Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-29

SlON lNe QUIET Jay W PRAISE MI
Roosevelt's part in handling for
eign policy. but it is believed in
political circles that such state
ments were issued under the pres
sure of the White House and do not
mean that Mr. Hull has abandoned
his own nom political attitude toward
the foreign policy of the United
States.
Hull Submerged Own Feelings.
Naturally as a Democrat in office
there can be no question about the
secretary's support of Mr.. Roosevelt
But Mr.. Hull does not need to be-
come an active partisan. Evidently
he has submerged personal feelings,
for he was the logical man for the
Democratic nomination and would
have been selected but for the pres
sure exerted on behalf of the
President by other officeholders and
by the Democratic machines which
controlled SO many votes in the
Chicago convention.
The ticket of Hull-Farley would
have been the wise selection, politi-
cally, for this campaign, and had
1t been named, there would not have
been much doubt about the outcome
For certainly the third term issue
would have been eliminated and the
democrats for Willkie" movement
would have had less substance than
1t mas today.
1t is known that the President
out considerable pressure on Secre-
tary Hull in an effort to get him to
accept the vice presidential nominal
ton last July. but Mr.. Hull felt
chat, come what may, he preferred
to continue at the head of the
Department of State. He really
should have been asked to take the
presidential nomination.
Patriotism Unquestioned.
It will be suggested by New Deal
partiSans that Mr.. Hull would not
wish to serve under Mr. Willkie,
but it may be doubted whether any
man now in Office would refuse a
draft of service at time when
young men are being drafted for
military service. Besides, Secretary
Hull is the kind Of man whose patri-
otism is unquestioned and who would
be very anxious to see continuity In
various fields of diplomacy in which
he has had a personal part.
Mr.. Hull has not had the 100
per cent support in the Department
of State which he wanted from the
PRECEDENT. Perhaps the most con-
spicuous example of this was the
Presidents Reputation of Mr.. Hull
when the latter was at the head OF
the American delegation at the Lon
don Economic Conference in 1888.
Also it is not yet clear because the
records are not available just how
far the President supported the Hull
doctrines on world policy before the
Munich Conference of 1888. Since
that time Mr.. Hull's point OF view
has been more respected, for he
never did trust the idea that peace
In Europe could be negotiated unless
the British built up their defenseS
rapidly.
Hull No New Dealer.
So far as domestic policies are
concerned, it will be asserted by
some that Mr.. Hull would find it
difficult to serve because his reel
procity policies might not be ap-
proved by Mr.. Willkie. The truth is
Mr. Hull found himself in his most
embarrassing position in 1885 When
President Roosevelt refused to insist
that the Democratic party platform
should contain a wholehearted in
dorsement of the Hull agreements.
The political influence of the west
ern anti-reciprocity groups among
the Democrats was sufficient TO
make the platform a straddle.
In contrast, it will be noted that
Mr.. Willkie often has stressed his
agreement with the idea OF reel
procity and has supported the Hull
policy though he did point out re-
Gently that all economic arrange
ments are now subject to the new
conditions created by the European
war and that if the reciprocity
formula is applied it should be with
fuller collaboration on the part OF
Congress. AS for other domestic
policies, Mr.. Hull is no New Dealer
and he will find Mr.. Wilkes lib
erali5m in the 1882 Democratic
platform which Mr.. Willkie sup
ported.
The important point to be remem-
bered, however, is that Mr.. Wlllkle
if elected, will call to his side able
men like Cordell Hull, irrespective
of party.
Also it can be taken for granted
that Mr.. Willkie would come to
washington the very week after his
election and stay there through the
transition months-November, De-
cember and January-so that a
change of government would bring
little if any loss of time to the pub
lie business and actually would re-
suit in a speeding up OF national
defense. which has begged down the
last three months.
This is because the administration
has played politics with the defense
problem by making it left-wing-
right wing affair and by declining to
nut the responsibility for co-ordina-
ton in any one.
Those who fear change in gov
eminent as such simply do not know
how badly the existing machine is
functioning and what an inspira-
+;,,, +ba election, of Wendell Willkie