Evening star., 1944-07-09
Pledges in Platform
Little Help to Dewey
Writer Says Fundamentals Not
Campaign Issues
By Owen l.. Scott

By Owen L. Scott
AT this stage In an election year the
officials who are closest to President
Roosevelt appear to be convinced of two
things. The first is that Mr.. Roosevelt
will accept fourth nomination. The
second is that there Is no deep-seated
feeling among the people that a change
is necessary in Washington.
There is not much that Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey, the Republican nominee, can
do about the first point. His task is to
sell this country on the need for a
change and on himself as the man who
should work that change. He has Just
four months in which to do that lob
of selling. The Job is complicated
somewhat by the fact that Gov. Dewey,
prior to his draft. had not given the
public close view Of his attitude on
the issues that influence group votes.
1t Is true, too, that If the New York
Governor Is not careful he may find
himself on the defensive, instead of on
the offensive, almost at the start of his
campaign. This situation arises from
the circumstance that the Republican
platform and Gov. Deweys first state
ments left some openings that the
Democrats now are preparing to exploit.
The Republican nominee struck out
at the old men of the Roosevelt admin
lstration. Yet the three oldest men in
once now are Secretary of War Henry
Stimson, Secretary of State Cordeu
Hull and Secretary of Commerce Jesse
Jones. All three are conservative in
viewpoint and men of much influence
IN their own right Mr.. Dewey has
sought to hedge little on Mr.. Hull but
finds himself with three platform com.
mitments, each of which is like a cha1.
lenge to battle by the Secretary of State.
Republicans promise that any more
OF the Hull reciprocal trade agreements.
designed to lower tariff barriers, must
be approved by Congress before taking
enect. Mr.. Hull always has held that
this requirement would kill the pro-
gram. Furthermore, the Republicans
pledge themselves to support a fair
protective tariff" which suggests high
tariff to many persons who have been
trying to lower tariffs After that, the
RepuDllcans premise that any interna-
tonal agreement" as well as any treaty
Will have to have approval Of two-thirds
OF the Senate and not merely major
1ty OF both houses of Congress. That
requirement might assure disapproyal
for the world agreements on money,
banking, aviation, ETC., that now are be.
ing negotiated.
II Mr.. Dewey got rid of Jesse Jones
on the ground of age now that Mr..
Jones is past 10, he would touch on
such issues as war plant disposal, sur
plus property disposal and postwar Gov
eminent lending policy. Many of the
groups back OF the Republican nominee
like the policies that Mr.. Jones has fol-
lowed and would be somewhat fearful
Of change
The Democrats are preparing to ex-
plot what they regard as some other
wide openings that Gov. Dewey may be
forced to take time to close.
Republicans are out flat-footedly for
price fixing for farm products after the
war, apparently with no time limit.
The New Deal always has SHE'D away
from permanent price fixing as too rad
lcal and as requiring too much regimen
tation for the industries that process
farm products. Congress has agreed to
fix farm prices for two years after the
war and officials already are estimating
that this guarantee may cost taxpay-
ers as much as 5000 O0o, 900 year.
At the same time, however, the Re.
publicans promise that they will bal.
ance the Governments normal budget
and will reduce taxes. If this means
that the party favors balance budget
and will achieve one, then it is difficult
to determine how taxes will be reduced.
IT it means that there will be an ordi-
nary budget which will be balanced and
an extraordinary budget which will not
be balanced, it means that the Repub-
l1cans are accepting the basic New Deal
philosophy of pump printing.
Mr.. Dewey finds, too, that his party
has saddled him with promise to end
wage freezing. Mr.. Roosevelt has shown
great political courage in resisting war
time demands for constantly higher
wages. The Republican platform prom
ises that the lid will come off wages in
a period that will be one of great
potential price imitation. That policy
would add further to production costs
IN this country. which already are high
IN relation to the rest of the world.
Employers might not like this change.
Yet If Mr.. Dewey repudiates the plat
form promise he may lose worker votes.
*** * y
The Republican party now has ac-
cepted the purposes of the New Deal
act that guarantees workers against EN-.
ployer interference in collective bargain.
ing. 1t has accepted the Wage and Hour
Act and the Social Security Act, which
1t would broaden.
AS result of party promises, Gov.
Dewey may not be able to get voters
assurance of any very broad change in
policy ii he becomes President The
changes that he would make, unless he
repudiates the party platform, would be
IN the direction Of restricting the scope
OF American participation in world at.
fairs and away from a downward tariff
adjustment to give this country's debtors
better opportunity to settle heir trade
and lease-lend debts.
What the Republican nominee can do
Is to stress the need of change that de-
velops when any party is in office for
many years and tends to develop mass
OF deadwood that needs clearing aSav