Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-03
COP Expects
To Gain 80
House Seats
But Comedies Democrats
Will Retain Control
By PAUL MALLON

BY PAUL MALLON
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3.-Nei-
w Their the Republicans nor
the Democrats think the Repub-
licans will win the House.
The Democratic guess is they
will lose 10 to IS seats, no more
than 20 at the maximum.
The Republicans think they
will pick up 30 as a minimum.
possibly 20 more. which would
leave them two votes short of
being able TO organize that
branch OF the legislature.
These are the official guesses,
although the opinions Of some
individual leaders run to greater
extremes.
On the Senate side, the aver
age guess is that the Republic
cans will gain from five TO
seven seats, which will merely
move them up into a more for
midable position as minority.
Thus decisive results are not
TO be expected from this cleo
ton.
TiiE Republicans can merely
i achieve much better posi-
ton in which to make their
weight felt in the conduct of
the war. They will have a
greater say ir. legislation. par
ticularly economic legislation
such as taxes. manpower. waste
in government
But, they will not be able to
control such legislation, even if
they outstrip their hopes and
acquire a majority of the House.
From a political standpoint,
they can re-establish their party
prestige and morale and achieve
a much better basis upon which
to organize for the coming 1914
presidential election.
In such results as the eX-
pected victory of Dewey in New
York state, these expectations
are obvious, despite what Dewey
has indicated about his own per-
sonal intentions in the matter.
THE Republicans are basing
Il their expectations on the
evidence they see of dissatisfac-
ton with the conduct of the war.
They have centered their cam
paign on the waste in govern
ment and inefficiencies.
Their assistant national chair
man, Frank p. Gannett, for in
stance, stressed in his closing
speech that 2,537,000 persons
were on the federal pay roll and
only 100000 are in uniform.
They are counting also greatly
on the resentment among food
producers of the administrations
price fixing measures.
The extent of this dissatis-
faction has never been measured,
but it should be evident Tuesday
night.
On the basis of this situation,
the Republicans are counting on
taking nearly every Democratic
senatorial seat still loose west of
the Mississippi River.
They contemplate picking up
seats in Iowa, Nebraska, Mon
tana. Colorado, Nevada and Wy
oming.
They also say their senatorial
chances are at least even in
Michigan, Massachusetts and
New Jersey
THE Democrats are looking
Il eagerly. also to see this
measure of dissatisfaction. They
are particularly uncertain as to
the extent to which they will be
able to get out the labor vote in
wal ltluuStIitS III tiIC 1Cutl al
States and the East.
They think their arrange
ments are sufficient. but they
are not sure. Evidences of po-
litical apathy from the prima-
ries havees.irred them TO great
efforts in this respect in the last
few weeks. The people have
their eyes on Guadalcanal,
Stalingrad, Egypt.
Congressional elections are al
ways hard to gauge. But this
one is particularly difficult.
While national issues are always
discussed. and the results will
be interpreted on a national
basis, it is true that many local
cross-currents greatly affect the
result.
The personalities of the men
running. the extent of local
organizational m ach ines and
such matters decide many of
the races.
| CERTAINLY the result can
~ have no discouraging affect
upon the conduct of the war. 1t
cannot be interpreted abroad as
a lack of confidence in expecta-
ton of victory.
At the highest point of Re-
publican prospects, the result
could only express impotence
with the lack of military suc-
cesses so far, and urgent popu-
lar pressure TO get on with the
business faster and better.
This is proved, not only in the