Evening star., 1944-09-25
Roosevelt Speech Seen
As Lacking in Dignity
Hit Below Belt in Attack on
Dewey, Observer Believes
By David Laurence

AeWey, ODSeTVeT DelleVeS
By David Laurence
If President Roosevelt's nrst avowedly
political speech OF the campaign is a
fair sample OF what is to be offered
hereafter as the argument for q fourth
term, then the American people may
anticipate . presentation lacking in
both dignity and enlightenment.
Maybe this type Of speech would
have beer all right in 1882 or 1886, or
even in 1910, but it is disappointing
utterance, coming as 1t does, from the
lips of the commander in chief of the
United States Army and Navy and from
the man who says he really would pre-
fer not to run at all but feels he must
because the Nation is in the midst OF a
war crisis.
About the best thing in Mr.. Roose-
velt's speech was his defense Of his dog,
Fala, which was an amusing and we'll
deserved rebuke for those who have
been making attacks that are unworthy
on Mr.. Roosevelt, his wife and, as he
adds, now on his dog.
Hitting Below Belt.
But the average listener might have
been led to believe that Mr.. Dewey was
making such attacks, which is not the
case at all In fact, Mr. Roosevelt was
hitting below the belt when he accused
Mr.. Dewey of using the Hitler and
Goebbels technique of "misrepresenta-
ton" If the President had confessed
that Mr.. Dewey was adopting the Roose-
welt technique of political campaigning
and he had added on that point that
imitation was the sincerest form Of
fiattery, it would have been more ac-
curate
When 1t comes to Misrepresentation,
abound in political distortions. Thus
to 60 back as he did last Saturday night
and emphasize that since Pearl Har-
Dor, only one-tenth Of per cent Of
man hours have been lost by strikes is
to repeat perhaps the biggest single
piece of Misrepresentation on the home
front during the entire war. Again and
again as vitality needed propellers and
parts for airplanes have been delayed
In reaching our armed forces because
Of strikes, the number of man hours
lost has been inconsequential in COM
parison with total war production but
the aid given Hitler and the enemy has
been very consequential
The independent voters, however.
aren't misled. They know full we'll
that the war effort was damaged by
the incompetence of Mr.. Roosevelt's ad-
ministration of the labor problem. Un-
impeachable testimony has come on this
point from men who served in the
Roosevelt administration and resigned
in disgust-men who are neither Re
publicans nor labor baiters. And one
of them is William M. Leiserson, whose
indictment of Mr.. Roosevelt's labor pol
icy or lack Of it stands unanswered
Speech Won't Win Votes.
Mr.. Roosevelt properly rebuked MI
Dewey for his ill-considered remark
about aid to Gen. Macarthur but when
it comes to setting forth fairly just
what the opposition to the soldier-vot-
ing law did the President convenientlr
forgot that the members Of his ovr
party from the South contributed the
deciding votes in Congress against tho
soldier-voting proposal as it came from
the administration.
Speaking of forgetfulness. Mr. Roose-
welt went back to quote Mr.. Dewey,
ill-advised comments against the lease
lend bill in 1910 but If this Is to be
a campaign Of resuscitated quotations.
Mr. Dewey will be found recalling the
most foolish looking comment in retro
spect made in 1910, namely the COM
ment by President Roosevelt in June.
1910 that Congress might as well 60
home since there was nothing I'M
portant left TO be done Actually the
Republicans kept Congress in session
and billions were appropriated a.
France fell and the country demandet
immediate action on the program fo,
$4,000 or more airplanes for which Nj
Roosevelt now takes so much credit
The Roosevelt speech portrays tho
Democratic candidate as picayunish anG
apprehensive. 1t isn't the kind Of speech
that will win votes The President will
be lucky If it doesn't cost him votes.
for he isn't keeping his first promise
which was not to campaign in the
usual political sense" He Is cam
paigning in the most political sense
and that's a disadvantage for a nom
inee seeking to appear disintereste
and as a man reluctantly accepting
Gro Fl nv 10 Y,opplo for Fo,rtL tor,