The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-03-04
ny RAYMOND CHAPTER

WaShington, March 4.--somebody HAd the awkwardness or bad taste Y nothing more, Co mark off tho md og President Roosevelts first aecade in once by bringing up the Mlkiect Co Q fourth term ln cons neclion with Q visit of Democratic n0litlclans to tho White House.
 one can't make out exactly what mnppened. Apparently the Demo- 1ratlo politicians did some kidding kbuut q fourth term when they saw the president on the eve of his tenth nnnlversary in ofiice The chairman of the Democratic national commit. tee, Frank Q. Walker, was along and he said that although the fourth term was mentioned, 1t was not . serious presentation and that it brought no response from the preBs iaenk. Mir. walker said he did not know whether President Roosevelt heard the remarks, and If he did, he smiled them off.
 That, at any rate, Is tho way the alfAir is reported by the White House correspondents, who arc uSu. ely pretty accurate about such things. Then Chairman Walker makes the comment that this is no tivno to discuss c candidate for lO44. That is tho redeemlng remark about tho whole business, and it is to be hoped that Mir. Walker was not merely trying to hedge against the trial balloon that no had permitted to 10 up from his own little group.
 o1e
 Judgment can well Do reserved about Q fourth term. Conditions next year may make it desirable that presldent Roosevelt continue in Of. fice beyond the end of his present term.
 But that ls not c question to Do haIiyhooed on the anniversary ot ten years in ofiice. Tho very pos. eibility that such Q situation may arise out of the war makes especlal- iy oisenslve these current rianeuyers Of Frightened Democratic politicians Co whoop him Into the nomination now.
 ! find lt Q little more reasgiring to the spirit to think of Q couple og ether events that suggest to mo the nlrength Of American democracy ifl tho midst of total war.
 One is tho stir caused by the death of tho White House peanut vendor, Steve VasilakoS, He had his peanut wagon on tho northeast White House corner for years. Al. ter Pearl Harbor he sold war bonds a well as peanuts. The point about nteve'g death iS that it has been Tes ubrted on page ono of American iiowapapers along with tho most i'm. uoEtAnt news of the day. This hufns bio man of Greek birth received Q whole editorial in the Now York Times, which is in America about MquAl to being made Q peer in Eng land. Tho Times described Steve RB q neifsrespecting business man whose career would have been i'm. pDBsihio in NaM Germany where c HeriIm peanut vendor would have to bo Q spy, c toady, or Q payer Of petty piackfnail to the destapo.
 Also suggesting the American aeEaocracy continues to function in tho midst Of total war is tho action ok tho supreme court iFl setting aside tho conviction of tho Nagi propa. gandlSt, George Sylvester Vlereck. 10 was financed with NaN money. But his conviction was set aside on techEicai grounds Of errors in trial rgcccdure. The supreme court said that tho conviction could not stand, however deserving Of punishment vlereck'g conduct might seem.
 The fact is that tho supreme court following the American tradition of rule by law ana justice, iS insisting upon Scrupulous justice even for those who do not deserve 1t.
 60 tt is hard to believe any propa. gandist who says that democracy is oa tho way out in America'S total war. You can't even get up 0 witch hunt - except against Harry Hop- kins or Paul McNutt, or some other