The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-12-21
WILLIKE HELD
NO PUNCHES ON
WISCONSIN TRIP

Milwaukee. Dec. 2l-CUP)-Wen-
dell L. Wilkes big hat Is in the
ring again for the Presidency of the
United States, but this time 1t will
be ring wise veteran who will fight
to keep it there.
Willkie wants the Republican
nomination and he said he's willing
to take EN- as they come to get it
without looking for an straw
men" to knock over to get start
He picked Wisconsin as the first OF
number of states in which he will
sample public sentiment because he
said he had heard that this was
politically, a tough" state, where
the voters were cold to his advo-
cacy of postwar participation by
the United States in program of
international cooperation for the
preservation of peace and extern
sion of the principles of demo-
cratic government.
Unsuccessful in his 1910 effort to
defeat President Roosevelts bid for
a third term, Willkie didn't pull any
punches during his four days in
Wisconsin. He pressed an inquisi-
tive finger on the public pulse at
the two largest cities in Wisconsin
- Milwaukee and Madison - and
checked his findings against the
political heartbeat of two small
communities Portage and West
Bend. When he departed for New
York, he said he was satisfied with
the response his visit ELECTED.
Audiences. public and private,
were startled by his frankness and
acceptance of realities. He reported
that he had heard isolationism was
landlocked in the Middle West and
was prepared to meet that contin-
gency.
One group heard itself appraised
as not much of a political asset" in
connection with WILKES assertion
that he wasn't going to worry if it
disliked his proposals for co-opera-
ton between capital and labor.
Another heard him say that he
wouldn't indulge in an off-the-rec-
ord discussion of party principles,
but wasn't averse to revealing in
side information on the conflict of
personalities in the joust for the
biggest election prize in the world
the Presidency of the United
States.
At an informal reception spon-
sored by the Milwaukee county Re-
publican womens organization
Willkie drew a gasp of surprise
from a predominantly feminine au-
dience of about 2G0 when he re-
called that many critics in his own
party had called him harsh names
after he came out with an early ad-
vocacy of lend-lease and selective
military service and added that
doubtless many of those present
had voiced the same criticism.
In honey speech at West Bend,
Willkie said he knew that many of
his audiences were of German de-
scent and cited his kinship with
their feelings in this coincidence
with his origin. More than any 9TH
ers, he said, such Americans should
prize freedom, oppose oppression
and be receptive to the idea of post
war cooperation to preserve peace
AS a humorous sidelight in his
career, Willkie said that he had
lived most of his life in communi-
ties which customarily gave most
of their votes to Democratic candi-
dates. He said he had lived at
Rushwood, Elwood and Blooming
ton, Ind, Coffeyville. Kan, Akron,
O., and New York, N. Y. In every
ward where he lived and fellow res
idents became acquainted with
him, however, he won overwhelln-
ing support, he said.
At one Milwaukee meeting he
was introduced by Mrs. Charles
Barth, the former Helen Armfield,
who as girl was a neighbor of the
WILKES in ElUood. She said she
wouldn't be able to face her mother
If she failed to do what she could to
support Wilkes candidacy. Will
kie recalled humorously that their
fathers frequently had opposed
each other in court as rival at
torneys.
On such honey remarks as these
Willkie drew chuckles and applause
from audiences in Milwaukee
county. which in 1910 gave him
1881 fewer votes than it cast for
President Roosevelt.
Willkie called no attention to
this verdict, but said he was re-
ligiously committed to the over
throw of national administration
which he was convinced had re-
in power until it was no
longer attuned to the celebrates
needs and desires.