt made him a member
of his Cabinet. This movement
has been going on, for months,
and shrewd observers here think
they see signs that it is waning.
The best opinion among Wash
ington soothsayers today is that
Mr.. Farley and Mr.. Garner have
succeeded in demonstrating to the
Presidents satisfaction that it
would be ruin6us to his Party for
him to run for third term.
The same prophets are predict
ing that Mr.. Roosevelt's influence
will be thrown to Secretary OF
State Hull for the Presidency and
Atterney-General Robert H. Jack
son for second place on the tic
ket. Such a ticket would go far to
avert serious split in the party,
since both Mr.: Hull and Mr.. Jack
son are we'll liked and respected
by almost all factions of De-
mocrats.
Eligibility Increased
Mr.. Hull's eligibility is regard
ed as having been increased by
his victory in Congress in obtain
ing a majority vote in both
houses for the extension for three
years of Executive authority to
continue to negotiate reciprocal
trade agreements with other ma
tons without having to sumlt
them to the Senate for confirma-
ton. It had a close squeeze in the
Senate, several, Democratic Sena-
tors from the agricultural states
voting against it.
The belief here is that the Re-
publicans will make these trade
agreements a major campaign is
sue in the agricultural regions OF
the Mississippi Valley. The Farm
Vote may easily decide next Falls
election, and there is a strong
element of farmers who believe
that Mr.. Hull's trade agreement
opened the door to foreign COM
petition with American farm
products.
District Attorney Thomas E.
Dewey of New York made him
self many friends in the s.-icul-
tural states of the Middle West
by his speeches on the farm situa-
ton, in which he took exception
to the Hull policies. But Mr.. De-
wey did more than that. He gave
the leaders of his Party the sur
prise of their lives by his Sue
ces in the primary elections Of
delegates to the Republican Ma
tional Convention.
Everybody in Washington al
most was certain that Senator
Vandenberg would get at least
two-thirds of the Wisconsin
voters. But Mr.. Dewey got the
whole tWenty-four of them. This
clean sweep was the most con-
vincing demonstration Washing
ton has had yet of young Mr.. De-
wey's popularity with the voters
of his own party. Added to his
other primary victories, it has
given his party leaders some
thing to think about seriously.
Regarded AS Outsider
In Washington where Senators
Vandenberg and Taft are familiar
figures the tendency has been to
regard Mr.. Dewey as an outsider
who might be good enough for
second place but whose youth
he is So and alleged inexperi-
ence in the administration of
public affairs ruled him out as
the nominee for the head of the
ticket.
But political leaders in Presi-
dental years are prone to take a
realistic view of circumstances as
they are. The realistic view in
this case is that the Republicans,
facing the handicap of being OPP
posed to party which has been
in mower for eight wears T,o1lSt