Evening star., 1944-10-19
Boxing Bout Tactics
In Campaign Scored
Writer Says Both Candidates.
Seek to Entertain Crowd
BY David Laurence

By David Laurence
If there are varying degrees of medi-
ocrity, then 1t may be said that this
presidential campaign thus far has
already reached the lowest point in the
scale.
In all fairness it should be stated
that both candidates are capable of
discussing On higher plane the issues
of national and international policy.
The Dewey speech in New York on for
elgn policy was a step toward a better
quality OF speech making. Something
has evidently crept into political man
agement however, to persuade the tao
ticians that the thing to do in
campaign is to give the crowd what
1t wants"
This is but another way of saying
that since radio networks are listened
to by so many people who normally
take little time to post themselves on
national affairs and hence are, to a
certain extent, unfamiliar with the
issues, 1t Is best to entertain the
crowd or to use innuendoes and impn-
cations and "hit hard"-very much as
If a presidential campaign were q
boxing contest.
Ever since President Roosevelt came
into office and found that his radio
voice had a powerful appeal he has
allowed the radio type of speech to
influence him. 1t is small wonder that
Gov. Dewey now is following that same
pattern
Some Aspects Amusing.
There are some aspects, of course
OF the campaign that would be anus
ing If they were not so serious. Thus,
1t Is interesting to see the New Dealers
squirming and squealing when the Re-
publican presidential and vice presi-
dental nominees pick up sentences and
paragraphs out of utterances OF ON
cials and apply their own interprets-
tions to them.
This is only what President Roose-
welt has done time and again in his
radio speeches and press conferences
in the last II years. The only real
difference is that Mr.. Roosevelt used
to resort even to quotes from anony-
nous sources, whereas Gov. Dewey, at
least. it must be said, does name his
source.
Again and again Mr.. Roosevelt has
used the technique of some anonymous
banker or some anonymous newspaper
publisher or some anonymous indus
trialist who came to him allegedly with
dire tales of what his particular pro-
fession or industry is thinking about.
and usually Mr.. Roosevelt Immediately
brands the entire industry or profess
sion or political party with thinking
the same things.
The President has not abandoned
that technique even in this campaign
Not long ago he made a speech pick
ing up something that some member
Of Congress said about his dog, FaIa.
and yet, when one read the speech one
thought that he was accusing Gov.
Dewey Of making an issue of the base
less rumor that Fala had been left
behind in the Aleutians and that a
destroyer had been sent TO fetch the
animal.
League Power Question.
Nor is this regrettable method Of
campaigning confined to national
affairs. In his press conference this
week, Mr.. Roosevelt showed irritation
when the reporters asked him about
the all-important question of the
powers Of the American delegate who
is to vote in the new League Of Ma
tions-the man who is to commit
America to the use of armed force
upon instructions from his Govern
ment. Mr.. Roosevelt said he was fed
up with the attitude of the press in
discussing details and he gave the i'm
preston that because few papers
here and there had focused their at
tention upon irrelevant aspects, every
body else was doing the same.
The impression Mr.. Roosevelt gave,
and, of course, unintentionally, was that
he was losing patience with the
processes of democracy and discus
sion. For, while at the end of the
COllleTenC6 ne SdlQ ne was ANXIOUS 10
have the subject explored, he GER
tainly did not answer the question pro-
pounded by the reporters who wanted
to know something about the powers of
the American delegate in the forth
coming League of Nations
Maybe this thing is picayunish TO
Mr.. Roosevelt, but evidently it is not
picayunish to Senator Ball of Mime
sofa, who reflects the views of a great
many independents asking for more
information than the administration
has made public about the forthcom-
ing world organization and Americas
participation therein.
1t would be a fine thing II both
candidates abandoned the idea that
the way to win campaign is to talk
down" to the American people, project
ing instead the issues in the most in
telligent fashion and turning away
from personalities and innuendoes,
thus giving the people some compre-
hensive idea of what each candidate
would do If inaugurated President next
January.
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