Evening star., 1942-10-16
Az IL g
Midwest Signs Point
10 House and Senate
Gains by Republicans
May Add 3 Senators
And II Representatives
From 8 States
Mr.. Lincoln is taking a pre-
election suing around the coun-
Try. This Is another in a series
o1 articles on election prospects.
By GOULD LINCOLN.
Star Stan Writer,

CHICAGO, Oct. 16.-Eig h t
States of the Middle West,
stretching from Illinois and
Michigan to Kansas and Ne
braska, give indication that the
Republican trend which set in in
1888 and continued in 1910 is
making progress rather than
slowing down. Unless the signs
fail, this trend will make itself
felt in the elections for Congress
and in some instances for Gov
ernor on November 3.
In addition to the States already
named are Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas
and Missouri in this summary of
political sentiment. Four of these
States, Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska
and Kansas, gave their electoral
votes to Wendell L. Wilkie in the
last presidential election, and four
to President Roosevelt - Illinois
Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri
Those States which still chung to the
New Deal, however, did SO by greatly
reduced majorities.
In these eight States, the Repub-
licans have good chances to pick up
three seats in the Senate, two of
which are now held by Democrats
and one by an independent. They
are Michigan, Iowa and Nebraska
The other three Senate seats for
which elections are to be held are
now Republican. Two of the eight
States have no senatorial elections
Wisconsin and Missouri.
House Gains Indicated.
The indications are that the COP
will make gains, so far us House
seats are concerned, in all of these
States-or at least will suffer no
loses. The Republicans may pick up
from 10 to a dozen seats In the
House. If the trend materializes in
a big way. they might have one or
two more.
With the exception of Illinois, the
isoIationist issue tpre-Pearl Harbor)
is not brought to the surface IN
these State campaigns. Neverthe-
less, it is underlying in several OF
the States, if not all. In Illinois,
the Democrats are going to the bat
on this isolationist issue. 1t IS the
ma ior issue brought by the Demo-
Gratis against Senator Brooks and
the Republican candidate for Rep
resentative at large, Representative
Steven A. Day.
OF the six Senators up for re-
election, the three Republicans are
Brooks of Illinois. Capper OF Kansas
and Ball of Minnesota. Senators
Brooks and Capper were strong
isolationists before Japan's attack at
Pearl Harbor. Senator Ball, how
ever, was vehmently anti-isolationist.
Others With No Record
The other three Republican can
didates for the Senate-Judge
Homer Ferguson in Michigan, Gov.
wilson in Iowa. and Kenneth
wherry in Nebraska-had no par
ticular record on the war and ma
tional defense measures, since they
have not been members of the pres
ent Congress.
Probable Republican gains in the
House In these eight States are
listed as follows: Michigan, l or 2;
Iowa, /; Missouri, 2 or 3; Mime
sofa, /; Wisconsin, 2; Illinois, 4
Because of reapportionment OF
House seats among the States under
the 1910 census, Nebraska and Kan
sas lost one seat each. While the
Republicans may not gain In numer-
ical strength in these two States, II
Is likely the Democrats will lose q
seat in each.
A great many factors enter into
the elections whose Importance il
is difficult to estimate with any de-
gree of accuracy First and fore
most is the war itself. Thousands
of young men voters have gone intt
the Army and Navy. Comparatively
few will vote, with the use Of alb
sentee ballots. The labor shortage
on farms plus the attacks made or
the farm bloc and the ceiling:
placed on farm prices have caused
resentment in the rural districts.
Uncertainty and discomfort with
the way in which things have beer
going in Washington has arisen il
many quarters. Gas. rubber anc
fuel oil rationing, the heavy ia,
burden, also must be figured in al
contributing factors in political sen.
timent. The strength of the appea
to uphold the President as Com.
mander in Chief of the armed force!
and finally the strength of the ole
isolationist sentiment undoubtedly
will play their parts.
Women May Vote Strongly.
The prediction is frequently made
In these States that the vote will b.
light. Assuredly it will be lightenee
by the absence of so many men II
the services and men who have
moved to new localities to engage
in war production. On the othel
hand, strenuous efforts are being
made to get out the woman vote II
all these States.
If it is successful, this vote may
offset in considerable part the alb.
sence of so many men. No one
knows precisely whether the vote
will be extremely light or whethl
1t will approximate the vote ir
other "off years. years in which ne
presidential contest is held.
1t may be difficult for farmers tc
get to the polls and workers in wal
plants may not be willing to take
time off to vote.
The voters are not talking. Some
of the political leaders feel there i,
an ominous silence. But what such
a silence means, they are at loss
to say with certainty. Generally
speaking, it is conceded that If the
vote is light it will benefit the Re.
publicans rather than the Demo-
Gratis, on the theory that Democrats
win when there is big turn out
Of the voters.
Woman Vote Unpredictable.
If the women go to the polls ir
large numbers on election day, how
will they vote? In politics the womer
have not voted in the past as bloc
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