Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-09-24

tollotps::
Well, here we are together
again-after four years-and
what years they have been! I
am actually four years older
which seems to annoy some
people. In fact, millions of us
3 are more than IL years older
than when we strated in to clear
up the mess that was dumped in
our laps in 1888.
We all know certain people
who make it a practice to de-
preciate the accomplishments of
labor-who even attack labor as
unpatriotic. They keep this up
usually for three years and six
months. But then, for some
strange reason, they change
their tune-every four years
just before election day. When
votes are at stake. they suddenly
discover that they really love la
Dor. and are eager to protect it
from its old friends.
I got quite a laugh, for ex-
amp1e-and I am sure that you
did-when I read this plank in
the Republican platform adopted
at their National Convention in
Chicago last July:
1.-The Republican Party &C
cepts the purposes of the Ma
tional Labor Relations Act, the
Wage and Hour Act, the Social
Security Act and all other Fed
eral statutes designed to promote
and protect the welfare of Amer
lean working men and women,
and We promise fair and just
administration of these laws"
Calls COP Inconsistent.
Many of the Republican lead
ers and Congressman and candi-
dates, who shouted enthusiastic
approval of that plank in that
convention hall, would not even
recognize these progressive laws
If they met them in broad day.
light. Indeed, they have person.
ally spent years of effort and
energy-and much money-in
fighting every one of those laws
in the Congress, in the press, and
in the courts, ever since this Adj
ministration began to advocate
them and enact them into legis-
lation. That is a fair example
of their insincerity and of their
inconsistency.
The whole purpose of Republic
can oratory these days seems to
be to switch labels. The object
is to persuade the American
people that the Democratic party
was responsible for the 1929 crash
and depression, and that the Re-
publican party was responsible
for all social progress under the
New Deal.
Imitation may be the sincerest
form of flattery-but I am afraid
that in this case 1t is the most
obvious common or garden vari-
ETY. of fraud.
Elephants Don't Do Handsprings.
There are enlightened, liberal
elements in the Republican
party, and they have fought hard
and honorably to bring the party
up to date and to get it in step
with the forward march of
American progress. But these
liberal elements were not able to
drive the Old Guard Republic
cans from their entrenched posi-
tons.
Can the Old Guard pass itself
of as the New Deal?
I think not.
We have all seen many marvel
Oils stunts in the circus, but no
performing elephant could turn
a handspring without falling fiat
on his back.
I need not recount to you the
centuries of history which have
been crowded into these four
years since I saw you last.
There were some-in the Con-
gress and out-who raised their
voices against our preparations
for defense-before and after
1939-as hysterical war monger-
ing. who cried out against our
help to the Allies as provocative
and dangerous. We remember
the voices. They would like to
have us forget them now. But
In 1910 and 1941 they were loud
voices. Happily they were a
minority and - fortunately for
ourselves, and for the world
they could not stop America.
Some Kept Heads Buried"
There are some politicians who
kept their heads buried deep in
the sand while the storms of
Europe and Asia were headed
our way, who said that the lend
lease bill would bring an end to
free government in the United
States" and who said only
hysteria entertains the idea that
Germany, Italy or Japan con-
template war upon U.s." These
very men are now asking the
American people to intrust to
them the conduct of our foreign
policy and our military policy.
What the Republican leaders
are now saying in effect is this:
"Oh, just forget what we used to
say, we have changed our minds
now-we have been reading the
public opinion polls about these
things, and we now know what
the American people want.
Don't leave the task of making
the peace to those old men who
first urged it, and who have al
ready laid the foundations for it,
and who have had to fight all
of us inch by inch during the last
five years to do it-just turn it
all over to us. Well do it so
skillfully-that we won't lose a
single isolationist vote or a single
1solationist campaign contribu-
ton"
Can't Talk on Both Sides.
There is one thing I am too
old for-1 cannot talk ousof both
sides of my mouth at the same
time.
This Government welcomes all
sincere supporters of the cause
of effective world collaboration in
the making of a lasting peace.
Millions Of Republicans all over