Evening star., 1944-11-10


ton Of the war
and postwar
foreign policy Frank R. Kent.
are concerned the campaign has in
creased rather than diminished the
national unity and purpose.
Already Gov. Dewey has made 1t
clear that this is his attitude and
Republican members Of Congress
will do well to demonstrate by their
course that Mr.. Roosevelt's charge
Of an intention on their part to
erect spite fence" against him was
. campaign canard as unworthy as
1t was unfounded.
The cause of world collective
security league today has behind 1t
far more united Nation than
before. Fair-minded men on the
winning side will agree that Gov.
Dewey's strong stand on this ques-
tion greatly contributed to that
happy fact. They will also re-
member that Isolationist Hamilton
Fish, beaten for reelection, had
been repudiated by Mr.. Dewey as
well as by Mr.. Roosevelt.
Entitled to Support.
Actually the contest, violent
though it was, would seem to have
promoted the final surrender and
the prospects of permanent peace,
not because Mr.. Roosevelt was
elected, but because the character
Of the fight brought the people more
into unity on war and peace. Except
in detail, there were no real diff
ferences on these things between the
candidates. And on them Mr.. Roose-
welt is now entitled to Republican
rs well as Democratic support
However, there is no sense in
being mawkish about the outcome.
Nor is there any excuse for the
hypocritical laudations OF Mr..
Roosevelt which are coming from
some who had the soundest of rea-
sons for opposing him. Those reaso{fs
still exist. The election has not
changed them. Nor has it changed
Mr.. Roosevelt or his chief hackers.
At the moment the more blatant
administration spokesman are being
very noble indeed. The outcome is
attributed to the fundamental in
telligence Of the American people"
who refused to be "deluded" or
"misled" by the "misrepresenta-
tions" Of the opposition!
Disregarding the fact that he was
frightened into abandonment of his
announced intention not to cam
paign in the usual partisan sense"
and went to desperate extremes,
such as the shameful use of the
name of the late AL Smith, who in
tensely disliked and distrusted him,
In an effort to wheedle the Boston
Catholic voters, Mr.. Roosevelt has
now climbed back on his pedestal
and, as usual, is disposed to regard
his victory as a triumph of virtue
and wisdom, as exemplified in him.
self
His radical friends rejoice that
the administration will continue in
the domestic direction they desire
and believe that that is the way the
country wants to go. And, naturally,
Mr.. Hillman and his CIO-PAC have
reason to consider that they were
the authentic voice of the people
and for the next four years this
will be far more of a labor Govern
ment than 1t ever was before.
In brief, they are all convinced
that the reelection of Mr.. Roosevelt
stamps him with the unqualified ap-
proval of great majority of the
American people.
Idea Does Not Square"
But that idea does not square
with the facts or the figures. Aside
from the immense advantage of his
position as Commander in Chief
with the war still in progress ex-
animation of the returns shows that
Mr.. Roosevelt could not have OBJ
tanned either an electoral or a popu-
lar majority. except for four things.
l. The solid South, which, because
Of the Democratic label, started him
of with 116 electoral votes, but was
full of resentment toward him;
2. The enormous Federal job
holder vote concentrated in the big
electoral States;
8. The almost solid Negro vote,
which he took over in 1886 and still
holds;
4. The Communist controlled
American Labor party of New York,
to which he owes the Al electoral
votes of that State.
s. The patronage-fed city bosses
IN the big cities, which in every
State outside of the South furnished
his majorities.
These things were true of Mr..
Roosevelt's election four years ago;
they are more true Of this one. 1t
isn't true that the bulk of the people
favor Mr.. Roosevelt's domestic
policies. There hasn't been a time
since 1896 when that was so. But
the war and the party label made
1t impossible to get the anti-New
Dealers all together behind an op-
posing candidate. There was never
q presidential candidate for whom
more people dncluding some in his
own official family voted more re-
luctantly.
To striking degree this election
sustains the conviction that given
more than two terms in the presi-
dency, q man can become so in
trenched that he can almost per-
petuate himself in Office. Certainly
1t proves Mr.. WILKES 1910 con-