Evening star., 1943-04-10
The Political Mill
Public Sure to RuIIy Behind the President
In His Order to Keep Down Costs of Lvinq

long in this country. The re-
election of Mayor Kelly in Chi
cago had been expected by the
Democrats. In the first place,
Chicago is predominantly Demo-
cratic and has been for a num-
Der of years. Further, Mayor
Kelly in the main. has given Chi
cagoans good government.
There are plenty of Republicans
in the Windy City who bear tes-
timony to this - despite the
charge that the Kelly Mash ma
chine dominates the situation.
The Republicans cleaned up
in Michigan this week, eiecting a
State highway commissioner.
This was the last remnant of
Democratic control in the State.
Former Gov Van Wagner,
Democrat, was State highway
commissioner before he became
Governor, and built up strong
political organization through
the highway department.
The political strength of Wen-
dell L. Willkie - Hoosier New
Yorker and the Republican NOM
inee for President in 1s4O-has
been under attack in Indiana, his
native State. Mr.. Willkie carried
Indiana in the last presidential
election. The question now is,
will Indiana Republicans again
support him for the presidential
nomination in 1914.
The Fort Wayne News Sentinel
undertook to poll the Republican
precinct committeeman on their
choice for the presidential nomi-
nation next year, with particular
reference to Mr.. Willkie. The
committeeman were also asked a
second question: do you favor
the United States mixing ex-
tensively in foreign politics after
this warp" The Sentinel is iso-
lat!onist in sentiment and anti
Willkie. The results of the poll
were entirely in support of the
SentinePs attitude. Only 81 of
the committeeman favored Mr..
Willkie and 9l8 were opposed to
his denomination. On the second
question, lib answered in the
affirmative and 887 were against.
The total vote cast in the poll,
however, was 1000, and there are
1000 precinct committeeman.
With only Is per cent of the COM
mitteemen answering, there may
be some mystifcation as to the
attitude of the whole group.
AS matter Of fact, this point
has already been raised. Mr..
Willkie has some strong support
ers in Indiana. The Republican
organization workers in MANY of
the States have in the recent past
been strongly opposed to Mr..
Wlllkie. That is true in Ohio,
Illinois and other States as we'll
as in Indiana There are several
reasons for this. In the first
place when the 1910 campaign
was on there were the "Willkie
Clubs" organized entirely sepa-
rately from the regular Republic
can organization. There was a
good deal of jealousy. In the
second place, Mr.. WILKES atti-
tude on the foreign relations Of
this country did not please many
of the organization Republicans.
They disliked intensely his sup
port of the foreign policy of the
President.
There has been growing feel
ing among Republicans, however,
that it would be a great mistake
for the party to 60 back to the
old stand of isolationism which
1t occupied after the last war and
Tor many years. This has heen
Shown in many ways. The ques-
ton asked by the Sentinel was so
Worded that few Americans would
say Yes" 1t is one thing to mix
extensively in foreign politics.
snd quite another to join with
1orelgn nations to preserve the