The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-07-15
State Press On Roosevelt

| This newspaper has watched with interest
the reaction of the states editors to Mr.
be a candidate for the presidency and il
elected, serve fourth term. Our interest
was focused upon North Carolina, rather thar
the country at large, chiefly because the Old
North State is a unit in the Solid South, and
also because we were anxious to see how
closely we were in agreement with the pre-.
vailing editorial sentiment.
From the dailies of North Carolina which
have arrived and their comments on the sub
ject it is noticeable that with few exceptions
there is distinct tendency to view a fourth
term with Apprehension and in some cases
with actual alarm.
For the most part North Carolina editors
feel that Mr.. Roosevelt has employed his ex.
ceptional adroitness to maneuver himself into
| a position which left the Democratic party
without another leader. One outstanding ex-
ception is the Asheville Citizen which de.
clares that in the unusual circumstances the
President has deported himself we'll He has
said what everyone expected him to say. But
he has said it in manner which will acquit
his war leadership, his sincese striving for
wartime unity and . manwest anxiety for
workable postwar world ORDER In strong
contrast to this, the Rocky Mount Telegram
points out the Presidents egoism which many
view as the equivalent of actual megaloma-
nia), saying:
Mr.. Roosevelt apparently believes that
! the United States can not get along with
out him. That is the conclusion one might
draw from his statement that he would
like 10 retire but will seek office if the
| people want him. Nothing is further from
the truth. He wants to be President. It
| he did not nothing could put him back
| in the White House. He wants it at the
cost of sacrificing democracy nd the
principals of individual freedom. To
achieve this end he has built up an elab-
crate system of governmental control
which he hopes will seal the matter for
| him.
The war rests in the hands of our mill
tary leaders. Only the blind would refuse
| to admit that we have one grand mess
on the home front. Twelve years of one
thing is proof enough that we need a
change.
In the same vein the Greensboro Daily News
says, 1T can be said, in frankness as well
as sympathy that some share of the neces-
sity for his having to 90 on in a role from
which he would avowedly like to retire de-
rives from the one-man government which
we have had and the Discrimination to de-
velop other presidential material
Declaring Mr.. Roosevelt's announcement in
his letter to National Chairman Hannegan is
not news, the Durham Herald believes the
aforesaid letter is adriotly written with all
the fine elements of the personal and patri-
otto blended. 1t has every essence of good
political strategy mingled with fine words of
national loyalty. - The Charlotte Observer
however, takes exception to the letter, find
ing something abhorrent in politicians COM
pairing themselves with Warriors, and add
ing the parallel is more fancifu than &C.
tual, egotistic than altruistic''
The Observer submits that Mr. Roosevelt
has allowed fourth term speculations to de-
velop into concerted voice, thereby giving
his personal approval and assent to the re-
nominating movement" and agrees with the
Greensboro Daily News concerning his per-
sonal domination of the party, saying:
The President has been SO overshadow.
lngly in complete command Of his own
party leadership that every other potential
Inquire In its higher ranks that might con-
celvaby have been developed into Presi-
Dental calibre during his successive ten
ures in office have been blocked out
ridden down and submerged into hardly
more than political dwarfs
The High Point Enterprise weaves it's COM
ment in the same pattern 1T should be OBJ
vlous to everyone who has observed Mr. Roose-
velt's super-salesman-ship during the last
eleven and a half years that he is sincere
In what he said yesterday that he believes
that he is almost indispensable that he
alone, is tit by experience and ability to serve
as President throughout the rest of the war
and that he, alone, can adequately represent
the United States at the peace table" saws
the Enterprise and then adds:
But regardless of the sincerity of the
Presidents position, we cannot forget how
neuvered it,
Inc declaration of the President that he will
not run In "a partisan political sense" leads
the Greensboro Record to note that this .does
MOI, OF course, necessarily mean that F.DR
WILL leave matters to take their course with