Evening star., 1942-07-09
President 10 Avoid
Efforts 10 Draw Him
Into Local Politics
Lone Exception Might
Be Usuol Participation
In New York Races
b the Associated Prsss.

President Roosevelt. while reserv.
ing the right to dabble an expert.
enced finger In politics In his own
State, was reported today to have
| resisted firmly efforts of numerous
politicians to get him to take sides
in feuds elsewhere.
He himself has remarked that
this is war and politics are out. One
individual with access to accurate
information asserted that the Presi.
dent has lived up to that declara-
ton so far, although he has had
many q bid for political assistance
from members Of Congress who feel
uneasy over their chances for re-
election.
Persons closely associated with
the Chief Executive say they are
convinced there will be no 1942 YER
sion OF the 1898 purge" In which
the President campaigned against
Democrats he considered too con-
servative.
New York Is Exception.
The President apparently intends
to take no active part in any cam.
paign to unSeat pre-Pearl Harbor
1solationists-again with & possible
exception In New York State, where
he maintains his permanent voting
residence.
Mr.. Roosevelt has taken public
notice only once Of the isolationist
issue. That was last February when
he told a press conference that
when the country Is at war, it
wants members Of Congress, regard.
less OF party, who back up the Gov
ernment of the United States and
who have record Of backing it up
In an emergency.
He was commenting on q speech
in which Edward j. Flynn, Demo-
cratic national chairman, said 1t
would be the equivalent of q major
military disaster If the Democrats
lost control of Congress.
Little Threat in Senate.
They have little to worry about on
that score in the Senate, where the
terms Of only % of the IS Democrats
expire next January. And at least
a dozen Of these Democrats@re from
States in which the election Of q
Republican would be q modern
political miracle.
AS for the House, Mr.. Flynn twice
has predicted after conferences with
the Chief Executive that the party
would gain seats this year.
The one pre-war critic of foreign
policy who appears most likely to
encounter presidential opposition Is
Representative Fish, Republican, Of
New York, who represents Mr..
Roosevelt's own congressional dis.
trict. A veteran of % years in Con-
gress, Mr.. Fish has had to contend
before with the political enmity Of
his most famous constituent.
Helps New York Fight.
The President has insisted on his
right to participate in New York
State politics ever since he entered
| the White House. Exercising that
right, he has conferred in recent
weeks with New York politicians
who have been trooping into the
executive ONCE to talk to him about
Democratic candidate for Gov.
ernor.
They have included James A. Far
ley, State Democratic chairman, who
is backing John j. Bennett, State
attorney general; Gov. Herbert H.
Lehman, who wants his successor
to be 1t. Gov. Charles Poletti; Mr..
Flynn, who supports Oscar Ewing,
New York attorney; Senator Wag-
ner, Democrat. OF New York: Rep
resentative Michael j. Kennedy.
leader Of Tammany Hall, and Alex
Rose and Luigi Antonini, top men
| in the American Labor Party.
The President has indorsed no
candidate specifically, but has let
it be known he would back any lib-
eral who has q record Of 100 per
, cent support OF the administration
| foreign policy before Pearl Harbor.