Evening star., 1943-04-09

from seeking or Y
accep ting an David Lawrence.
elected position.
President Roosevelt says he knew
nothing about the order. Secretary
Stimson accepts full responsibility
for it. Senator Vandenberg, Re-
publican. of Michigan, thinks the
order, strictly interpreted, would
bar Mr.. Roosevelt from running for
fourth term.
This is a serious question to pre-
cipitate now, because many persons
really want Mr.. Roosevelt to run
for fourth term and 1t would be,
IN their mind, calamity If he
isn't renominated and reelected
But Mr.. Vandenbergs interpre-
tation, 1t may be stated in re-
assurance to the Presidents sup
porters. is not technically correct
Examination of the language of
the order reveals that no military
officer on active duty may become
a candidate for or seek or accept
election'to any public office not held
by him when he entered upon active
duty"
Excludes Roosevelt.
This plainly excludes Mr.. Roose-
velt from the restriction, because
he certainly held the office of
President when he entered upon
his "active duty" as Commander In
Chief of the Army in time of war.
So Mr.. Roosevelt is safe from the
effects OF the War Department
order and, even though he did not
know about it in advance, it is a
TACT that some one who drafted the
order was not unmindful of the
situation OF the present incumbent.
1t is puzzling to many that there
should be any active Army officers
who still hold public office but pre-
sumsbly Mayors and Governors and
members Of State legislatures who
have entered on active dutv in the
Army are the ones Secretary Stim-
son has in mind. 1t will be recalled
that members of Congress last year
started asking for leave of absence
from their constituencies to serve in
the Army, and Mr.. Stimson had to
issue an order declaring that legis-
iators, whether in Congress or in
the States, must choose between
their two Jobs.
AS A matter OF fact, the Constitu-
ton of the United States says that
members OF Congress cannot hold
office In any other branch of the
Government at the same time that
they are In the Senate or House.
Consolidates Orders.
To avoid the entanglements
among the many local Offices
throughout the country, where
members of the armed forces might
consent to run at home for posi-
tions to be filled at some later date
or under some special leave of
absence arrangement, the War De-
partment has had to promulgate
regulations. There always have been
restrictions as to the extent to
which officers on active duty could
become involved In political mat
ters. The new regulation was
aimed to consolidate all previous
orders
There has been recently ma
ttonwide discussion about a mill
tary man as a possible candidate for
the presidency. Some Republicans
have thought in terms of Gen,
Douglas Macarthur If between
now and June, 1914, Mr.. Roosevelt
were, by the hand of fate, taken
from Office and Vice President Wal
lace succeeded, it seems certain that
the Democrats would begin think
ing, too, in terms of a military man
to take charge of the conduct of the
war.
To say now that an officer on
active duty is prohibited from &C
cepting election to any public office
not held by him when he entered
active duty is going a bit too far,
and 1t seems plausible that this
phraseology can be amended by
Secretary Stimson. The order can
we'll remain a prohibition against
the seeking of public office. The
War Department can readily be the
Judge Of whether any officer allows
his name to be used or otherwise
encourages the customary political
activity in which candidates indulge
even when they profess not to be
active candidates.
Macarthur Clarified Status.
Gen. Macarthur is too interested
In winning the war to permit his
name to be used in any primary or
in any political campaign. He dis
avowed political ambition in a