Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-01-29

bill and his trip
to Europe. Among those Republic
ans. on the other hand, who feel
that the aid-to-Britain policy is
popular, Wilkes course is stanchly
defended.
Until events shape up more def
nitelv and there is an opportunity
to tell whether the Willkie leader
ship is or is not sustained by the
trend of public opinion on the war
issues the meaning of the Wlllkle
adventure will not be definitely
known.
But in party circles there is no
doubt about it-there is bitterness
and severity about the criticism
which is unmistakable. The former
PRESIDENTIAL candidate is accused OF
having deserted his party, OF having
gone over to the Roosevelt camp
and of having gone back to the
Democratic party from which ne
emerged so spectacularly last year.
Democrats Pleased.
Among the Democrats there is no
feeling of disappointment at all be-
cause anything that divides the
Republican party is considered all
to the good of the cause. There IS,
on the other hand, tendency to
upbraid the Republicans for having
denounced Willkie and a tendency,
too, to argue that the Republican
party would have been dominated
bv it's isolationiSt groups and made
1t impossible for Willkie to have
functioned had he been elected
President.
Unouestionably Willkie has risked
a good deal by taking a firm stand
behind the Presidents foreign policy.
MANY of those who are crying out
that he is a turncoat did not evil
IDENTITY believe his campaign speeches
about aid to Britain or else they
thought that these we're made Tor
political effect in the campaign and
were not sincere. In any event, Mr..
Willkie today has taken position
consistent with his campaign utter
enceS and has done the unpardon-
able thing from the standpoint OF
orthodox Republicans-he has sized
with Mr.. Roosevelt. This same
school of thought felt uncomfortable
during the campaign because Mr..
Willkie praised the detectives OF the
New Deal policies although differing
with the manner of their execution.
1t is still an open question with
many Republicans whether he would
not have gotten more votes by
standing forthrightly against any
and all Roosevelt policies domestic
and foreign and if he had in par
ticular embraced the isolationlst
cause.
What some of these regular Re-
publicanS do not realize. however,
is that the independent vote, eSpe-
cially that which came from the
Democratic party, would have de-
serted Willkie had he taken any
such position. Lew Douglas, for
example. who was at the head of
the Democrats for Willkie organiza-
ton, told friends during the cam
paign that if Willkie veered from his
aid-to-Britain position he would
face a revolt among his own fol-
lowers. Such an occurrence, it is
commended by the independents,
would have destroyed all chance of
getting the 100000 extra votes
which the Republican ticket polled
last autumn in addition to the IT,
100000 votes that Landon polled in
1886.
Bryan's Power Recalled.
Various political leaders in the
Republican party dispute this rea-
soning and still feel that the party
would have done better in 1910 with
an orthodox Republican candidate.
The prospects are that this division
Of opinion will continue and will be
very influential in determining the
candidate for the party in 1914. For
whether or not Willkie is the party
nominee himself, it is well known
that he intends to maintain his Re-
publican affiliation and will insist
on what he considers the selection
of a progressive nominee. 1t will be
recalled that, while William Jen-
nings Bryan was not the candidate
of his party in 1912, he had enough
influence to compel the selection of
gressive-WoodroW Wilson. Mr.
Willkie tossed into the scrap-heap
In the opinion of many Republicans
his chances for a 1914 nomination
But the friends of Willkie say, Wait
until the war issues have developed
further and see whether Willkie has
or has not maintained his position
of leadership with public opinion as
a whole"
Anybody who can gain strength
between elections among the voters
who did not vote for him before is
likely to wind up with a larger net
than before because the regular
Republicans, while fussing a good
bit about party regularity, do vote
the same ticket and will do so again
especially if the Democratic party
maintains its radical position on
public questions.
Reproduction RIGHTS Reserved)