Evening star., 1943-01-30
McLemore-
Marco Polo Is 1914
Presidential Choice
BY HENRY McLEMORE.

. BY HENRY McLEMORE.
Honesty. integrity, knowledge OF
national and international affairs,
distinguished record OF public
service, a life free of any tajnt Of
scandal--these are not going TO bs
enough in the very near future to
get a man elected TO the presi-
dency of the United States.
That's our belief, anyway, and
it Is founded on events of the past
two years or so. 1t will not be
long, we feel, before almost the
primary requisite of q man who
aspires to the highest office will be
the ability to travel anywhere. any
time and by any means of trans
portation without discomfort.
There was time when the Presi-
dent had absolutely no use for a
travelling bag. When he moved into
the White House and his valet
hung up his clothes. he knew they
were there to stay, save for Sunday
afternoon rides In his car and oc-
casional trips to a nearby retreat
where he could escape the pressure
Of official work.
Now. however, the President must
be, among other things, a combina-
ton Marco Polo. Casey Jones and a
travelling salesman. He must be
ready at all times to throw a few
things IN a bag and light out for
the far corners Of the earth,
100000 Miles Covered.
Since he has been in office, Mr..
Roosevelt has travelled more than
100000 miles, putting him well
ahead of the late william Howard
Taft, who held the record for
jaunting. He may even hold an
edge on Mrs. Roosevelt, who, while
she gads about almost continually
usually restricts her trips to jaunts
within the borders of the country.
Mr.. Roosevelt has been to South
America and Canada, toured the
Caribbean and the North Atlantic.
Now, by his trip to Casablanca, he
has become the first President ever
to fly the ocean.
On his trips Mr.. Roosevelt has
employed almost every means of
transportation. He has used
trains, automobiles. jeeps, destroy.
ers. bombers and clippers. 1t would
not be at all surprising If it came
out later that he had also used
such conveyances as burro, bus and
barouche.
Apparently the President is a
man who can travel without one
single bit of discomfort and arrive
at his destination fresh as a bou-
quet OF daisies, looking as If he had
just stepped out of bandbox, and
ready to tackle any problem, no
matter how knotty. 4
But many. many men haven't this
gift. There are thousands of men
who, If they take no more than an
overnight sleeper Jump, get of
the train looking like something
that had been floating In the sar-
gasso Sea for several years. They
nave to go to hotel, take a few
hours nap and clean up before
they can even go out to transact
Tor the purchase Of vacant lot.
Try to Count Them.
There are other thousands who.
II they have to ride backward on
a train, require the services of a
capable, friendly physician after a
few hours. And, as for the thou-
sands who can't ride on a boat or
in an airplane without coming close
TO the Pearly Gates-well, you
couldn't count them on the fingers
of 10000 sets of Dionne quintuplets.
1t wouldn't surprise us one bit II
as early as the next election this
ability to travel began to play a
large part In the campaigns OF the
Republican and Democratic parties,
Our man." we can hear a stumn
speaker explaining, has never had
to take a Mother SilIs pill In his
life. We have tried him out on a
boat In Lake Michigan, when that
body of water was at its stormiest.
and he showed up for three meals
a day and his constitutional turn
around the deck. And, never once
IN an airplane, no matter how rough
the flight, has he had to call the
stewardess for comfort and solace.
Gentlemen, it would be a grave mis-
take not to elect this hardened
traveller to the presidency"
On the other hand, a man whose
enemies can prove he is incapable
OF crossing a river on ferry with.
out turning green and giving off the
short, anguished groans of the sea-
sick, won't have much chance. He'll
have to settle for a berth in Con-
gress, and let 1t 60 at that.
distributed BY McNausht Syndicate, Inc).
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