Browning chief., 1944-05-05
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Released by Western Newspaper Union.
ByRUL MALLON j

QelegateS IN Wisconsin.
The Republican leaders here con-
ceded their bad boy" generally
from 10 to IA. Even the Bricker
groups with the best line on the
RESULT figured at least two dele
gates, probably four.
When Willkie got none and ran
fourth behind Dewey, Stassen and
Macarthur, who were not even run
ming, the surprise was little more
than anyone could adequately ex-
plain.
Comments of the leaders here
naturally were mostly jibes at this
most ignominious defeat of modern
political history, inasmuch as Will
kle claimed he was a candidate of
the people against the bosses, the
common rejoinder now is that he
apparently has more bosses for him
than people.
The slogan, "Who wants Willkie?"
generally went unanswered, without
plausible objection, also, the wither-
ing score of the Dewey victory, fol-
lowed by Wilkes withdrawal from
the race, was accepted everywhere
on high as meaning Dewey will be
nominated, without any dangerous
intra-party struggle, on the first or
second ballot.
But the complete sinking of
popular national figure needs more
explanation than this. True, his per-
sonal popularity had been impaired
by his utterances and tactics. His
remark, only half explained, that
one of his 1910 utterances was only
campaign oratory" obviously dis
couraged some support.
More important perhaps, he re-
fused to support whomever is to be
nominated by his own party, and
his whole method suggested he was
at least equally strong against his
Republican opponents as against
Roosevelt, if not more so.
Even so, all these facts seem to
fall short of the complete sig
nificance of the defeat of national
figure who made % speeches
through a state in which no one
else was talking, and then ran
last. 1t seems irrefutable to me
that Willkie just had nothing inter-
esting to sell.
WHAT PEOPLE THINK
The people these days are think
ing and talking primarily about the
conduct of the war, the confusing
steps taken by leading world states
men and what kind of peace we can
get out of this confused situation.
They are more concerned with taxes
for instance than with future Social
Security, because taxes hit them
now. Time passed him by.
The country has changed since the
early days of the war when the diff
culties of applying even the four
freedoms to Russia, Poland, ct al,
were not yet apparent to the people.
In short, this is a failure not alone
of Willkie, but for the whole thin
garment of false liberalism that his
vociferous left-wing followers in
New York tried to drape around
him.
They tried, for instance, to divide
the country into two camps, saying
they were the internationalist
liberals, and everyone else was an
isolationist, the people of the coun-
try just have not divided as
directed.
Certainly they have not expressed
themselves for any defined policy in
any noticeable way.
Domestically, with taxation at the
breaking point upon the great
middle class of people, Willkie de-
manded the Roosevelt recommended
tions for great increases be doubled
whereas Roosevelt's own party in
congress overwhelmingly restricted
increases to a fraction of what the
President asked.
DEFECTS WE'RE APPARENT
This agitation just did not make
sufficient common sense, or prove
sufficiently interesting to draw
winning national following. These
defects in his plan to elect him
self were apparent long before the
Republicans of Wisconsin spoke.
The best line from Nebraska sug-
gested he might suffer defeat there
again at the hands of his former
friend, Minnesota's Ex-Governor
Stassen, at the time he issued his
withdrawal announcement.
A rise in the stock of Governor
Bricker may ensue. He may hope
to get portion of the Republican or
ganization group, although the rank
and file of the party want Dewey.
Some organization people still op-
pose the New Yorker on the ground
that he is immature or not quite
regular enough" The movement to
smoke him out however is now more
apt to fail.
Only Willkie and Democratic
Chairman Hannegan were calling