Evening star., 1944-07-12


much of it is worth anything. Large
". it comes from amateurs and wish
full thinkers.
Every man who ever ran for Presi-
dent has had his share of this, but
little of it ever gets to the candidate
personally. If he is properly or
eanized. the loads of unsound ad-
vice are received. acknowledged,
analyzed by competent aides and
only such suggestions as seem really
significant passed on to the man
making the fight.
However impracticable as most OF
the suggestions are, there are two
things to be said about them. One
is that their quantity is true meas
ure of the interest in a candidacy.
The other is that they often show
trends in national thought which
have not been fully appreciated by
party leaders.
It is therefore interesting to note
the report emanating from the little
group by whom Mr.. Dewey is sur
rounded-frst, that the volume Of
mail advice exceeds all expectations;
second, that an extraordinary per-
centage of these advisers assail the
CIO and the Communistic American
Labor party and strongly urge him
to make their sponsorship of the
Roosevelt foul th-term effort an out
standing issue of his campaign.
Aides Impressed.
1t can be safely said that this sug-
gestion has reached Gov. Dewey
personally. 1t can be said further
that its soundneSs has greatly i'm
pressed some of his closest aides
who insist that to adopt it is not
only a sure way to get votes but a
duty which the Governor should not
and. in all probability, cannot avoid.
Thus, he is urged to act boldly,
not only because it is good politics
but also because it is right. More
often than one would think, the two
things are the same. Less often
does a candidate for high Office
have the shrewdness to recognize it
when they are or have the courage
to do the right thing and take the
risk.
There is reason to believe that
Gov. Dewey has both the shrewd-
ness to do the one and the courage
to do the other At any rate, there
is a growing belief that about Sep
tember he will meet this CIO buSi-
ness head on and do his best to
open the popular mind to its full
implications.
In support of this purpose some
interesting arguments are advanced:
% The CIO and the American
Labor party, with its Communist
affiliates, being 100 per cent for Mr..
Roosevelt anyway, to challenge them
openly cannot possibly lose Gov.
Dewey any votes.
20 The clearer it is made that
Mr. Hillman and his CIO Political
Action Committee are not only run
ming but financing the Roosevelt
campaign. the greater will be the
reaction among the voters who re-
sent the domination of this admins
tration by the professional labor
bosses.
80 The Political Action Commit
tee is circulating by the million a
weekly newspaper whose gross dis
tortions of the truth border on the
libelous. It's scurrilous attacks are
we'll calculated to poison the minds
of the workers. Smear is far too
mild name for what this publi-
cation is doing and the only way to
vaccinate against it Is to take off the
gloves and hit it hard.
1t is further argued that under
the circumstances if the fourth term
is successful it will put the most
extreme radical labor faction in full
control of the Government. For the
first time it would have nominated
and elected a President and would
have a right to regard him as its
President.
AbhOrrent to People.
That he would be so no one who
knows the record or recalls the
words Of his Attorney General can
really doubt. Once fully understood
it Is contended, this prospect would
be abhorrent to the great bulk of the
American people.
Certainly it should be distasteful
to the leaders of the AFL already
relegated to the rear so far as the
administration is concerned. Nor
should it appeal to the men in the
armed services, outraged by the
hundreds of strikes by which wal
production has been slowed down
and held up.
There does seem an opportunity
here for Gov. Dewey. Beyond all
question this country is not in ac-
cord with what these radical CIO
leaders have cone politically, are
doing and plan to do. Beyond all
question. this country is not in favor
= of Government domination by CIO
= bosses. Beyond all question, though
1t is plain enough, the American
people do not realize what Roosevelt
success this time would do for the
CIO and Communist leaders.
Gov. Dewey can gain nothing but
p lose much by shrinking from the
task of showing them. He should
take it on as friend of labor, max
ing his attack not upon unions and
not upon the union membership but
upon the group of selfish, blatant
power-greedy bosses who are ex-
plotting the workingman and the
Nation for the benefit of themselves
and of their Communistic ideas.
What reaction Gov Dewey will gel
depends, of course, upon the force
skill and courage with which he pre-
sents the case. Considering his
record as a district attorney, this
ought to be his dish-and there is
plenty of factual material at hand.