The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1944-07-13
Washington, July 8

Washington, July s
Apparently Mr.. Wendell Willkie
broods more bitterly as the weeks
go by. Time seems not to heal his
wounded spirit nor assuage his per-
sonal disappointments Nor does it
lessen the acute pain of the exceed
ingly unfortunate position into which
he has worked himself. The question
of how he is to get out with any cred
it to himself seems one to which he
is as far from an answer as ever.
Friendly newspapermen and pol
iticians who have seen Mr.. Willkie
since the Republican convention re-
port him still wrestling with his con-
science and his principles but not
quite sure in which direction they
arc going to propel him. They also
report him as resentful toward some
of his best friends, now enthusiastic
cally, supporting Governor Dewey
full of animosity toward writers who
have ventured to regard his attitude
as not admirable, and, in addition,
to be developing strange persecut-
ion complex which makes him feel
that some people arc trying to
dragon" him into support of the
ticket. that he is being Threatened
with punishment" that terrible press
ure is being put on him. that "heaven
and earth" arc being moved to make
him fall in line.
JUST WHO are these persons
who arc trying to dragon" him,
what kind of punishment is threaten
ed, whence comes this awful pressure
and who has moved "heaven and
earth" is not in the least clear. 1t is
all very anonymous and mysterious
come straight from Mr.. Willkie,
to quote him directly. Nor do they
in their written accounts. One eX-
tremely well predisposed journalist
came away the other day with list
of four Specific and fundamental"
Willkie grievances against the Repub-
lican party, which it was declared it
would be necessary for Mr.. Dewey to
clear up before he can hope for Will
kie support.
THESE INCLUDE, of course, the
foreign policy and postwar trade
planks. concerning which one gathers
Mr.. Willkie used the word 'monstrous'
but also are included the wage and
tax planks, and finally the Negro
plank. Aside from the fact that Mr.
Dewey already has clarified and in
terpreted in fortnight way the first
two plankS. it does seem as if it re-
quires considerable straining for Mr.
Willkie to find fault with the Negro
plank, which is certainly stronger and
more specific than the plank on
which he, himself, ran in 1910. Also,
it would appear fairer for Mr.. Willkie
to wait until he sees whether the
Democrats go even as far as the Re-
publicans in promising what he thinks
should be promised to the Negroes.
HOWEVER, aside from that, it seems
Mr.. Willkie wants Mr.. Dewey to ere
nounce" the support of whatever iso-
lationists are now supporting him. Of
course, this is slightly ridiculous. 1t
ignores the fact that long before his
nomination Mr.. Dewey "renounced"-
or rather denounced the support of
the noisiest isolationist in the country
who claim the largest following
Gerald Xix. Smith. 1t ignores the fact
that Mr.. Dewey has come out as str
ongly against isolationism as Mr.
Willkie. 1t ignores the fact that the
foreign-policy plank has been inter
preted by Mr.. Dewey in terms of the
MdChlIldC utCldIdQloIl. lIoliI WHICH
Mr.. Willkie did not dissent. 1t ignores
Mr.. Dewey's pre-convention speeches.
1t ignores so much. in fact. that there
seems no sense at all in the call up
on Mr.. Dewey to "renounce" ndiv-
iduals. Certainly. there is no more
sense in that than to call on Mr..
Browder. the Communist leader,
original sponsor of the fourth term
and one of his most CONSPICUOUS sup
porters. Or, he might as well be ask
ed to "renounce" the Communistic Mr.
Hillmsn, who is running his cam
paign for the ClO and is the boss
of the Communistic American Labor
party.
YET, on top Of all this Mr. Willkie's
journalistic. friend. fresh from a long
talk with him. says that ut can be
stated without reservation" that Mr..
Willkie would like to support the De-
wey-Bricker ticket because he knows
if he bolts this time there is nowhere
to COLT isn't exactly easy to take
this seriously when linked with Mr.,
WILKES Conditions" and conversat-
l,.4 i Il ,o& IN