Evening star., 1943-12-03
President Won't Run
For Fourth Term,
Wheeler Predicts
By the Associated Press.

"uVVIVI IVuISlJ
BY the Associated Press.
Expressing doubt that any Demo-
crat can win the presidency in 1914,
Senator Wheeler, Democrat, Of Mon
tana predicted today that President
ROOSEVELT will not be a candidate
for reelection next year, regardless
of the state of the war.
War or no war" Senator Wheeler
said in an interview, "a definite
Republican trend has set in, and
the President will be able to sense
this far more quickly than any of
his advisers.
Having had conferred on him
the greatest honor ever given a
President of the United States "a
third term) and having faced IL
long. difficult years, in my judg-
ment the President not only does
not want to run but will not run
even if an attempt is made to draft
him."
Sees Nation wide G. o. p. Trend.
Senator Wheeler, who campaigned
actively for Mr.. Roosevelt in 1892
and 1886, but was silent in 1910,
said he regarded the results of a
special congressional election in
Kentucky. where a Republican won
overwhelmingly in traditionally
Democratic stronghold, as indicative
of Nation wide trend toward the
G. O. P.
There are great many Demo-
Gratis of excellent presidential tim
ber," Senator Wheeler said, but 1
doubt that any of them can be
elected in 1914 Certainly there
isn't much hope of Democratic vic
tory unless there is a split in the
Republican party or unless Wendell
L. Willkie is the Republican NOM
tnee."
While Senator Wheeler, who has
been critical of the administra tion's
foreign policies, represents clearly
antiadministration point of view in
predicting that Mr.. Roosevelt would
not run, Senator Mead, Democrat
of New York said he believed the
President should be drafted as the
party nominee.
Praised as World Leader.
HE is the most powerful gov
ernmental leader in the world to-
day." Senator Mead declared. He
represents the most powerful coun-
try, and his leadership and pres
tige insure an expeditions termina-
ton of the war and give the best
possible assurance that we will win
the peace this time"
Il know it is tremendous sacri-
fee and physical strain that we
can hardly expect him to make"
Senator Mead said. But in this
crisis it's every man for the task"
Party Contrast Noted.
The entry of Representative Dirk
sen of Illinois into the race for the
Republican presidential nomination
drew attention to the contrasting
scarcity of Democratic candidates
caused by party leaders failure thus
far to learn whether Mr.. Roosevelt
plans to seek fourth term.
Mr. Dirksen's announcement yes
terday put him into a race where
Wendell L. Willkie, the 1910 COP
nominee, has come to be regarded
as a certain entry along with Gov.
John w. Bricker of Ohio, who has
announced, and former Gov. Harold
E. Stassen of Minnesota. whose
name will go before Nebraska voters
in a preferential primary.
The Republicans have many other
potential candidates, but no Dem
ocrat of national stature has stepped
forward yet to announce that he
will run for the presidency.
Race Decision Awaited.
Possible candidates hope, however,
that this situation will be cleared up
in the next few months, either by
Mr.. RooSevelt's announcement of
his plans or his failure to say any,
thing about fourth term.
They argue that if the President
does not intend to seek reelection
he will say so relatively early in
1914 so that his party will have an
opportunity before its national con-
vention to look over the candidates
who would like to succeed him. This
might not hold true if Mr.. Roosevelt
has his own nominee and wants to
prevent a buildup of other contend
erS
On the other hand, most of those
who keep tabs on party affairs are
convinced that if the President says
nothing for several months about
his future plans, 1t will be clear
indication that he intends to run but
won't make that fact known until
convention time.