The Wilmington morning star., 1941-02-16
WILLKlE CENTER
OF PARTY STRIFE
Republicans Wrangle Over
Leadership And Policy
Rv RICHARD l.. TURNER

DIN xt1SAAAA
WASHINGTON, Feb. 15.-For
many weeks, the republicans have
been. rowing among themselves over
American foreign policy. For the
most part they managed to keep
their dissension, under cover, al
though it was clearly apparent to
all who come in contact with the
party's leading figures. A few days
ago. however, it could no longer
be restrained, and now the conflict
is blazing both brightly and open
ly. p
The central figure of the fight is
the man the party chose last year
as it's presidential nominee, Wen
dell L. Willkie. Early in his cam
paign he largely endorsed It h e
Roosevelt foreign policy and for
that he was privately denounced
by numerous party leaders, who
thought he should have taken "a
stand more in conformity with that
of the party's voting record in con
gress. =
Always Agin' Him
OF course, it is no secret now
nor was it then, that these same
leaders were never too enthusiastic
for Willkie. He had been a democrat
and, in fact, had once voted fol-
President Roosevelt. He. had never
held public office nor worked his
way up the party ladder. He was
nominated by a runaway, stampered
convention which had gotten en-
tirely out of the control of t h G
leadership. And there are. those who
argue that he never would have
received the nomination but for his
stand in favor of about; assistance
to Great Britain. The leaders had
to take him and did. They kept
their criticism of his foreign policy
views to themselves and worked
hard to win for him.
Even in defeat, these leaders
recognized in Willkie a powerful
ly dynamic, aggressive and. mag
netic figure who had aroused the
admiration of much, Of the country.
But after the election the necessi-
ty for a solid front had disap.
peared. Those who disagreed with
| Willkie, on foreign affairs kept their
grumbiing to themselves as long as
they could, until, finally, the
breaking point was reached.
That point came with WILKES
testimony this week before t h e
senate foreign relations committee,
a vigorous defense Of the admin
istration's ~lease-lend bill, and one
made the more dramatic by the fact
that he was just back from a fly
ing trip to England.
Puts In Plainly
Essentially his message was that
one who favors assistance to Eng.
land cannot stop at voting for a
little assistance, but must favor
help on Il large scale and help ex-
tended in the most effective way
possible. The lease-1end method
was, in his opinion, the most eff.
%fective method. Simply lending
money to Great Britain for her to
spend here would not do.
Now, fundamentally, all this was
at the very least a 'reproof to, a
vast majority of the, republicans in
congress. Less than a week before,
the republican membership of the
house had voted almost solidly for
assistance to England in the form
of a loan only, and then had voted
nearly as solidly against the lease.
lend bill. A similar situation vas
shaping up in the senate. -
1t so happened that the day FOL
lowing WILKES appearance was
Linco1ns birthday. always an &C.
casion for many republican rallies
and much republican speech-mak-
ing. Senator Taft (R-O.), one Of
those who competed with Willkie
at Philadelphia for the presidential
nomination, brought it all into the
open. Ma.,
There is no justification = in
precedent or principle for the view
that a defeated candidate for presi.
dent is the titular leader of the
party. Mr.. Willkies does not and
cannot speak for the republican
party"
Rep. Fish R-N. ", the rank
ing republican member of the
house foreign affairs committee,
meanwhile was saying things even
more pointed. K.
At the capitol, and still reluctant
to be quoted, some@house and@se ate
republicans were asserting that the
congressional republicans had IRE
pudiated'A, Wilkes leadership.