Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-10
Democratic
Strife in N. Y.
Called Funny
Fight Over Nomination
Held Amusing
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

AS escape stuff il is amusing
and under the guns of the enemy
in a war for survival, and with
the political and journalistic
vigilantes of the New Deal
bowling that disunity is akin
TO treason. it is grotesque.
There is a little political
group, or club, of European
-unioneers and some nondescript
followers, mostly unassimilated
immigrants, called the American
Labor Party, which is trying TO
beat John Bennett, Jim Farley's
candidate, and nominate Senator
Jim Mead, the White House
candidate.
Farley's attitude toward the
so-called American Labor Party
is one of disdain, for he believes
its numerical strength is small
and that strength is divided into
two groups. the Social Demo-
Gratis and the Communists.
It's political principles in both
names are imported stuff and
the two wings hate one another
worse than they hate even
Herbert Hoover.
VITO MARCANTONIO. a
' Congressman who formerly
enjoyed nominal listing and
some support as a Republican.
is the only Congressman in
American history who has fol-
lowed the Moscow party line.
He is a left-winger in the
so-called Labor Party with a
consistent record of isolationism
up TO the time that Hitler
struck Russia last year.
He is a political protege OF
Mayor La Guardia. who is a
political mongrel but a New
Dealer whatever else he is, and
La Guardia has Endorsed Mar
cantonio Notwithstanding his
record.
Thomas J. Curran. the Re-
publican county chairman, has
repudiated Marcantonio with
the remark that if Congress as
a whole had followed his line
on war issues. the American
soldier at this hour would have
insufficient weapons for first
front to say nothing of second
front, for which Marcantonio
now clamors.
At this point. Mrs. Eleanor
Roosevelt, still claiming TO be a
private citizen and no politician,
declares herself into the mess.
Mrs. Roosevelt delivered an
address before the Communist
left wing of the so-called Labor
Party some time ago, knowing
that the group was communiStic.
But, in the present strife be-
tween the Communists. or Mar
,antonio wing and the Socia
Democrats, she has written a
letter strongly repudiating the
Muscovites and favorlng the
Social Democrats.
Although she is not member
of the party, or club, she writes
that she is "much more in SYM
pathy" with the right wing than
with the bolos.
A ND, notwithstanding her
"A previous appearance as a
speaker before the Communists,
Mrs. Roosevelt now frankly ad-
mits that she knows the COM
munistic character of this group
and says she does not wish 10
be controlled in this country by
an American group that, in turn,
is controlled by Russia and
RusSia'S interests"
That is the first admission by
Mrs. Roosevelt that the Com
munists here are an alien poll
teal influence operating in
American affairs.
Now, TO sum up, we have La
Guardia, "A belligerent New
Dealer. endorsing a candidate
whose political group the Presi-
dents wife has denounced as
communistic and un-American.
And we have Mrs. Roosevelt
cheering on the Social Democ-
ratio group in its efforts TO die
tate the nomination of the White
House candidate for governor.
The upShot of which would be
that the Democratic candidate
and perhaps the next governor
of New York would have been
named by small and distinctly
European element clustered in
New York City.
IF THOMAS f. DEWEY, the
L probable Republican nominee
and probable governor. had en-
dorsed Congressman Ham Fish
he would have been accused OF
the foulest perfidy, but La
Guardia will suffer nothing
worse than a scolding and his
support of the communists only
man in the United States Con-
gress will be excused as unwise
sentimentalism.
Mr.. Farley, incidentally, is
still maintaining his contempt
for the combination of Social
Democrats and Communists and
invited a showdown on the ques-
ton whether they are a party
or merely a clamorous nuisance
skilled in the European art of
propaganda and minority con-
troll.
HE V,nan Dnvnagt - - -