Evening star., 1942-11-01
34-Seat Gain
Seen for COP
In Congress
70 to IS in House,
5 to 8 in Senate
Expected Tuesday
By GOULD LINCOLN.

Americas first wartime elec--
ton since 1918-on Tuesday-is
likely to result in congressional
and gubernatorial defeats for the
party in control of the National
Administration. The probabili-
ties are, however, that the extent
of these defeats will not be as
sweeping as those suffered by the
Democratic party when it lost in
1918 it's majorities in both House
and Senate, presaging the Hard
ing Republican landslide Of 1920.
The prospects are for a net gain
of % to 35 for the Republicans in
the House and a net gain of to
in the Senate. Should real Re-
publican sweep materialize, the COP,
might pick up the necessary So
additional seats to give it bare
majority of one in the House. This
would mean giving the Republicans
all the breaks
So far as the Senate is concerned,
there seems no possibility whatever,
that the Republicans could win a
majority in that body. If they won
every senatorial contest, they would.
have a total of SO Senate seats-a
majority is 40. Eleven of these
Senate races, however, take place in
States of the Democratic Solid
South. None of these will elect
Republican Senators.
Key State Elections.
Nearly three-fourths of the States
will elect Governors. Among them
are some of the most populous and
most important political key States.
The Republicans are expected to
win these gubernatorial contests in
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Call
ifornia. Michigan, Massachusetts,
and Connecticut. OF these New
York, California, Michigan and Con-
necticut today have Democratic
Governors, the rest, Republican.
Wendell l.. Willkie, Republican
presidential nominee in 1910, had
remained aloof from the present
campaign until last night. Then he
issued statement in New York de-
claring his intention to support the
Republican ticket there and express
ing hope that those candidates for
election and reelection who have
taken stands against "isolationism"
will be victorious. Mr. Willkie, it is
no secret, was opposed to the NOM
ination of Thomas E. Dewey for
Governor. He did not believe that
Mr.. Dewey was far enough removed
from the isolationist point of view.
However, he declared in his state
ment that he believed Mr.. Dewey, If
elected Governor, would give the
State liberal government.
Statement Unites Party.
After saying that he would vote
for Representative Baldwin, Repub-
lican, of New York, representing Mr..
Wilkes own district, Mr.. Willkie
added:
Il, of course, expect to vote for
the Republican State ticket
BY his statement, Mr.. Willkie
brought the various elements of the
Republican party in New York to-
gether in united front. If some
Willkie Republicans have not ex-
pected to support the Republican
! candidate for governor, they now
have the signal from Mr.. Willkie
himself that the party should back
up Mr.. Dewey and the Republican
candidates for Congress.
The elections this year have been
dwarfed in general popular interest
by the war. The campaigns in most
of the States have been apathetic.
The expectations are that the vote
will be light, even for an "off" year
in which no Presidential election
takes place. There is lack of any
great, positive issue. All candidates
are pledged, Democratic, Republican
and minor party, to successful
conduct Of the war.
A light vote is generally believed
to favor the chances of the Repub-
licans. The complaint of the politi-
cal leaders in many places is that
the people have been unusually
quiet. None of them quite know
what this means. or how large
numbers of the voters will Jump on
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