Evening star., 1944-03-20
Wi||kie Sees Election
Lost if COP Nominates
Extreme Nationalist
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

tiid1 ulicc CouiScS are open 10 Tn
Republican party.
The first, he said, was to ador
policies of extreme nationalism an
economic conservatism; the secone
to dodge the issuesaof the day, an
the third was to adopt policie
which recognize that the Unite
States is an indissoluble part of tn
world and that there must be socia
advance within this country.
If, Mr.. Willkie said, the Repub
lican party adopts either of the frs
two courses, President Roosevelt
will be reelected.
IF, on the other hand" he con
tinued, "the party adopts the thir,
course, it is bound to win in tn
coming national election.
What happens in the coming Wis
consin Republican primary for tn
election of delegates to the party
national convention, Mr.. Willkie sal,
in an interview, may we'll determine
which of these courses the COP i
to follow. Entered in this primar,
are delegate candidates pledged II
Mr.. Willkie, to Gov. Thomas E
Dewey Of New York, to Gen. Doug
las Macarthur and to 1t. Comdr
Harold E. Stassen, former Governo
of Minnesota.
Primary's Importance Stressed.
The implication contained in Mr.
WILKES statement about the Wis.
consin primary was that if tn.
Dewey delegates or the Macarthur
delegates should win, then the vot.
ers of Wisconsin were directing the
Republican party toward one Of
both OF the first two courses. If, or
the other hand, the Willkie delegates
should prevail, then the direction
would be toward the third course
Mr.. Stassen, in the main, has gone
along with Mr.. Willkie on foreign
policy and has been a liberal on
domestic issues. The election of q
few Stassen delegates-and it is not
believed that more than a few have
chance OF election-would enhance
the trend toward the third course
If they were elected along with
Willkie delegates.
Mr.. Willkie expressed the opinion,
therefore, that the results of the
Wisconsin primary may well have
an important bearing on the action
OF the Republican National Conven-
ton next June, both In the selection
OF a presidential candidate and in
the formulation of a party platform.
What Mr.. WILKES course will be
In the event he himself is not nom
mated and a candidate who does not
represent his views Is chosen, Mr..
IWillkie so far has not disclosed. He
IS, declining to cross that bridge
until and If a decision becomes
necessary. He would have to de-
termine then whether he will go
along" with the nominee for the
sake Of maintaining party regular
ity, whether he will simply do moth
ing or whether he will oppose the
Republican nominee. Hea will be
faced with such q deciScnAs should
Gov. Dewey, Gen. Macarthur or
Gov. Bricker of Ohio be the party
choice next June. Should a candi-
date like Gov. Saltonstau of Mas
sachusetts or Mr.. Stassen be the
nominee, he could go along with
him beyond a doubt.
Absentee Candidates Opposed.
Absentee candidates are, in the
opinion OF Mr.. Willkie, an abomina-
tion. This is a point he is driving
home to his audiences as he tours
Wisconsin in search of delegates to
the Republican National Conven-
ton which will nominate the partys
choice for President. Candidates.
he holds, should be seen and heard
on the issues Of the day if they are
to win the preference of the voters.
This is Mr.. WILKES polite way
OF cracking down on the silence of
Gov. Dewey Of New York, without
using Mr.. Deweys name. Here in
Wisconsin, the New York Governor
is by his own statement not candi-
date for the presidential nomina-
ton. At the same time, is dele
gate candidates, pledged to vote for
Gov. Dewey in the national con-
vention, are running in the primary
hich takes place April 4 and four
more candidates are reckoned in
Gov. Dewey,s camp.
Two other absentee candidates,
who, like Gov. Dewey, have not ad-
mitted they are candidates, Gen
Macarthur and Mr.. Stassen, have
delegate states pledged to their sup
port. Both are in the South Pacific
1t is Mr.. Wilkes feeling that the
voters are being asked to give their
support to these three candidates
without knowing their positions on
Important public questions, both
foreign and domestic. He himself
on the other hand, is stating his
position and submitting to question
Ing as he campaigns.
Schedule Is Full.
After a rest yesterday at the
home of Gov. Goodland of Wiscon-
sin in Madison and a 9o-mile drive
to Neenah, where he spent the night
as the guest Of Jack Kimberly, head
of the Kimberly Clark paper mill
and treasurer of the Wisconsin Will
kie-for- President Committee. Mr.
Willkie started early on a day ot
strenuous campaigning
He addressed a meeting in Eagles
Hall at Oshkosh at 1890 am. His
program called for a luncheon meet
ing and speech at Fond du Lac, anc
for night meeting and address al
Ripon, birthplace of the Republican
party. His speech at Ripon, Mr.
Willkie believes, will be one of the
most significant of his campaign fol
the nomination.
The candidate, who is accompan-
led by Mrs. Willkie, has been suf-
fering from a cold since he entered
the State. While it has affected his
voice 1t has not interfered In any
way with his many engagements
His schedule is heavy one and
takes him tomorrow to Appleton
and Greenbay.
On his way to Neenah, Mr., WILL
kie stopped for an hour at g mode,
farm outside the town, where he
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