Evening star., 1944-04-16
Age an Issue in
Campaign
By ODen L. Scott.

away. a once young administration,
grown old in office, will be challenged
by younger men aspiring to power in
Government.
If, as probable, the 1914 contest is
between President Roosevelt and Gov.
Thomas Dewey Of New York, the issue
Of age will be symbolized. Mr.. Roose-
welt. at 81, although still relatively
young as Presidents go, still is 20 years
older than Dewey and is nearly IL years
older than when he took office. The
situation is even more striking in other
parts Of the Government.
At present, the average age Of the
members of the Presidents cabinet Is
"a, with five of its roster aged 70 or
older. Not single cabinet member is
below 81 years Of age. Only three are
under so. This situation Is in striking
contrast to the Supreme Court which
once was made up of what were de-
scribed as nine "old men," The average
age Of the court was above 10 when
the President sought to add youth to
its membership. That age now is So
on the average and two of the nine
members are In their 40s. Only one
is above 10.
When Mr.. Roosevelt took office in
1888 he was advised by what became
known as a brain trust" This group
Of officials was made up Of individuals
whose average age was 80. OF the
original group only Harry Hopkins and
IN AHr
50, is Ill and Mr.. Cohen, now 40, still
qualities as one of the young men around
the White House. At present, the av-
erage age Of Mr.. Roosevelt's principal
advisers is about 80. They include
Bernard Baruch, who Is 70; James r.
Byrnes, "a; Admiral William D. Leahy,
SO; Admiral Ernest j. King, IS; Gen.
George c. Marshall, SO. Under so are
Fred Vinson, 81, and Samuel Rosen-
man, 48.
In Congress, the situation is even
more striking.
The average age Of IL important COM
mittee chairmen in the House OF Rep
resentatives is II. The chairman Of the
highly important Ways and Means
Committee is 80 years of age; the chair
man Of the important Rules Committee
Is 7S; the chairman of the Foreign At
fairs Committee is "a and of Rivers
and Harbors is 49, In the Senate the
average age of the IL most important
committee chairrhen is SO. Senator
Carter Glass, who heads the Appropria-
tions Committee is SO and Chairman
Ellison Smith, who heads the Senate
Committee on Agriculture is 80.
Congress passes out its honors on the
basis OF seniority, thereby rewarding
long service. The result inevitably is
that power in Congress passes to old
men when party stays in power for
long period.
The executive and legislative branches
OF the Government today largely are
run by old men, II a man is considered
old when past the age Of so. This tends
to be true not only in the highest Of.
fees, but In the second strata as well,
In the Army and Navy, however, youth
has been given head in the offices below
the top. In 1s4l only three out Of 50
brigadier generals in the Army were
under so. Today 5S per cent Of all gen.
eral officers in combat areas are under
SO and is generals are below the age of
40. Somewhat the same phenomenon
prevails in the Navy.
Mr.. Roosevelt in the 1914 campaign
probably will assure the country that
new blood will be brought into top ranks
OF Government If he Is returned to office
for fourth term.
The President himself, although
nearly dozen years older than when
he took office in 1888, stil is able to
stand up under prodigious work and
strain. He recently passed the same
physical examination that an admiral
must pass to remain on active duty
There is nothing to suggest that he
would find the strain Of four more years
in the White House to be too burden
some.
Mr.. Roosevelt, in fact is living proof
OF the fact that the presidency is not
man-killing job when administered
by an individual with good health and
strong nerves. President Roosevelt has
put in more than IL years of work more
difficult, under strain more intense than
any President in history before him.
Yet he shows no more effect of that
ordeal physically than would be ex-
pected to be shown by any man who
grows II years older after the age of 81.
1t is true that Mr.. Roosevelt has had
succession of colds during the past
winter. He has suffered from the fact
that he could not get away for even
brief periods of relaxation. Work crowds
upon him even when he is in bed with
cold. Now that spring is here, the
President is getting out into the sun
shine. He snaps back quickly once he
has few days of rest.
< * X
There is this other point. If the
Presidents opponent in the 1914 elec-
tion campaign stresses the fact that
the present administration has grown
old, Mr. Roosevelt can counter with as
surance to the country that he offers
an administration of old experienced
hands, who bring to their jobs the ma
turity, good judgment and conservatism
that goes with age. The men now run
ming things, even if we'll along in years,
are wise in the ways of an uncertain
world
The country will need to decide
whether it wants this wisdom and ex-
perience at the helm, or whether it