Evening star., 1944-09-20

UeteIIillIllIlS III T"~ - 1~ehs'
about 10 of the electorally important
States. This, perhaps, is discourag-
ing to those who think the election
hinges upon large issues of foreign
and domestic policy, but it never
theless is true.
For these reasons, developments
of the past few days, though they
got slight public notice, keenly in
terested the practical politicians,
who know that the bulk of the
voters are swayed by emotion rather
than reason, and that the large
group votes-and the Negroes are
the largest-have a greater solidity
and effectiveness than the so-called
independent vote.
One of these developments has
been the swing of several of the
larger and more influential Negro
newspapers from Mr.. Roosevelt to
the Republican side. Another was
the statement of Edgar G. Brown,
director of the National Negro
Council, who, recently returning
from Dallas, where he attended the
National Baptist Convention, with
which 100000 Negroes are affir-
ated. declared that a poll Of his
council showed both Northern and
Southern delegates preferring Gov.
Dewey over the President.
Bolt by Mrs. Fauset.
The third development was the
rather sensational bolt of the
Roosevelt fourth-term candidacy by
Mrs. Cyrus Bird Fauset, who has
been called 'the outstanding Demo-
cratic Negro woman leader of the
country
What made Mrs Fausets bolt
notable is, first, that in 1896 and
1910 she was director of Negro
women activities for the Democratic
National Committee: second, for the
past nine months she has been on
the staff of the committee under
the present chairman, Mr.. Hanne-
gam third, she is a friend of Mrs.
Roosevelt and was named by her as
a special assistant in 1941, when
Mrs. Roosevelt was assistant di-
rector of the Office of Civilian De-
fense.
Earlier Mrs. Fauset was an assist
ant director of education and recre-
alton programs of the WPA for
Pennsylvania. In addition, Mrs.
Fauset has held various social serv-
ice' positions and served on several
national boards, such as the YWCA
and American Friends Service Com
mittee.
Altogether there seems some
justification for regarding her de-
lection as significant. She puts it
on the ground OF principle, expresses
admiration for Governor Dewey. de-
nounces Mr.. Hannegan AS a dicta-.
torial type and thinks the interests
of her race will be best served by
the election of Republican Presi-
dent.
1t is easy to understand that these
developments have perturbed the
fourth-term managers more than
little In 1896 and in 1910, Mr..
Roosevelt had the Negro vote almost
SOlluly. now IIluCIl lie ueeUeu IL
can be seen by glance at his
majorities over Mr.. Willkie in several
Of the larger States, in which the
Negro vote is particularly heavy.
For example in New York, where
there are approximately $4,000
Negro voters, the Roosevelt margin
over Willkie was only 224000; in
Pennsylvania, where there are ap-
proximately 100000 Negro voters
the Roosevelt majority was 272 900;
in New Jersey it was 10000, in Mis-
souri, $1,000, in Illinois $4,000.
Must Have Vote to Win.
In all these States, Mr.. Roosevelt
could not have won but for the
Negro vote. Nor can he win this
time without it. That is too clear to
dispute, and it is why the fourth
termers are concerned over the
situation
Privately, those in closest touch
concede that the President will poll