Evening star., 1942-10-10

MAYBE JfldJ one OF the 01fncul-
ties which the administration is
beginning to perceive. For word
comes that the people are apathetic
and, when that happens. the big
Democratic party vote just doesn't
get to the polls in as large numbers
as in presidential year.
President Roosevelt has been
urged by Speaker Rayburn and
others to plead with the people to
vote. So next Monday night, when
Mr.. Roosevelt makes a "fireside"
chat over the radio, he is expected
to appeal to the citizenry to fulfill
their obligations. He isn't expected
to urge them to vote any particular
way or for any particular set of
candidates, but if the people listen
closely they might possibly derive
the impression that the administra-
ton thinks 1t has done a very good
job in handling the war.
Inasmuch as the Commander in
Chief happens to be President and
leader of the Democratic party as
we'll, he certainly can imply that he
Is in position to know something
first hand concerning the war effort.
Clearly, too, he made a recent in
spection trip and learned by actual
observation how wonderfully labor
and management are cooperating
and how marvelously efficient our
industrial production happens to be.
Other Reports Heard.
All this may possibly have been
overlooked by the voters who, it is
conceivable. have been reading Ger
tain sections of the press which
have tended to give an opposite i'm
pression-exaggerating, to be sure
the defects and not giving enough
credit for the major accomplish
ments.
There has been the usual secrecy
uoouo VIC lidtulC Z VI CllC IlColucllG
"fireside" chat, but it is noted that
this is October and that for the last
few days reports concerning the
forthcoming elections have been
trickling in which create the i'm
preston that maybe the Republicans
are going to win few more seats
than they now hold.
Some pessimists in the Democratic
ranks have gone so far as to admit
privately that the trend toward Re
publican candidates for Congress is
rather too pronounced for comfort.
Tidings of this kind naturally
arouse the leader of the party, who
knows that his voice is one of the
biggest political assets any candi-
date for Office has had in our times.
So it is natural for the President to
be talking on the radio, even If
what he says is implicit rather than
explicit politics.
There are some observers who
have been unkind enough to suggest
that when Mr.. Roosevelt came back
from his inspection trip more or less
resentful of things in general-a bit
sore at the newspapers and radio, a
bit piqued with Congress and some
what annoyed by some of the
speeches of his own lieutenants-he
was just preparing to set the people
straight.
May Start Controversy.
It will be recalled that in 1910,
the President announced that he
would make no campaign speeches
unless his position was misrepre-
sented or somebody spread lies
about his views or purposes. In a
political campaign it isn't at all
difncult to tune in on the misrepre-
sentations, for they are character
istic Of American political cam
paigning. So in due time the Presi-
dent appeared on the air.
II the President talks about the
Misrepresentation this time, it will
be, therefore. merely to erase from
the public mind the wrong impress
sions put there by a minority who
have either been following selfish
purposes or who have been aiding
the enemy viewpoint-though per-
haps inadvertently.
Mr.. Roosevelt usually makes
fireside chat when he feels he has
something important to say. He
may feel that what this campaign
needs is hypodermic of controversy
and publicity and, even If he makes
a speech touching vaguely on the
issues that might seem to require,
from his viewpoint. the election of
o Democratic Congress the sequel Of
comment and debate that may fol-
low will serve the purpose of arous-
ing the people, especially his own
followers, to go to the polls. 1t GER
tainly would produce q great deal
of unhappiness around here If the
Republicans made any considerable
gains In the autumn elections, and
It Is to be assumed that Mr.. Roose-
welt will find some ingenious way to
prevent that from happening If he
possibly can.
Ia.nxoAnntions Hinhts para-n.aN