Evening star., 1944-07-01
Says Dewey lmpresses
Newsmen FuvorubIy
Candidate Passed His First Test
at Press Parlsy, Says Writer
By David Lascrsnce

Candidate Passed His First Test
at Press Parlsy, Says Writer
By David LascrsSce
CHICAGO, July National con-
ventions may shout themselves hoarss
with enthusiasm for their nominees,
but 1t Is not until the writing menu
bers of the press, whose duty 1t Is to
scrutinize the words and acts of public
men. take good look at the candidate
and appraise him that he really can
say he has arrived" :.
Gov. Dewey of New York passed
his first examination with . high mark.
Almost unanimously the newspaper
correspondents afterward remarked
that he had handled himself we'll"
What the reporters really meant was
that, however they may differ as to
the views or points of view that the
Republican nominee has expressed or
will express in the campaign, they re-
gard him as a man with an unusually
keen mind and one who Knows his
way around" +
In way this is not surprising be.
cause any one who has served as prose.
cutting attorney in the biggest city In
the country and as Governor Of the
most populous State in the Union
knows something about how to deal
with the reporters and how to conduct
himself in press conference.
Direct and Forthrirht
1t was not what Gov. Dewey said in
answer to the questions that was par.
ticularly important. He really gave
out no news that was not pretty well
foreshadowed by previous speeches, but
1t was his repartee, his method of
handling the questioners, that evoked
the favorable comment. What news
papermen like is directness and forth
rightness. They do not ask their ques-
tions out Of sheer curiosity, or any
conscious desire to embarrass the
public men, but because they feel it
their duty to ask the very same ques-
tions to which the average citizen would
want to know the answers
Gov. Dewey revealed that he has an
orderly mind. He gives the impression
OF deliberateness, and yet he does not
hesitate in expressing his views. The
real reason is that he has thought
pretty much about national affairs and
knows about the general line of ques-
tioning that will be put to him.
Many of the questions, II fumbled,
could have led to embarrassing situa-
tions. Gov. Dewey knows, undoubtedly,
what was behind many of the questions
the factional differences in the party,
or perhaps an involvement in q con-
troversy over something that the ad.
ministration is doing that has wide
spread approval. AL these tricks of
press conferences seemed to be in Gov.
Dewey's mind, and when 1t was all over,
the members of the press had found
some one who could handle himself in
press conference just as well as Presi-
dent Roosevelt. And that is saying q
great deal. For without question. Mr..
Roosevelt has been the most successful
of any President in dealing with the
writing members of the press.
Like Judge on Bench.
One hears it said that Gov. Dewey
has a certain coolness-a quiet dignity
and that there is distance between
him and those with whom he deals, al
though one could never accuse him Of
being unpleasant or unfriendly. 1t is
simply that he has a certain sternness
which is calculated. either consciously
or unconsciously, to keep folks at q
distance. He Is more like q Judge on
the bench than a political candidate.
He apparently has the qualities Of fair
ness that would make him a stern Judge
as against any wrongdoer, but . fair
Judge as against one with just cause.
Gov. Dewey has shown himself,
moreover, in his conference with the
press to be skillful. He knows the ma
tional platform is full of compromises,
but he intends to interpret that plat
form in accordance with the views
which he thinks are held by the vast
majority of the American people. He
is inclined to follow public opinion,
rather than to try to mold 1t. He Is Q
different type from Mr.. Roosevelt.
If he should be elected President, he
doubtless would pick able men As
subordinates. delegate authority to
them, and expect them to be efhcient,
or be dismissed. 1t is very doubtful
whether, If Mr.. Dewey is elected Presi-
dent, cabinet members would be per-
mitted to serve indefinitely, long after
they had outlived their usefulness. lust
because they happened to be personal
friends of the Chief Executive. Gov.
Dewey will not run a personal Govern
ment-he will look upon it as the pub
lies business, not his own.
Those are the first impressions de-
rived this week in talking to people
who know him. 1t remains to be seen
now whether Gov. Dewey correctly in
terprets public opinion and whether he
can overcome the biggest obstacle of
the campaign-the national objection of
the people to change of administra-
ton In the middle of the war.
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