Evening star., 1944-09-21

grabbed by the LoWeh Meiie't.
Detroit Tigers the night before.
There's an idea in this for tht
candidate now combing the country
In search of an issue, an idea thai
fits in perfectly with his plan ol
campaign. His plan provides fol
very few public speeches, for very
little meeting with the masses, but
for intimate sessions in each city
with local leaders who have loca
grievances to air. The candidate
then has a press conference ano
comes out for or against whatever
they seem to be for or against In
that neighborhood The correspond
ents covering the coast-to-coast
trip have described the method In
detail. They find it fascinating, but
they wonder whether it is going tc
work.
In the opinion of this seasoned
political observer it may work if the
candidate can find enough COM
munities with grievances. The corn
belt and the cattle country, enjoy
ing unprecedented prosperity, re-
Sponded satisfactorily to the sug-
gestion that they are badly abused
The Sioux Indians were impressed
by the candidates understanding of
their wrongs, although he didn't
quite promise to give the country
back to the Indians.
Not Many Votes.
But these groups don't add up to
enough votes. The votes can be
found, however, in certain big cities.
These are the cities: St. Louis,
Detroit, New York. Boston, Phila-
delphia, Cleveland, Chicago-the
whole American League, minus
Washington. Washington has as
good a grippe as any, to be sure, but
Washington doesn't vote. The
grievance, in each city, is that the
New Deal isn't doing a thing to
help the home baseball team.
Take Cleveland, for example
After a talk with the local leaders,
including the sports writer's, the
candidate would have his daily ses-
sion with the press. 1t would 60
something like this:
Governor. would you care to COM
ment on the desperate state of af-
fairs in the American League?" a
friendly reporter would ask.
II think my views are fully
known" the candidate would reply.
LAS said in my acceptance speech,
the national pastime should not be
an issue. it should be kept entirely
out of politics. The American peo-
pie will not permit baseball to be
made political football. But there
IS the case of Bob Feller, with
which you are as familiar as I am.
Any one who has watched the
matchless military campaign he is
waging in the Southwest Pacific"
That's another feller, Governor" 4"
one Of the unfriendly reporters in
terrupts.
"Ha, ha. yes: my mistake" the
candidate laughs graciously. About
Bob Feller-it ought to be clear to
any administration not lost in the
planned confusion of its own red
tape, that Cleveland needs Bob Fell
Ter, has needed him all season, needs
him now. There is such a thing as
the indispensable man! Yet the
Government. in reckless disregard of
Clevelands need, keeps him in the
Army"
Slight Case of Error.
Hes in the Navy, Governor, a
neutral reporter suggests.
Mr.. Roosevelt is Commander in
Chief Of the Navy, as we'll as the
Army" the candidate snaps.
He lets that sink In and then he
adds:
L make no differences. of course.
but you can draw your own conclu-
sions.'
That's the way it would be done.
There are similar grievances In
every ore of the seven cities. And
thousands of votes.
But that isn't the full beauty of