Evening star., 1944-03-29

Tor various reasons, none of these
gentlemen is active in his own be-
half-and only one has publicly ad-
mltted that he is in a receptive
frame of mind.
Thus, Mr.. Willkie has the field
wholly to himself-and will have
until the convention meets, not only
in Wisconsin but everywhere else
except in Ohio, where Gov. Bricker
is the favorite and into which State
Mr.. Willkie will not enter. Loud
complaint is made by Mr.. Willkie
and his. supporters that this state
of affairs puts him at a disad-
vantage, in that it leaves him with
no one to debate the issues, forces
him to shadow box instead of fight
ing, permits his opponents to avoid
what he suggests would be damag-
ing conflict with him.
Reverse Is True.
Actually, of course, the reverse is
true. 1t is Mr.. Willkie who has
the advantage and his opponents
who are handicapped by their in
articulate inactivity. This fact Mr..
WiHkie is too intelligent not to
know. Certainly he has exploited
it to the full in his present drive
for delegates-and not always with
complete fairness.
For example, he knows that Gen.
Macarthur and former Gov. Stas-
sen are both precluded from active
campaigning by their Army and
Navy positions. He knows, too, that
Gov. Dewey cannot accept his chal-
lenge to debate the issues or pro-
claim his candidacy without con-
victing himself of insincerity. After
his election as Governor in 1912,
Mr.. Dewey declared he would not
be a candidate for the presidency
Probably the best evidence of the
sincerity of this statement was his
reputation few weeks ago of the
efforts of his friends in Wisconsin
to make a candidate of him in the
primaries.
He coupled this with request
that the delegates committed to
him withdraw. Admittedly, this
greatly increased Mr.. WILKES
chance of carrying the State and
decreased Mr.. Dewey's. Yet, Mr..
Willkie in a series of speeches has
managed to convey the impression
that his rivals are all hiding in
the bushes, afraid to come out in
the open, unwilling to take their
candidates. to the people.
Opponents Unable to Reply.
None of the men thus criticized
Is in position to reply to this sort
of attack. Gen. Macarthur and for
mer Gov. Stassen are in the armed
services. The Dewey position is
equally we'll known. He has not
done, and will not do, anything in
consistent with his pledge. But if,
without his connivancs. the conven-
ton drafts him he will take the po-
sition that no man is big enough to
refuse that kind of call from his
party-and accept. Debating the is
sues with Mr.. Willkie or declaring
that he seeks the nomination clearly
would be bad faith, and that is ex-
actly the thing of which the New
Dealers and the Willkie forces
would like to accuse him.
In other ways, too, Mr.. Willkie
has prof1ted by the enforced silence
of his rivals. 1t has enabled him to
picture himself as "the indispensa-
Bile man" of the Republican party;
to make predictions that, in effect,
say that if he is not nominated Mr..
Roosevelt will be elected; to voice
threats which are interpreted by
his journalistic adherentS as mean
ing he may not. support the Repub-
lican candidate if he is some one
other than himself; to intimate that
in national as well as international
matters only by nominating him
can the Republican party avoid the
dreadful brands of being isolation
ist and reactionary.
Of course, there are answers to
all these indictments, insinuations
and threats. But there isn't any one
to make the answers. The other
potential candidates at whom Mr..
Willkie hits are muzzled He has
the only megaphone. Unquestion-
ably it is big advantage, not the
least phase of which is the favor
able publicity which it permits him
to garner as he travels round the
country making speeches, meeting
people, assailing his rivals and
speaking highly of himself. In addi-
ton, Mr.. Willkie is an earnest, sin