Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-08

eyes, and is as yet doing nothing
to souelch 1t.
The other day Elmer Davis, head
OF the Office of War Information,
replying to attacks in Congress
because Government-publis
magazine lauding the President was
being distributed abroad, said that
much as some persons might regret
it, Mr.. Roosevelt happened also to
be the Commander in Chief of the
Army and Navy But this comment
may now be reversed and it will be
said that much as the American
people may regret it, the Com
mander in Chief himself seems un-
able to forget that he is politician
holding the political Office of the
presidency.
Mr.. Davis has a good idea in
competing with the Axis maya
zines circulated in neutral coun-
tries so as to swing the people
there to our side, but what should
be routine step has been dis
credited because zealots among Mr..
Davis subordinates failed to dis
tinguish between Government and
political propaganda.
Magazine for Negroes.
Thus also in the last few weeks
100000 copies of a rotogravure
magazine entitled THE Negroes
Contribution to the War" have been
distributed among Negroes in the
United States to combat the rad
ical propaganda of those Negro
agitators who are claiming that the
Negro isn't being given an oppor-
tunity and that this Is "a white
mans war" and 50 on. Pictures
OF high officials in our Government
sitting down to confer with Negroes
and pictures of Mrs. Roosevelt and
others who are championing the
Negroes cause were printed.
Maybe it was good idea, but it
will be difficult for a second issue
OF the same thing to be printed
now that q fourth-term campaign
has been begun, because this is
usually the kind Of fattering stuff
that enanates from the Negro
division Of either the Republican
or Democratic party headquarters
during political campaign.
Many otherwise legitimate activi-
ties OF governmental agencies will
be hurt now because partisans of
the President have already launched
a fourth-term boom. 1t is signif1-
cant that the chairman of the
Democratic National Committee, who
happens also to be a member of the
Presidents cabinet, told the press
that at a recent visit of the politi-
clans to the White House fourth
term nomination was mentioned to
the President and he only smiled"
But the President should do more
than smile. He should repudiate
any suggestion of a fourth term for
himself and he should eliminate
from his family anybody who makes
fourth-term speeches or carries on
any fourth-term strategy.
People Can Say Later.
II the American people want Mr..
Roosevelt for fourth term, they
will say so Enthusiastically through
out the country when convention
time comes in June, 1914. And
judging by present indications; Mr.
Roosevelt can have that fourth
term nomination without lifting a
finger to get it. If, however, the
war is still on or if an armistice
has Just been made and we are
IN the midst of a critical period of
transition, the Democratic party will
unquestionably offer Mr.. Roosevelt
the nomination, and he will accept
The same emergency circumstances
that prompted him to break the
two-term tradition would doubtless
influence him to do it again and
then the American people can de-
eide the issue at the polls, where
questions of tradition and prece-
dent can be given due consideration
But Mr.. Roosevelts acquiescence
In the middle of war to a campaign
for fourth term will injure his
prestige as commander in chief and
impair national unity. Now that his
partisans say that he is to be
renominated IF the war is still on"
1t will be said that the administra-
ton, wanting to see the war pro-
longed, has not eXerted itself and
Is not eXerting itself now to the
utmost to bring the war to an end
Eor tho