Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-01-15

"tss iHoHpeoH oFc Hot "tNs
sariiy those of The Detroit
Timss.)
MIR. WILLKIE. by insisting on
AVA being an American and a
realistic patriot before he is a
Republican, may well be saving
the political future of that i'll
starred party. which suffers more
from its friends than from its
enemies. Acting now, as citi-
zen, Mr.. Willkie continues along
the line of the policy that he advo-
Gated asa candidate-a- policy
that many of his co-partisans did
their best to wreck. and succeeded,
during the campaign, in confusing.
The attitude of many Republic
ans during the campaign was that
we are only platonically affected
by the worldwide crisis which the
war has precipitated. crisis in
eelving the whole Eastern Henri
sphere. and Canada on this
continent, and involving at the
same time the lives, fortunes and
every political. economic. social
and humane value of-al- the ma
tions that have hitherto consti-
tuted what VIC roughly call
western CIVILIZATION.
Mr.. Willkie believed. and be-
lievps.= 1T contradiction 10 Mr..
Taft and Mr. Dewey. for instance.
that the crisis involves us no less
intimately and desperately in the
long run than 1t involves every
other nation.
And he refused TO accept the
a>e freely rendered him by
n Republican politicians TO
campaign on a pure isolaiionist
basis, as Cert ala Way Ia get
elected For. l think Mr.. Willkie
knew that election on an untrue
premise would give him an i'm
potent victory
He also / think SenSed the ma
jority opinion Of the country bet
ter than those of bis advisers.
whose parallel anti-RooScVeti Cant
paigns created the utmost dlStruSt
and confusion and led to the wide
spread doubt whether the candl-
date really meant what he said,
ard whether # 4a4Ae+eA-hta- pleti4d
be able 10 exercise real leadership
over his party.
NOW, this much is certain: No
~ other individual IN the Repub-
lican ranks enjoys a much popular
support as Mr.. Willkle, no other
individual can claim any SUCH
mandate from the rank-and-file
membership Of the party. over the
whole country. regardless OF region
or economic class. for no other
individual in the party ever was
chosen for president by 2@,OOO,OOO
voters
Both by tradition. which makes
ii4e fie4iF44-as- ez.aas = Ala tAa Leader al
the party. and by this fact, Mr.
Willkie remains the party leader.
And in the Senate. Senator Austin
is the accredited Republican
leader.
II does not make man a party
leader or a party spokesman TO
have been defeated, as Senator
Taft and Mr.. Dewey were, for the
nomination.
AND Americans should be pro-
"a foundry happy and relieved by
the fact that the two most vigor-
Gus political leaders in the coun-
- President Roosevelt and
Iell Willkie. are not at logger
h@s regarding the attitude thus
country should take toward the
foreign situation, nor regarding the
necessity for unification Of exec
utive command in the crisis. Mr.
Wilkes reservations regarding
the bill in question are worthy OF
every consideration. They are
reservations and amendments, not
an assault on the bill as whole.
And. again. Mr.. Willkie Is show
ing intellectual clarity and hon
esty. For nc knows that were ne
president. as he came not far from
being. he would need approx
matelv these powers 10 achieve an
objective which he believes 10 be
essential 10 the preservation OF
American freedom And, IN being
willing TO support FOR his opponent
what he would have needed for
himself. he raises not dlminlshes,
his stature.
GO. too. his decision TO 70 abroad
- and 10 inform himself Al first
hand. To study AT short range and
with n longer view. the immediate
and further possibilities which may
arise out Of the events Of this
struggle - lH-rntrnShlnG- contrast
10 the provincial attitude displayed
by some. who. attempting to be
leaders in a crisis of immense pro-
portions. display in many Of their
public addresses an ignorance that
is depressing.
Mr.. WILKES attitude. as eX-
pressed in his recent statement,
that all the institutions Of the
United States. including the insti-
tuition of private enterprise are at
stake in the outcome of this
struggle corresponds to logical and
historical reality.
Nor is this reality removed by
the probability touched upon Sow
eral times in this column. that the
Of Tho ctrtfuUI1 nHffl load