Evening star., 1944-05-07


Ohio had more demonstrable strength.
Stassen ran second in the Wisconsin
primary, in which he captured four
delegates, and he won the preferential
primary in Nebraska, but even his own
Minnesota delegation may not stay with
him to the end. It will be controlled
by Roy Dunn, who has been aligned
with the Republican Old Guard, and
not by the Stassen progressives.
Some of Wendell WILKES former
supporters may 60 to Stassen but,
strangely enough, he was more of
presidential possibility with Willkie in
the contest, where Willkie could help
block Dewey, than he is now, with the
1910 nominee on the sidelines.
Fortnight Public Stand.
This does not mean that Stassen's
candidacy will not have its effect on the
Republican convention. His fortnight
and public stand on important domestic
and international issues is challenge
to all the other candidates and some of
his clearly expressed views will have to
be considered by the Platform Commit
tee.
No other candidate, Democratic or
Republican, is so courageously on record.
Some of his more etimid supporters claim
that he has been "too detailed too
soon" Whether one agrees with Stas-
sens solutions for present-day and
prospective problems, he must be given
credit for exposing his answer to public
debate.
He does not believe the Republicans
should win the White House, even if
they could, by adopting safe" atti-
tude toward controversial issues.
"This may be the way for the Re-
publican party to win, though 1 doubt
it," he wrote just before going into the
Navy. "But it is certainly way for
the country to lose. When divergent
views are CLOSED over, when men re-
main silent on controversial issues, when
proposals are meaningless generalities,
capable of several interpretations, the
result is a spineless platform and an
anemic party. This is not the 1920s.
"Others favor policy of silence for
Republican party does not declare it
self before winning the election, then,
after the election is won, that party can
be used as vehicle to turn Blackjack
to the old predepression order. Their
vision of the American future is COM
pounded out of their yearning for
restoration of the American past-for
return to the days before social security
programs; before strong and legally pro-
tected labor unions; before regulated in
vestment banking.
Details World Views.
But those days, too, are gone for
ever. The people want a rebirth of
forthrightness and the world needs a
fortnight America. The Republican
party can prove itself match for the
times only by being fortnight, direct
and constructive"
Taking his own advice Stassen has
been fortnight, direct and construc-
tive. Next to Clarence Streit and Ely
Culbertson, he has presented the most
detailed plan for participation by this
country in a postwar world association
Of free peoples, based on continuation
of war unity by the United States, Great
Britain, Soviet Russia and China. His
plan is infinitely more politically prac-
ticable than Streits Federal Union or
Culbertson's World Peace Foundation,
Inc. Compared with the oficial Re-
publican Mackinac Island declarations,
it is what an architects blueprint is to
child's drawing of house.
Stassen has no fear of the words
American sovereignty" He wants a
limited world government of delegated
powers above the national level; all
powers not delegated to the world gov
ernment would remain within the ma
tional governments
Il do not propose" he says, that, as
Americans, we should place all our eggs
in the international basket. But the
time has certainly come for us to place
some of them there. There they may
hatch something better than frequent
and constantly more devastating wars"
AS tentative answer, put forth to
attract examination, criticism and dis
cussion, Stassen has proposed that:
Through gradual development, over
q period of years, we should reach a
point eventually where United Nations
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