Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-04-07
behind
THE News
-ByP Paul
MaIlon

MaIOn
WASHINGTON, April THE
W Dewey people suspected in
advance Mr.. Willkie might get
as many as 20 delegates in
Wisconsin.
Republican leaders here con-
coded their bad boy gen.
orally from 10 to IA. Even the
Broker groups with the best
line on the result figured at
least two delegates, probably
four.
When Willkie got none and
ran fourth behind Dewey, Stas-
sen and Macarthur. who were
not even running, the surprise
was a little more than any one
could adequately explain.
COMMENTS of the leaders
" here naturally were mostly
iibeS at this most ignominous
defeat of modern political his
tory.
Inasmuch as Willkie 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.
DUT the complete sinking of
~ a popular national figure
needs more explanation than
this.
His remark, only half ex-
planned, that one of his 1910
utterances was only campaign
oratory' obviously discouraged
some support.
More important perhaps, he
refused 10 support whomever
is to be nominated by his own
party, and his whole method
suggested he was at least
equally strong against his Re-
publican opponents as against
Roosevelt, if not more so.
Even so, all these facts seem
to fall short of the complete
significance of the defeat of a
national figure who made %
speeches through a state in
which no one else was talking,
and then ran last.
THE people these days are
l. tn mixing and talking
primarily about the conduct of
the war, the confusing steps of
leading world statesmen and
what kind of peace we can get
out of this confused situation.
They are more concerned with
taxes than with future social
security.
The country has changed
since the early days of the war
when the difficulties of apply
ing 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
L divide the country into two
camps, saying they were the
internationalist liberals, and
every one else was an isola-
zionist.
The people Of the country
just have not divided as di-
rected.
Certainly they have not ex-
pressed themselves for any de-
fined policy in any noticeable
way.
How could they, in view Of
the news from London, Moscow
and all world capitals the last
six months?
nOMESTICALLY, with taxa
~ ton at the breaking point
upon the great middle class of
people. Willkie demanded the
Roosevelt recommendations for
great increases be doubled
whereas RooSevelt's own party
in Congress overwhelmingly re-
stricted increases to a fraction
of what the President asked.
This agitation just did not
make sufficient common sense,
or prove sufficiently interesting
to draw winning NATIONAL fol-
lowing.
These defects in his plan TO
elect himself were apparent
long before the Republicans of
Wisconsin spoke.
The best line from Nebraska
suggested he might suffer defeat
there again at the hands OF his
former friend, Minnesota's ex-
Gov. Stassen, at the time he is
sued his withdrawal announce
ment.
4 RISE in the stock Of Gov.
"A Bricker may ensue He may
hope TO get a portion Of the Re-
publican organization group,
although clearly the rank and
file of the party want Dewey.
Some organization people still
oppose the New Yorker on the
ground that he is immature or
l.. o..1,tx,l. ~