Evening star., 1944-12-11
Fifth Term Race
By Roosevelt Seen
Democrats Already Have Betun
Campaign, Says Observer

Democrats Already Have beSun
Campaign, Says Observer
By Dapid Laurence
Unless soma illness or disability not
now foreseen stands IN the way, Pyesl-
dent Roosevelt will be candidate for .
fifth term.
The world crisis will not be over BY
ie4s and the problems facing the Nation
the argument of presidential experience
viii again be brought to the fore. There
are many persons who insist that the
Presidents health will not stand even
fourth term, but Mr.. Roosevelt has
rugged constitution and it appears that
the winning Of the last election served a.
tonic to him and removed the cause
of many months OF nervous worry con-
corning the outcome.
The truth u the Democratic party
has developed no candidate Of the vote
getting capacity Of Mr.. Roosevelt, and
party that has broken the third and
fourth term precedents can have no
logical reason for stopping at . fifth
term. .-..- -..
Henry Wallace Is the only man being
prominently mentioned rs = possible
nominee for ls48 but II the party sees
any chance to name Mr.. Roosevelt and
secure his acceptance Mr.. Wallace will
be brushed aside, though he would be
assured second place on the ticket.
Campaign Already Began.
These comments are prompted by .
| fact scarcely realized by the general
public, which is that the 194S presiden-
tial campaign has already begun. 1t
began this time as have the other Roose-
velt campaigns, namely on the day after
the election. Day in and day out the
publicity Of the Government agencies Ii
geared to political benefits and 1t makes
many veteran of political campaigns
smile to read that in the last campaign
the press favored the Republicans
charge made by New Dealers whose real
purpose is to smear the editorial pages
because they know they have dominated
the news pages for many years.
1t Is the front page and other news
/ fNeSS ooA AiS Zig iOdt yGAIb DcGW6Cu
elections which establishes prejudices
and wins votes. Dr. Gallup Is authority
for the comment that very little change
IN percentages was recorded In his polls
| taken just before the time of the ma
tional conventions and election day.
Other scientific surveys have convinc-
| ingly made the same point.
| The 49,,
believe they could have won the last
campaign with any other candidate or
with any other, speeches or policies. 1t
is impossible for any party to do in four
months what four years have already
done or undone. The record made BY
Republican votes on roll calls in Con-
gress during four years couldn't have
been undone by the Republican presi-
dental candidate or by the party plat
form pledges any more than an afirma-
tive program could have been publicized
by the Republican nominee In four
months as against Mr.. Roosevelts u
years Of Government publicity.
Republicans Must Act.
The Republicans, in order to win, will
virtually have to select their leader In
advance, too. They had better develop
and train Gov. Dewey and organize
steering committee Of leaders inside
and outside Congress with huge poll
tical organization In every state, active
every week OF the four year period, than
to begin arguing about rival candidates
or to wait till July, ls4s, before getting
started.
Fer one thing, money-raising and the
lending of time are no longer obstacles.
The Democratic administration has
completely demolished the Federal Cor
rupt Practices Act by allowing the CIo
unions and officials to do about as they
pleased and this opens a big loophole
for corporation executives and money
raising activities for political clubs and
organizations in every precinct in the
land The Republican politicians owe
a debt Of gratitude to the reactionary
thinking OF the Roosevelt administra-
ton on the subject of the Thousand
dollar" clubs and CIo-PAC. Elections
are won by organization and that means
time and money. Apparently the law,
as now interpreted, permits unlimited
fund raising and activity before the
conventions actually select their candi-
dates.
The f1fth-term movement will de-
velop as did the third and fourth term
movements. Mr.. Roosevelt will not
disclose his intentions in advance
Other candidates meanwhile will be
kept from splitting the party into fac
tions. The momentum of the Demo-
cratic party organization will be main
tanned and even increased with the
announced plans Of CIO-PAC to con-
tinue in operation and even to inten-
sify its political activity.
| CReprodustion Rights Rsserved)