The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-10-17
(By Staff Writer)


whether or not we will get into
the European war. And that ques'
ton has nothing whatever to dc
with the question whether Mr.
Roosevelt is reelected of Mr.
Willkie is chosen to take his
place.
The next Administration, what
ever its partisan complex, is en-
pected to find itself in the grip
of circumstances over which II
may have no control. The reac-
ton of the whole United States,
as reflected in the reports which
come into Washington, is one of
resignation to an unpleasant pros
pect with a considerable degree
of impotence with the politicians
of Washington who are believed
to be throwing monkey-wrencheS
into the machinery of defense
preparations, to serve their own
personal ends.
Roosevelt Advantage
In the light of that state of the
public mind it seems that Mr..
Roosevelt has an advantage over
Mr.. Willkie in the prospects for
the coming election. He has been
in position to do things,
whereas Mr.. Willkie has only
been able to say what he will do
if elected. That advantage is re-
Elected in the latest polls of cleo
toral sentiment, which indicate
that the President has regained
some of the. support which, six
weeks ago, he seemed to have
lost.
But on the other hand Mr.. Will
kie, now that he has got into his
stride, is apparently regaining the
confidence of many who were
disappointed in his earlier radio
speeches. The plain fact is that
Mr.. Willkie is at his worst when
he is reading from a manuscript,
as a radio orator has to do, and
at his best when he is talking eX-
temporaneously with only few
notes to guide him.
Mr.. Roosevelt, on the contrary,
has the gift of reading careful
ly prepared manuscript over the
radio with such tones and inflec-
tons, pauses and hesitations, as
to give the effect that most of it
is the result of sudden inspira-
ton.
Mr.. Willkie is learning, and his
later radio talks have been much
more effective than the first few.
He and his party are handi-
capped, however, by lack of
funds to pay for time on the air.
The President has a distinct ad-
vantage. By announcing that his
talk on any particular occasion
is to be ''non-politicar' the broad
casting companies are required to
give him the time and facilities
without charge. Everything that
Mr.. Willkie says is, of course, po-
litical, and so it must be paid for.
A half hours time on a nation
wide lookup costs an incredible
number of thousands of dollars.
Monetary Limits
The Hatch Act limits the
amount of money that any politi-
cal party can spend in a cam
paign, with the result that fewer
people have had the opportuni-
ty to hear Mr.. Willkie over the
radio than has been the case with
any candidate of either party
since 1920, when broadcasting
was first used in political cam
paigns.
The Republicans are also han
dicapped by the fact that they
have no issue to compare with
the issue of preparedness for
war, and on that Mr. Roosevelt
took the play away from them
There has been nothing to dc
about it from the Republican
point of view but to accept the
Administrations policy and crit
CHE the manner in which it is
being carried out. This would be
a hopeless effort if it were moi
based upon a reaction against the
present Administration which has
been growing steadily for foul
years and which has been heigh
tened by the Presidents effort tt
be elected for a third term.
The third term and the alleged
inefficiency and extravaganza O.
the past seven years constitute
really the major issue on which
the election will be decided. Anc
no attempt to forecast the result
is valid, for the simple reason
that nearly 203o of all the posi-
BILE voters are keeping thei
mouths shut.
Never in private discussion
nor in response to QUESTIONABLE
has such large proportion O
the voters refused to tell how
they intend to vote. While Their