Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-10-09
Wendell WiIIkie Called
Truly Great Liberal
Carried Out His Beliefs Despite
Bitter Criticism, Says Writer
By David Laurence

Carried Out His Beliefs Despite
Bitter Criticism, Says Writer
By David Laurence
A truly great liberal was lost to the
world over the weekend. For Wendell
Willkie was phenomenon Of American
public 1ife-a man who was . poor poll
tician because he did nj. know how to
compromise for his own dvantage even
on minimum basis with principle and
q man who never let the shafts Of bitter
criticism from his opponents dissuade
him from what he believed TO be the
right course Of action or policy.
Wendell Willkie was on the fence in
this campaign. He had not yet made
up his mind when he went to the hos
pital three weeks ago which Of the fol-
lowing courses to follow:
ID To come out for Gov. Dewey in
the end after reading all the speeches
OF the Republican nominee.
Cd To come out for Roosevelt because
OF . belief that world organization after
the war would be better accomplished
by the President.
90 To point out the weaknesses and
deficiencies in the statements and poll
cies OF both nominees and let the public
weigh those criticisms In its own way.
"a To say nothing and cast his ballot
In secret.
Opinion of Friends.
Those closest to Mr.. Willkie in recent
weeks say he never would have adopted
either the first or fourth courses and
they surmised that he was closer to the
third than the second but that If he
came out for anybody publicly it would
have been for Mr.. Roosevelt.
Nobody will ever know which course
the Republican standard bearer of 1910
would have taken, for the truth Is he
was exercising the privilege Of an indie
pendent voter-he was waiting for the
whole case to be argued before making
his final decision. On this point there
can be little doubt. For there is written
proof Of it.
Without talking with Mr. Willkie be-
forehand this correspondent wrote two
dispatches few weeks ago Analysing
Mr.. WILKES probable position as one
of waiting without commitment till the
end Of the campaign. Letters came
spontaneously from Mr.. Willkie imme-
diately thereafter saying his position
had been accurately outlined and could
not have been better stated than II he
had written the analysis himself.
C1pca friends cold ouar vx,aal~ >od
that he had gone to the hospital worried
and anxious. He had labored hard in
public causes and literally wore himself
out thinking about the coming peace
arrangements. The decision he knew
was ahead Of him weighed heavily on
his mind. AS for the domestic policies
of the Roosevelt administration, he had
absolutely no sympathy with the meth
DDS or practices Of the Washington
regime.
But on foreign affairs, while he criti-
cized the administration severely for
certain mistakes, he felt that at least
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Hull were slant
Ing their policies in the right direction.
He wasn't at all sure of Gov. Dewey
because Of some of his isolationist back
ing, and while it seems doubtful that
Mr.. Willkie had anything to do with
the statement made by Senator Ball Of
Minnesota recently, that statement
might well be regarded as an accurate
summing up Of the Willkie position, too,
in the middle of the campaign.
Little Understood.
Many conservatives and anti-WiIlkie
Republicans never understood him. The
moment he had the courage to speak
up for more and more cooperation with
Britain in 1910 after the election. they
misguidedly accused him of Just being
pro-Roosevelt. Some of these anti
Willkie Republicans even went so far
this year as to help distribute literature
personally smearing Mr.. willkie very
much as the New Dealers used to do
whenever they didn't like the views of
some one in the opposition camp.
But the independent voters, of whom
DR.. Gallup now estimates that there are
20 per cent, or 100000, If the total
vote Is 100000 do understand a man
AA~S 4SAA. tVhAhlC, dAu LldIly LDlS year
would have concurred in his final ex-
position OF campaign issues because it
would have been reflection of their
own independently arrived at views.
Mr.. Wilkes death is tragic end to
a career of usefulness which had only
begun. He was destined perhaps to
have most influence as an Independent
with no thought of holding public ONCE
again but only of serving the best in
terests Of his country.
The Nation this year has lost three
great liberals. They were: George Norris.
Alfred E. Smith and Wendell willkie-
each with different approach, but
each with the courage to face opposi-
ton and to express convictions reso-
lutely.
What an example these men set for
the young leaders of tomorrow to con-
template!
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