Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-05-06
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The NEWS
ByPauI
MaIIon

EAS4HAGFGN, May -5-EN--
w pected primary success OF
The two strongest pro-Roosevelt
senators In the South, Pepper
OF Florida and Hi of Alabama,
is being interpreted nationally
as the crushing of the anti
Roosevelt movement there and
endorsement OF 10 years IN the
White House.
Overdrawn generalities fire.
t,tft-fffffv become popular inter-
pretations i'm the hasty pubic
mind bat the facts behind TINS
ono require some specific divi-
SION
In truth, these primaries in
their background detail, furnish
an interesting understanding or
the southern political anomaly
which always has puzzled the
rest of the country-namely,
how the South could talk one
way and vote another, how 1t
could elect pro and anti-Roose-
welt legislators with equal ease
or always be threatening TO
bolt Mr.. Roosevelt and never
doing IT, Here IS the how ana
why. as I gather It:
Senator Pepper made few
speeches. Those he made were
not important or particularly
fiery. lie stressed manly the
noint that he was for the war
before even Mr.. Roosevelt (orlg-
-inallv- cSpouSing lend-leaSel and
he also urged the army TO keep
the richest Palm Beach hotel as
a hospital. although the army
earlier had turned it down on
the ground of cost and again
turned it down during the cam
paign.
Ills leading opponent was
IL straightforwardly against
Is wears in the White House,
while Pepper chung to the
Roosevelt coattails. He played
down. and. out, his distln-
puished record as the original
instigator also of the poll tax
repeal movement in Congress.
His opponent tried to make
something of this distinctly
pro-Negro leadership, and there
was in circulation picture
showing Pepper with Negroes
at some meeting out Vest.
But three weeks before the
voting date, this issue dropped
entirely out Of the discussion
for some reason or other.
There were $4,000 federal en-
ployes in Florida, about one
third of whom may have been
recommended by Pepper for
their jobs. As a senator, he
rather runs a personal service
bureau for Florida.
To help him also, a rich
Canadian came in and did
much entertaining and the
Roosevelt political groups con-
trihuted pressure on the radio
and in always possible.
TI1E same clements were in
Il volved in Alabama. except
that Hill had once or twice
voted against Roosevelt poll
cies, particularly farm subsi-
dies, and his hold on the coat
tail was loosen but equally
secure.
In both cases, these men had
the backing of the state ma
chimes, the "Ins in local poll
tics. This is generally a con-
trolling factor in a one-party
community. IT can elect pro or
anti-Roosevelt men, or those
pro or anti-nearly anything
with equal ease.
This time, Miamis Rep. Pat
Cannon. an anti-fourth termer,
won along with Pepper. In
view of this machine factor.
the size of the opposition vote
is surprising. As Democratic
politicos here put it.:
They had trouble"
FLORIDA and Alabama in
L recent years have been elect
ing men more favorable TO the
Roosevelt economic policies
than, for instance, Georgia,
South or North Carolina or
Texas. 1t is erroneous, there
fore, to say the South expressed
itself in these results.
Undoubtedly, a majority of
primary voters in other south
crn states may be for Is years
i'm the White House, depending
largely on what course the
Democratic leaders in those
states agree upon, but anti
Roosevelt senators presumably
also will be reelected.
The main theme of both
Pepper and Hill seemed to be
that their reelection would help
win the war. They did not con-
tend that any one who was
against them was against the
war, as some politicians fool
ishly have attempted.
More by inference than direct
contention they tried 10 create
the impression that their cleo
tion would better aid victory,
somehow by supporting Roose-
welt, but they were not specific
about any means they would
employ. Their opponents were
NOT arainsf tho war or arainst