Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-10-23
BEHIND
The News
BY Paul
MaIIon

w Dear flenQ Nj lou
say you think Mr.. Roosevelt is
the greatest liberal leader since
Lincoln, that his experience IN
war is needed 10 conclude the
conflict VIGOROUSLY. and this
same experience in international
affairs is necessary for postwar
peace negotiations with Stain
and Churchill. and therefore
YOU are going to vote for the
President again. You ask me
what / intend 10 do.
| have never before said how
I intended to vote. II did not
seem 10 me TO be the business
of any one. To do so is VIOLA
ton of the privacy of American
balloting. But l do not mind
telling you this time l expect
to vote for Dewey. And l am so
sure of my ground l will tell
you why.
MIR Roosevelt may, as you
say. have been the greatest lib
eral politician since Lincoln.
But what liberal principle is at
stake in this election Name
one. Just one. There are none.
In fact. the liberals on Mr..
Roosevelt's coat tails have suf-
fered the same decadence as all
successful reform movements.
They have turned anti-demo-
cratic. pro-totalitarian. against
individual freedom and rights,
in favor even of dictatorship by
themselves. With the power of
wealth so efficiently crushed in
our country, these liberals have
fed themselves fat and flabby
on power for II years and be-
come the real reactionaries of
our era.
VNHE true liberal is the man
Il who fights against the in
justices of his time from what
ever source they come. The
iniustices of this administration
are woven into its ties with
seekers for special privilege and
with corrupt political machines.
Formerly, when it was fresh and
liberal, ii dominated them. Now
they dominate il.
There is no New Deal. only
conglomerate aSSemblage of
seekers for special privileges
from government, now behind
this government. This is truth.
Dewey is a young reformer
who would chase the rascals out.
BY any measure of sound rea-
soning therefore he is the liberal
candidate.
/ would not vote for him for
that reason alone. if l thought
the peace would suffer one
comma omitted or victory be
delayed one hour.
Is his election necessary to
sustain a foreign policy? What
foreign policy. Name it. Are
you shying at the vague shadow
of Col. Mccormick while joy
fully swallowing the Russian
fish hook?
Mr.. Roosevelt's peace negotia-
tions have been going on since
the Atlantic Charter meeting
with Churchill. What has he
done. except to lose the Atlantic
Charter? What has been ac-
compliShed except to start to
reconceive a League of Nations,
which we could have joined any,
time in the last Is years. Is
there one new thing done which
makes you justly feel any more
secure for postwar.
I THINK Mr.. Roosevelt has
Il failed. Both Stain and
Churchill have got the better of
him. l think the facts prove
they have put it over on him
at every turn poland, Finland.
the Balkans, France, Italy, Ger
many.
A change in our leadership
would be beneficial, indeed is
necessary to keep the peace
from continuing to de-graduate
itself down TO the level of the
European politicians, the trend
il has followed without ideal
istic interruption since the char
ter was proclaimed.
Essential TO win the war?
You are not falling for that old
political lokum about the COM
mander in chief, are you? That
always has been an honorary
title for the President.
Gen. Marshall is the actual
commander in chief of the
armies and he works at il.
This is an unusual election. In
short. there is no valid reason l
can see why any one should
vote for Mr.. Roosevelt except
the great nonfighting army of
seekers for self privileges from
government who stand TO gain
personally by his continuance in
office, and no sound reason why
any one of any other viewpoint
should vote against Dewey.
Sincerely.
Paul Mallon.